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Tschida Zoning Amendment Page 2 In 2003, Ed Tschida was approved for a zoning amendment from the Agricultural Zoning District to the Long Term Agricultural Zoning District and entered into the Minnesota Agricultural Land Preservation Program. Since gaining ownership of his property, Tschida has planted thousands of trees and has created a forest of mostly White Pine, Norway Pine, White Spruce, Oak, Birch, and Aspen trees. The forest combined with the existing wetland on site has created a natural habitat for many species of wildlife. Tschida would now like to enter into a more permanent, long-term conservation program that is offered through the Minnesota Land Trust. By entering into this program, the property will be under a conservation easement that will limit development on the property. Ed Tschida is requesting the Hugo City Council to approve the rezoning of his property from the Long Term Agricultural Zoning District to the Agricultural Zoning District. Should the zoning amendment be approved, the City will sign off on the request submitted by the landowner for termination of the current agricultural preserve program. 4. LEVEL OF DISCRETION IN DECISION MAKING: The City has discretion in approving or denying rezoning applications, based on whether or not the proposal meets the standards outlined in the Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Ordinance requirements. If the City finds that all the applicable standards are met, the rezoning application must be approved. However, if the City finds that any of the applicable standards are not met, the application may be denied. 5. CONTEXT: A. Surrounding Land Use and Zoning The subject property is zoned Long Term Agriculture (LA) and the land use is identified as Agricultural. The property to the east is also zoned LA and the properties to the north, west, and south are zoned Agricultural (AG). All surrounding properties are identified as Agricultural in the 2040 Land Use Plan. B. Natural Characteristics of Site The 79.52 acre site has a single family home and one accessory structure located on it. The rest of the property is a mix of wetland and natural vegetation. Tschida has stated that he has planted 4,000 to 5,000 trees over the course of 15 years to include White Pine, Norway Pine, White Spruce, Oak, Birch, and Aspen trees. 6. ANALYSIS: Staff has analyzed this rezoning based on the four criteria in the City ordinance under Section 90- 40, Zoning Amendments: 1. The requested amendment is in compliance with the City s Comprehensive Plan. The City's Comprehensive Plan identifies the subject property as agricultural. The requested amendment would not change the land use of the property. The property is