Alcorn, George B.

English

Research Papers in Economics

Effective  Means  of Implementing  Rural  Zoning
By  George  B.  Alcorn
The  title  of this  talk suggests  that we  know  the  effective  means
of implementing  zoning.  Unfortunately  this  is  not the  case.  Let  me
empllasize that we, in California at least, are just beginning to explore
a whole  series of new  and urgent  problems  being thrust on  Agricul-
tural  Extension  by the  very rapid  urban  encroachment  on our rural
communities.
At  the  outset  we  slould  say  zoning  is  not  an  end  in  itself  but
merely a means to an end. We are concerned with agricultural zoning
simply  as a  device  to aid in  balancing  all  land  uses  in an  area.  Our
objective  in zoning the rural  lands  in  California  is  entirely  opposite
from  that in Wisconsin.  lWhile Wisconsin  uses agricultural zoning to
restrict agriculture,  encourage  forestry,  and reduce  the cost of public
services,  practically  all rural  zoning  in  California  is  aimed  at main-
taining agriculture  on  tlhe  land.
In the United  States  we lose about a million acres of agricultural
land  a  year  to nonfarm  uses.  On  the other hand,  we bring into  pro-
duction about  a million acres  so that the  total agricultural  plant has
remained  about  static.  Estimates  showv  that  California  loses  about
75 million  acres of agricultural  land a year to nonfarm use.  I am told
Indiana  each year loses the equivalent  of one county in farm  land. At
that rate  in 92  years  Indiana will  have no  more  farm land.
Zoning ordinances  in the past have  usually contained regulations
for  use  districts  ranging  from  a  most  restricted  district,  such  as  a
single  family  residential  district,  to a  least restricted  district, such  as
an industrial or an agricultural district.  All uses permitted in a  more
restricted  district  are  permitted  in  a  less  restricted  district.  For  in-
stance,  single  family  residences  usually  have  been  permitted  in  the
conmmercial,  industrial,  or agricultural  districts.  In  California,  how-
ever,  the land zoned  for agriculture  is to be used only for agriculture.
All  other  uses  are  prohibited. This relatively  new  concept  of exclu-
sive districts  in zoning  is being  used  not only to protect agricultural
land uses but also other uses, such as industrial  uses.
Since  we  are  concerned  with  the  total  land-use  program,  and
zoning1  is only  a  legal  instrument  for  obtaining  an optimum  use,  I
think  we migllt  well  summarize  at  this  point  sonme  of the  important
land-use probllems. The problem of adequate food supplies is different
in tle long run fromn  the short and intermediate  aspects. In this period
of  surpluses  a  case  for agricultural  zoning  can  hardly  be  made  from
89the  standpoint  of  an  adequate  food  supply.  A  reference,  however,
might be made  to the  fact that California  is the source  of  10  percent
of the national agricultural  production.  Of course,  some  of this  pro-
duction could  be shifted elsewhere.  Another important  factor is  that
about  eight areas  in California where  urban  encroachment  on  agri-
culture  is most pronounced  produce about 50  percent of California's
farm  products.  But no real case  can be made  for agricultural  zoning
to  protect  our  food  supply.
Now, in the short or intermediate  period we can list the following
problems  arising  from  the  present  pattern  of  unplanned  and  unre-
stricted  urban  development:
1.  URBAN DISPERSAL.  Urban dispersal as noted by Professor Ernest
Englebert of  UCLA might be  classified  as follows:
There  is,  first  of all,  the  so-called  "pressure  dispersal,"  in  which
the urban expands out in all directions from the individual city. This
is  the  usual  pattern  of  urban dispersal  and  the  one  with  which  we
are most  familiar.  A second  type, or perhaps an intensification  of the
first type, is found where two or more urban communities are expand-
ing into  the same  rural area,  and  their boundaries  meet  or overlap.
The result is that agriculture  is  trapped between  these  growing  com-
munities.  All  the  problems  that  exist  in  the  first  situation  are  also
found in  this case,  but in addition  two  or more urban communities
are involved  in working out a reasonable  program of land-use  devel-
opment. Another type of dispersal is the ribbon development in which
the urban community develops along the arteries of traffic. The fourth
type  of dispersal,  the one  most important to us here,  is urban  devel-
opment which  is not  necessarily  contiguous  to the  central  city.  Sub-
divisions and other  types  of urban development  may spring up any-
where. This has been called  "leap frogging."  With modern  highways
and other means of communication  the family can live 25  to  50 miles
from  employment.  In addition,  industrial  employment  is  dispersing
so  that in  some  cases it may  lead to sporadic  urban  development  in
the open  country.
We  live  in  a  new  type  of economy.  No line  of demarcation  sep-
arates the urban from the rural areas.  No longer does  a different  type
of land  use begin  at  the city  limits.  We  have  what  some  people  call
a "rurban"  economy.  In California  we have  some  4.5 million  people
living in these areas which are neither urban nor rural.  The problem
of agricultural  zoning  is  how to  achieve  orderly development  which
will  provide  for  needed  living  space  with  a minimum  loss  of  good
agricultural  areas.  In California  the good agricultural  land  is in scat-
tered  and  localized  areas.  However,  these  rather  concentrated  small
90areas of good agricultural land lie directly in the path of urban expan-
sion. They  are  closest to  the city and easiest  to develop.
2.  TAXATION.  Urban  dispersal  into  agricultural  areas  creates  a
need for a level of governmental services which  farmers cannot afford.
Costs of these new services are high and must be borne  largely  by the
agricultural  landowners,  who  cannot and should not  be  expected  to
carry  them.  Hence,  a serious  tax problem  develops.
3.  CITY  ANNEXATION.  Cities  have  been  annexing  agricultural
land at an alarming rate. In California we have two acts, the inhabited
annexation  law  and  the uninhabited  annexation  law,  which  permit
cities to annex agricultural land in a very haphazard and in some cases
a high-handed  manner.  The annexation  procedures enable  a city  to
annex the high-value  areas in  the rurban fringe  leaving out the low-
value high-cost areas. The result is a pattern  which has no possibility
of meeting the land-use problems.
4.  AGRICULTURAL  SLUMS.  In  many  cases  the  agricultural  areas
which have  been  by-passed  and are intermingled  with the urban de-
velopment are becoming  rural slums.  Farms are small and inefficient
and  offer  little  incentive  for  capital  investment  for  improvements.
5.  FARAI  OPERATIONS.  Many problems develop when attempts are
made  to  farm  immediately  adjacent  to  an urban  area,  whether  that
area  is  residential,  commercial,  or  industrial.  Livestock  enterprises
present  a particularly difficult  problem  in this  situation.
6.  WISE  DISTRIBUTION  OF  LAND  USE  IN  THE  COMMUNITY.  An un-
fortunate  aspect  of the  present  type of development  is  that in  many
areas where good agricultural land is being shifted to urban use, there
is  available  land  with  no  agricultural  value  which  would  be  more
valuable  for urban  uses than the good agricultural  land. It will  have
no  value  if  not  used  for  urban  purposes.  Monterey  County  is  an
example. It has two million acres of land of which only  140,000 acres
is good  agricultural  land.  The  agricultural  acres  are  as  good as  the
best land in the state and support an economy  of 100  million dollars
annually.  The nonagricultural  land in the county is of relatively  low
value  for agricultural  purposes but  is of equal or greater value  than
the  agricultural  land  for  urban  uses  - particularly  for  residential
development.
The problem now is what to do about this situation.  Before  mak-
ing our decision on what might be done we should note that:  (1)  We
are concerned  with the total land use  in which  agriculture  is but one
of the  considerations.  (2)  We need  to study the  problem and make
plans for the future.  Our plans will and should  change  as new situa-
91tions  develop.  This  process  is  continuous.  (3)  In  California  we  are
thinking about an orderly retreat, perhaps  on the order of a military
retreat  to prepared  positions.  That  essentially  is  what  we  will  have
to do under the terrific impact of a population  increase of about one-
half million every year.
Agricultural  zoning  involves  the use  of the police  power to com-
pel  the owner of the zoned land to use it in accordance  with a certain
pattern.  California has given all counties the right to zone lands.  Most
of the counties have adopted some form of agricultural zoning at least
on a tentative  basis.  What, then, have  we done  to cope with some  of
the  problems  discussed  above?
1.  Some  counties  have  developed  county  master  plans  and
adopted  zoning  ordinances  for  carrying  them  out.  Several  counties
and  some  townships  have  master  plans  in  which  agriculture  is  the
only permitted  use in certain  areas.  High land  prices offered  by sub-
dividers and others are putting great pressure upon the planning com-
mission  to change  the  master  plan.
2.  Agricultural zoning is ineffective against city annexation. How,
then, can  agriculture  protect  itself  against  city  annexation?  Several
agricultural areas  in California have incorporated  as sixth-class cities.
In this way  the city has  full control  of the zoning and does not have
to  compete  against  another  city  in  an attempt  to  acquire  the  area.
The  level  of  governmental  services  in  the  area  can  be  controlled.
However, the city assessment rates must be the same within the county
and, of course, the agricultural area would have a low level of services.
3.  The district  form of governmental organization  has some  pos-
sibilities in California. This  is a regrouping  of governmental  author-
ity  from  several  units  of  government  into  a  district  which  has  au-
thority  over  land  for one  or  more  specific  functions.  However,  this
would  not  have  much  benefit  because  a district  could  not  protect
itself against city annexation  or any unspecified  use. In  other words,
we cannot form districts simply to prohibit encroachment  on agricul-
tural  land.
4.  Taxation  might  be mitigated  if assessed  valuations  could be
adjusted. The state constitution  provides that land should be assessed
at its  value.  Proper  assessment  calls for estimates  of the  replacement
cost, sales analysis, and income analysis. If the area is within an incor-
porated agricultural city and, therefore,  not available for subdivision,
its value would be lower and presumably  taxes would  be lower.  Some
consideration  has  been  given  to  the  possibility  of assessing  land  on
the basis of use rather than value.  I do not believe this proposal could
legally  be put into  effect.
925.  The question arises as to what unit of government should zone
for agriculture.  The  proper unit of government to zone  will depend
upon the aim of the plan calling for zoning.
Some people think  the police power is too severe and that the tax
power  should  be  adequate  to  direct land  use. We  should point  out
that this suggestion is premised on the push of urban dispersal, which
calls  for adjustments  in  the  assessed  valuation  rate.  The  use  of  the
police  power  in  zoning  shocks  many  people,  but  the  police  power
has  been  used  in  connection  with  land  for  years.  We  have  used
zoning in cities for a number of years, and the zoning of towns in city
areas  has been rather  well established.
93

EFFECTIVE MEANS OF IMPLEMENTING RURAL ZONING

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