Get this straight: Three Linwood farms want into Davidson County’s voluntary agricultural district, but weren’t allowed in because their land is in an economic development corridor.
If the county wants to designate an economic development corridor, that’s fine, except for the fact that economc incentives usually are used to lure companies into the corridor. Where the county got itself into trouble was by establishing the agricultural district in the first place.
County Commission Chairman Fred McClure had some good points during last night’s meeting, when commisioners voted 6-1 to allow the farms into the agricultural district. McClure opposed the farmers’ appeal on the grounds that other farms in the economic development corridor could no longer fairly be excluded from the agricultural district. What if they all want to bail for the agricultural district?
The other point McClure made — which is the same point the farmers have been making for months — is their farms are not for sale. Period. How this most basic decision by a landowner ended up involving three county departments, an advisory board and the county commission is way beyond me.
