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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 23, 2022 01:42 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Ryan A. Bizzarro |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Preserving Farms and Families |
| Pennsylvania's farmland preservation programs protect farms by ensuring they remain intact for future generations. Our farming future depends on the interest, mentorship, and training of the next generation to carry on the tradition and keep Pennsylvania fed. However, the law lacks one small element of flexibility to meet this goal and that is, the inability of farming families to create additional residential structures unless they are for the landowner, an immediate family member, or employee. There are circumstances where an additional structure or subdivision of a farm isn’t feasible or there are already two residential structures. The current limitation is preventing an adjoining farm from selling a small amount of land to allow a family member to build an additional home to care for aging parents. As the US moves to meet the rest of the world in encouraging multigenerational housing to allow elders to age in place and the younger generation to take over management of the farm without displacing the elder, we must create flexibility while protecting preservation. This is why I am introducing legislation which will set specific guidelines to permit a landowner to petition the Department for the ability to add an additional residential structure for a family member or to transfer land from one preserved farm to another for the purposes of creating another residential structure. Please join me in this effort. |