SUN JOURNAL • February 3, 2022
A proposed bill would make it illegal for municipalities to use income requirements as a condition for home construction. If passed, Auburn’s agricultural zone would no longer have the building restrictions it’s had for decades. The proposal has reignited concerns that development will strip away acreage that could be used for farming, recreation or open space at a time when that type of land is disappearing. Eric Cousens, director of planning and permitting in Auburn, said, “The (agricultural) zone has really served as an urban growth boundary to really concentrate development where we already have services.” Kathy Shaw, chairwoman of Auburn’s Agriculture Committee and owner of Valley View Farm, said the bill would break up important land at a time when the real estate market would essentially create a land rush in Auburn and throughout the state.