Section 303.21 - Limitations on powers - agricultural purposes(A) Except as otherwise provided in division (B) of this section, sections 303.01 to 303.25 of the Revised Code do not confer any power on any county rural zoning commission, board of county commissioners, or board of zoning appeals to prohibit the use of any land for agricultural purposes or the construction or use of buildings or structures incident to the use for agricultural purposes of the land on which such buildings or structures are located, including buildings or structures that are used primarily for vinting and selling wine and that are located on land any part of which is used for viticulture, and no zoning certificate shall be required for any such building or structure.(B) A county zoning resolution, or an amendment to such resolution, may in any platted subdivision approved under section 711.05, 711.09, or 711.10 of the Revised Code, or in any area consisting of fifteen or more lots approved under section 711.131 of the Revised Code that are contiguous to one another, or some of which are contiguous to one another and adjacent to one side of a dedicated public road, and the balance of which are contiguous to one another and adjacent to the opposite side of the same dedicated public road regulate: (1) Agriculture on lots of one acre or less;(2) Buildings or structures incident to the use of land for agricultural purposes on lots greater than one acre but not greater than five acres by: set back building lines; height; and size;(3) Dairying and animal and poultry husbandry on lots greater than one acre but not greater than five acres when at least thirty-five per cent of the lots in the subdivision are developed with at least one building, structure, or improvement that is subject to real property taxation or that is subject to the tax on manufactured and mobile homes under section 4503.06 of the Revised Code. After thirty-five per cent of the lots are so developed, dairying and animal and poultry husbandry shall be considered nonconforming use of land and buildings or structures pursuant to section 303.19 of the Revised Code. Division (B) of this section confers no power on any county rural zoning commission, board of county commissioners, or board of zoning appeals to regulate agriculture, buildings or structures, and dairying and animal and poultry husbandry on lots greater than five acres.
(C) Such sections confer no power on any board of county commissioners, county rural zoning commission, or board of zoning appeals to prohibit in a district zoned for agricultural, industrial, residential, or commercial uses, the use of any land for: (1) A farm market where fifty per cent or more of the gross income received from the market is derived from produce raised on farms owned or operated by the market operator in a normal crop year. However, a board of county commissioners, as provided in section 303.02 of the Revised Code, may regulate such factors pertaining to farm markets as size of the structure, size of parking areas that may be required, set back building lines, and egress or ingress, where such regulation is necessary to protect the public health and safety.(2) Biodiesel production, biomass energy production, or electric or heat energy production if the land on which the production facility is located qualifies as land devoted exclusively to agricultural use under sections 5713.30 to 5713.37 of the Revised Code for real property tax purposes. As used in division (C)(2) of this section, "biodiesel," "biomass energy," and "electric or heat energy" have the same meanings as in section 5713.30 of the Revised Code.(3) Biologically derived methane gas production if the land on which the production facility is located qualifies as land devoted exclusively to agricultural use under sections 5713.30 to 5713.37 of the Revised Code for real property tax purposes and if the facility that produces the biologically derived methane gas does not produce more than seventeen million sixty thousand seven hundred ten British thermal units, five megawatts, or both.(4) Agritourism. However, a board of county commissioners, as provided in section 303.02 of the Revised Code, may regulate such factors pertaining to agritourism, except farm markets as described in division (C)(1) of this section, as size of a structure used primarily for agritourism, size of parking areas that may be required, setback building lines for structures used primarily for agritourism, and egress or ingress where such regulation is necessary to protect public health and safety. Nothing in division (C)(4) of this section confers power on a county zoning commission, board of county commissioners, or board of zoning appeals to require any parking area to be improved in any manner, including requirements governing drainage, parking area base, parking area paving, or any other improvement.
Nothing in division (C)(4) of this section confers power on a county zoning commission, board of county commissioners, or board of zoning appeals to prohibit the use of any land or the construction or use of buildings or structures that are used primarily for vinting and selling wine that are located on land any part of which is used for viticulture as provided in division (A) of this section.
(D)(1) As used in division (C)(3) of this section, "biologically derived methane gas" has the same meaning as in section 5713.30 of the Revised Code.(2) As used in division (C)(4) of this section, "agritourism" has the same meaning as in section 901.80 of the Revised Code.Amended by 131st General Assembly, SB 75,§1, eff. 8/16/2016.Amended by 129th General Assembly, HB 276, §1, eff. 6/4/2012.Effective Date: 03-30-1999 .