Answer to Question 1When a piece of land is modified in such a way that it effectively changed for a generation, it has undergone
an irreversible change. An example is paving a parking lot or constructing a building. Naturally, the so-called
irreversible changes can actually be reversed, but only with exceptional effort.
Answer to Question 2Property taxes are typically based on the actual market value of the property. At that level, it is often financially impractical
to keep a piece of property in farm production. If the property is taxed at a rate based on the income potential from
farming rather than its market value for commercial development, it is possible to keep the land in farm production
Answer to Question 3Zoning boards are asked to make exceptions on one location at a time. Usually, making a single zoning exception
does not make much difference. Exceptions are easy to get when economic benefits can be shown.