Barrow County, GA Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Sec. 89-122(b) of the Unified Development Code shifts the burden of agricultural encroachment onto new construction. If a new residence is proposed near an existing agricultural structure or operation that does not meet the distancing required elsewhere in Sec. 89-122(a), the new residence must increase its own building setback by one foot for every foot the agricultural use falls short of the required distance; that increased setback is waived if a natural or structural buffer is provided equal to one-half foot for every foot of the shortfall.

The underlying distances in Sec. 89-122(a) require active poultry houses, non-kennel livestock structures, wine-production buildings, larger horse stables, feedlots, hog parlors and waste storage to sit at least 200 feet from a residential structure or zoning district, while accessory agricultural buildings, commercial greenhouses, kennels and smaller horse stables need only 100 feet. This dovetails with the purpose of the AG agricultural district under Sec. 89-67(a), which is composed chiefly of open land, small agricultural uses and single-family houses on lots and farms of at least five acres, and is written to encourage compatibility between existing agricultural uses and new low-density residential development while maintaining the district's rural character. The AR agricultural-residential district, with a two-acre minimum lot size, is described in Sec. 89-67(b) as a transition zone between agriculture and residential uses.