Dade City, FL Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)

Sections 3.2.1 and 3.2.2 state what the OUA district is for: supporting agriculture and agriculture support uses, keeping residential development consistent with rural character, and matching the areas the Comprehensive Plan designates as agriculture. They also allow low density single-family housing and encourage cluster development through the Conservation Subdivision Planned Development. The numbers sit elsewhere in the Land Development Regulations, and Table 3.2-1 points to each location: Table 4.1.2 for allowable uses, Table 5.1-1 for dimensional standards, Article 6 for development standards and Article 7 for subdivision standards.

Under Table 5.1-1, a single-family dwelling in OUA needs a 3.5 acre lot, 300 feet of lot width, a 50 foot front yard, 25 foot side yards on each side, a 25 foot rear yard, a 35 foot height limit and 90% minimum open space, at a density of one dwelling unit per 3.5 acres. Wetland and watercourse setbacks follow Section 5.2.2(B). All other uses have no minimum lot area or width, but face a 30 foot front yard, 25 foot side and rear yards, a 60 foot height limit and 50% minimum open space.

Table 4.1.2 sorts uses by letter code, explained in Section 4.1.1. P means allowed by right. C means a Conditional Use Permit, which the Planning Board decides at a public hearing under Section 2.4.4. A blank cell means the use is prohibited. Section 4.2.4 classifies farm operations as agriculture, animal husbandry (cattle, pigs, mules, ducks, horses, goats, poultry and sheep), horticulture, and two agriculture support classes.

Agriculture support uses that are directly related to farming carry the Section 4.3.3 standards. They must tie to an ongoing agriculture, horticulture or animal husbandry use, cover at least one acre, operate only between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., and be run by the owner or occupant of the farmland. Structures and storage yards sit 50 feet from lot lines and 75 feet from adjacent single-family lots on 1 to 3 acres, and 75 and 100 feet on parcels over 3 acres, behind a landscaped buffer at least 15 feet wide. Produce stands cap at 750 square feet and 15 feet in height. Stables keep animal housing 300 feet from any lot line. Kennels in OUA sit at least 125 feet from lot lines. Land with bona fide agricultural use recognized by the Pasco County Property Appraiser is exempt from the Section 6.2.1 tree protection standards.