(a) A city council or board of supervisors, as the case may be, shall, prior to rescinding a contract for the purpose of restricting the same land by an open-space contract pursuant to Section 51254 or by entering to an open-space agreement pursuant to Section 51255, determine that the parcel or parcels are large enough to provide open-space benefits, by providing habitat for wildlife, or preserving its natural characteristics, beauty, or openness for the benefit and enjoyment of the public.
(b) Uses or development permitted on land subject to an open-space contract, or subject to an open-space easement agreement pursuant to Section 51255, shall satisfy one or both of the following:
(1) Comply with the provisions of Section 51238.1 or 51238.2.
(2) Consist of, cause, facilitate, or benefit one or more open-space uses on the land.
(c) If an open-space contract is executed pursuant to Section 51205, or if a contract is rescinded for the purpose of restricting the same land by an open-space contract pursuant to Section 51254, or an open-space easement agreement pursuant to Section 51255, either of the following shall apply:
(1) The resulting open-space contract shall not permit new development during the period the contract is in effect, except that uses compatible with or related to the open-space uses would be permitted.
(2) The resulting open-space easement agreement shall not permit new development during the time equal to the time remaining on the contract at the time of its rescission, except that uses compatible with, or related to, the open-space uses would be permitted.
(d) For the purposes of this section, agriculture and uses compatible with agriculture are compatible with open-space uses, unless otherwise provided by local rules or ordinances.
(e) A board or council shall not accept or approve a petition for rescission pursuant to Sections 51254 or 51255 if the city or county, within which the land for which the rescission is sought is located, has discovered or received notice of a likely material breach on the land pursuant to the process specified in Section 51250, unless the rescission is a part of the process specified in Section 51250.
(Added by Stats. 2008, Ch. 503, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2009.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018