What is RANRA?
05.26.09 10:36 AMRANRA is the “Rural, Agricultural and Natural Resources Act” proposed by Tennessee House Bill 2361/Senate Bill 2217. The pending legislation would authorize a two-thirds majority of the landowners within a community to petition the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for designation of their community as a RANRA limited development community.
The stated purpose of the bill is to safeguard “the rural character and unique beauty of each of the three (3) grand divisions of this state against the rapid expansion of urban development and the loss of thousands of acres of agricultural land each year.”
In order to qualify for RANRA designation, a community must have at least three of the following features: woodlands, limited urban services, low population density, wildlife, flora and significant water resources.
Once an area is designated as a RANRA community, any new residence must (a) be constructed on at least 10 acres of land, (b) have a subsurface sewage disposal system, (c) be set back at least 250 feet from any body of water, and (d) utilize minimal outdoor lighting. The 10-acre restriction will not apply, however, to residents who own less than 10 acres of land at the time the area is designated a RANRA community. No new development other than these limited residences will be permitted in the RANRA community.
In later posts, I will discuss the validity of this proposed legislation and the reactions of RANRA-eligible community members.
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