GENEVA -- A change in lifestyle demands a change in Kane County's 2030 Land Use plan.

That's the view of development staff, the Planning Commission and the Kane County Board Development Committee. All those entities now have enthusiastically supported a new land use category known as "protected agriculture -- limited development."

It is the first proposed text amendment to the 2030 Land Use plan. The change is designed to accommodate a specific proposed development of mixed agricultural and residential uses near Burlington, but sure to prompt similar developments elsewhere in the county.

"It wouldn't surprise me at all if we have other proposals of this kind," said Janice Hill, the county planner who devised the new category.

The Serosun Farms development at Berner and Romke roads, along Lenschow Road, in Hampshire and Burlington townships will be 266 acres of open space, including a 160-acre working organic farm and 123 acres of about 114 home sites.

As part of the development, the agricultural property will be preserved, with the developer selling the development rights to the county and the county holding an easement to guarantee the land always will be in agricultural use. It is the same deal the county has worked to preserve about 5,000 acres of agricultural land already.

Hill said the working farm component is tied to a lifestyle phenomenon growing in popularity -- people wanting to buy food grown closer to home.

Produce at many grocery stores comes from 1,500 to 2,500 miles away, Hill said. But people are looking, more and more, to shop at the small produce stands and stores connected to local farms.

In the new land use category, no more than one-third of the land can be developed, Hill said. Developers will be required to use the farm easements to preserve farmland, housing will be clustered in one area to leave most of the land open, and the location of these developments will be restricted so as not to encourage any type of sprawling development pattern.

Board member Barb Wojnicki, R-Campton Hills, said she sees the new category as perfect for the "in-fill areas" that are between the urban and agricultural areas.

"It's new, it's fresh," she said.