It is easy to fall in love with a piece of land. Ohio has some beautiful landscapes, and owning a piece of that natural beauty can give you a sense of joy. You may even want to extend that joy to others.
You could do so by protecting the property from development or similar destruction in the future or by renting it out for others to use for hunting or fishing. In some cases, you may want to develop it a bit yourself in a way that requires some zoning variance.
A land use agreement can serve many functions, depending on why you own the land and what you want to do with it. Creating a strong land use agreement can preserve your legacy or help you to protect land when giving others access to the property.
What are your goals?
You can use a land use agreement to limit the use of your property by someone renting it for recreational or agricultural purposes. For example, you could limit their hunting rights to bow-only sport or ban the use of certain chemical agents or fertilizers.
A land use agreement could also serve as an environmental or conservation easement. Acreage that currently grows wild and provides home for birds and animals of all types could wind up chopped into tiny parcels and filled up with homes after you die. Creating a land use contract now could help protect a piece of land by restricting what people who purchase or inherit the property can do with it.
You could even use a land use agreement as part of negotiations with a local zoning authority if you need a variance. Agreeing to only use the property and the improvements you intend to build for certain purposes could help you secure the zoning changes you need to move forward with the project.
You need a clear idea of your intent for the property and the protections you require before you start to draft a land use agreement.
The language used in a land use contract is important
There are dozens of ready-to-download documents online where you only have to fill in a few fields to have what seems like a legal agreement. However, such documents may not be worth the paper you print them on.
Any land use agreement needs specific language to adequately protect your wishes and your property. Drafting an original document that includes every necessary detail often offers the best protection. You need to explore your needs and wishes to determine how to structure your land use agreement.