SEYMOUR – A public hearing was held July 9 to add “agritourism” to Seymour’s zoning regulations to better reflect modern farming practices.
The idea is that modern farms in residential communities can’t rely on traditional farming to keep the farm afloat, so adding “agritourism” to the rules could give a farm owner the option to try different things to bring in new revenue, such as entertainment and educational classes.
Click here to learn more about agritourism from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Why The Discussion Is Happening
The agritourism discussion was born from controversy.
The town’s zoning enforcement officer issued a cease and desist order in April against Red Clover Farms, a 110-year-old farm at 174 South Benham Road.
The cease and desist accused the farm of hosting commercial activities on the property, which is residentially zoned. The farm is older than the current zoning, which dates back to 1956.
The cease and desist came after complaints against the farm were lodged by neighbors Al and Kristen Bruno, who are elected officials on the Board of Selectpersons and the Board of Education, respectively.
Red Clover Farms owner Kim Dulka Warner appealed the cease and desist to the Seymour Zoning Board of Appeals, saying the farm will go out of business if the order stands.
The issue stirred a hornet’s nest, with Seymour residents and area farmers attending public meetings in large numbers to stand up for Red Clover Farms.
Click here, here, and here for previous Valley Indy stories.
The video below is from a June 11 ZBA meeting. The Seymour ZBA is scheduled to talk about the cease and desist again at a meeting Aug. 6.
Early on in the ZBA controversy First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis asked members of the Seymour Planning and Zoning Commission to consider tweaking the land-use rules for all farms in Seymour by adding agritourism.
The Proposal
The members of the town’s planning and zoning commission are now reviewing a draft of new, agritourism land use rules.
The new zoning language, in part, recognizes agritourism as a way to “integrate tourism and agriculture, thereby yielding economic, educational, entrepreneurship, innovation and social benefits for residents and promoting the Town of Seymour as a leading agricultural community within the State of Connecticut.”
It enables farms to supplement primary farming operations with accessory activities and events, including:
Craft fairs
Birthday parties
Cooking lessons
Educational workshops
Farm to table dinners
Food trucks
Hayrides
Farm tours
Farmers’ markets
Ice cream/concessions
Indoor and outdoor music.
Agritourism activities would also be permitted to operate between the hours of 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
There is also a land requirement of at least two acres for agritourism activities.
The Public Hearing
Before the new agritourism rules can be added to the land use regulations, the public has to be given the chance to share their thoughts.
That happened at a planning and zoning commission meeting July 9.
About 20 people attended. Ten people, including attorneys representing both Dulka Warner and the Brunos, spoke during the hearing.
The commission continued the hearing until 6 p.m. Aug. 13, which means the public will have another chance to weigh in.
Attorney John Sponheimer, representing Dulka Warner, said the agritourism regulations were a good start but additional tweaks are needed.
Sponheimer asked for clarification on a number of items in the proposed regulations.
He asked whether farmers would need to apply for zoning permits every time they want to host an event, or if they can apply once a season.
He said regulations require the farm owner to be present at every event. He questioned whether that was necessary.
“The draft is a strong foundation and clearly intends to support agritourism while addressing neighborhood concerns,” Sponheimer said. “Most of the potential issues are areas where undefined terms or broad discretion could lead to inconsistent interpretation of future disputes.”
Attorney Stephen Bellis, representing the Brunos, suggested some changes to the proposed regulations to strike a balance between farms neighbors.
He said the commission should change the two-acre minimum to five acres. He suggested not allowing amplified outdoor music and allowing no more than 10 events per year for “non-agricultural uses.”
Bellis also suggested a rule saying that a minimum of 51 percent of farm sales must be generated from primary farming operations such as selling crops, livestock or dairy. He asked that annual sales should be provided to the ZEO before issuing any permits.
Resident Robert Rich, who lives near Red Clover Farms, spoke against the proposed regulations.
He was concerned about increased traffic, noise, lighting, and trespassing if events like weddings and concerts were allowed on a farm within a residential zone.
“I urge the commission to refrain from adopting regulations that broadly authorize commercial activities on farms without comprehensive standards, meaningful review procedures, and effective enforcement mechanisms,” Rich said. “There’s been a lot of concern about protecting the farm, but not the neighborhood.”
Resident Beth Carson submitted an email in opposition.
“I am disgusted with the new agritourism bill,” Carson wrote. “If this passes as written, the fact that anyone with two acres can now have agritourism is very irresponsible and short-sighted. There are many residential properties in Seymour that meet this definition and would create havoc on their neighborhoods if allowed. There needs to be at least five acres.”
Resident Bob Pagliaro said he supports farms but the proposed regulations might cause problems.
“I’m not against farming and people trying to build their business and make a living, but I’ve seen projects like this expand, get out of control, and I feel this accommodates just the one farm,” Pagliaro said. “I think you (the commission) should step back and slow it down before you make a final decision.”
An email from Naugatuck Valley Council of Governments (NVCOG) gave a favorable referral to the proposed new regulations. NVCOG land use experts are regularly consulted on planning and land use matters by local governments.
A copy of the proposed regulations are not available on the web but are available in person at the land use office at 20 Pine St. The phone number is 203-888-2024.