Trumbull’s Plasko’s Farm eyes adding mini golf
TRUMBULL — Community staple Plasko’s Farm expanded its amenities over the years by adding a creamery, cafe and its very popular fall corn maze. Now, a mini golf course might be added to the list.
Attorney Raymond Rizio, of Fairfield-based Russo and Rizio, represented Plasko’s Farm during a pre-application hearing in front of the Planning and Zoning Commission last week to discuss plans to a build mini golf course to extend the facility’s operations and offer another entertainment venue in town. The golf course would sit on a half-acre parcel of the farm and would operate from April to November, weather permitting.
“The corn maze season is a very short window and that is the only income generated for the property other than some of the farming,” Rizio said. The plan is to expand the farm’s business activity beginning in the spring.
Rizio said the firm considered multiple factors to make the golf course a safe business that would fit within the neighborhood including expanding parking, better lighting and putting a buffer space between the golf course and Country Club Road.
“We think it’s a great use of a family environment,” he said. “It would be a great interaction between the creamery and mini golf, while not having any impact on the houses near Country Club Road.
“If you go anywhere, you’ll see that all of these farms, in order to generate more income, have corn mazes, they have playgrounds and have done everything they can to keep these properties preserved,” Rizio said. “I’ve been doing this for 30 years. Preserving these large parcels has been a real concern ... If you can’t help support the property with difference types of income, you’re left with other types of development.”
Since an application for the expansion has not yet been filed, the commission did not vote during the pre-application hearing.
Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Fred Garrity said the farm needs to reach out to neighbors before the commission can consider the expansion.
“Commissioners did express concern for the pending change to the neighborhood and what the neighbors felt,” Garrity said. “I expressed the commission’s continued concern that we always do the right thing for applicants, neighbors and the town in each and every application. And this particular application, if it does come forward, would need input from all those concerned.”
During a meeting on Feb. 21, the commission changed the text in its zoning regulations to allow farms to sell the goods grown on their property to the general public and to allow for recreational uses that need to be approved by the commission based on specific parameters.
“It allows the entertainment use to be permitted if it supports the viability of the farm and is filed with a special permit application with the commission,” said Town Attorney James Cordone.
“By changing the statute to allow accessory uses to support the farm, it in fact does two things: it gives the applicant the ability to make a presentation to say what type of accessory use could support the farm; and because it’s a special permit requirement, it allows the commission to review and make judgment on if this would this be an acceptable accessory use for the location and in supporting a farm,” Garrity said.
While the commission discussed the concept of the golf course, some members expressed hesitation about the idea.
“I have serious reservations about putting commercial activity like that in that Daniels Farm area because there’s nothing remotely close; the nearest commercial is like a mile away,” said Planning and Zoning Commission Vice Chair Tony Silber.
Commission members also said they worried about whether the mini golf course would be beneficial to the surrounding area.
“We’ve been assured, by both the town planner and by the attorney, that if this commission feels that it’s not in keeping with the neighborhood, our decision is not something that is going to be overturned on appeal because it is within our authority under the special permit,” Garrity said.
Garrity said once an official application is filed, the commission would seek feedback from residents.
“I don’t want to say that we’re pro-business or anti-business, but we are very supportive of business needs based on what we can do in the right place, at the right time and for the right reasons,” Garrity said. “This allows us to support people where it’s helpful for everyone: the application, neighbors and town at the same time.”