Proposed farming rules look to town’s roots

WATERFORD — Looking to go back to its roots, town officials are developing a regulation that would allow people along Clark Lane and a portion of Fog Plain Road to use their property for small scale crop production.

“The town has fairly supportive agricultural regulations now anyway,” Abby Piersall said, mentioning opportunities for sale of homegrown products and farming rights on larger parcels of land. “But what we’re finding, and what we’ve heard from folks ... there’s not really a good provision in place for the smaller farm and farms that are operating in a more urban setting.”

That is where this new regulation would help. Piersall, the town’s planning director, said the drafted regulation would create a pilot area, for certain property owners along Clark Lane and a portion of Fog Plain Road, to apply for a permit to use their properties for urban farms or community gardens in a way that preserves the integrity of the surrounding neighborhood.

The document outlines protections for neighbors — such as prohibiting lighting for agriculture from going onto adjacent properties, mandating farming can only take place in rear and side yards and setting rules for where compost can be stored.

An urban farm, which the proposed regulation specifically outlines, is parcel between 20,000 and 119,999 square feet where food or ornamental crops are grown or processed to be sold or donated that may include outdoor or growing operations, vertical farms, aeroponic farms, and hydroponic farms.

Piersall said the area was selected because it is ideal for smaller farming operations and is a good place to see if the policy works for residents.

When the regulations were presented last week to the Planning and Zoning Commission, members wanted the rules to be written so farming can only be a secondary use and not the primary function of the land.

“What they didn’t want to see was an urban farm come in that doesn’t have the benefit of a singlefamily home or one of the other uses that would be allowed in the zone district,” Piersall said. “You have to have one of the uses that is already allowed established on the property so that the farm is not the only thing that happens on the property.”

In the meeting, the commissioners said they wanted property owners to use their land in a way that would generate revenue, but does not infringe on the rights of others in that district.

Piersall pointed out the regulation would not allow for dairy farming, aquaculture or large amounts of livestock.

“This is fruits, vegetables, greens and flowers — ornamental kinds of stuff,” she said.

With a history deeply seated in agriculture, Piersall says this will allow residents in that area to return to the town’s roots while supporting local food production and giving people the ability to grow and sell specialty products.

Piersall said Waterford typically has a farmers market at the town hall on Saturdays, although it has not been held during the pandemic.

“My understanding is that there is a desire for that to come back this coming summer,” she said. “I’m hopeful that that will be the case.”

She said the next step would be contact property owners in the area to make sure they “know what’s coming and know where to get more information.” The department will then go back to commission and share feedback from residents.

“If there is still support to go forward, then we would put a formal, commission-sponsored application together,” Pierall said. “Once that happens ... we will schedule a public hearing.”