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Good evening.
I' I'd like to call the uh the meeting

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of uh September 1st of the planning
board to order. So, if everybody could

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uh get seated, that would be uh very
helpful.

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I thought from a uh clarification
standpoint be a good idea to just uh run

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through the agenda so every everyone's
expectations are the same.

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» I I was going to say you got to speak.
>> Uh I can't raise the volume. I can raise

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the microphone but maybe that'll do it.
Uh so um anyway I

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I too close.

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Well, we'll see. Um I wanted to uh
review the agenda for everyone just so

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we all have the same uh expectation of
how things will flow.

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This is a regular planning board uh
meeting for the town. And our first item

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of business is anformational meeting
with regard to a five lot subdivision

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for the Harrison's. Uh and we'll review
that. Then we have uh two other items

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that have been advertised which are uh
zoning board requirements. a petition

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for a solar operation and a petition for
a dimensional variance or um

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de demolition
rebuild project. So, we'll review those

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five things.
Then we'll go into regular business uh

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planning board minutes and uh a uh a
special um

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u motion for the remand of the request
from the young family to review the uh

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farming accessory use petition.
So, I would um

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turn the mic over to uh Mark Hartman
just to

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review a couple things.
>> Mr. Chair, I just want to address item

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four on the agenda. I I think it's it's
no secret that the reason we have such a

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a robust crowd tonight is because
everybody wants to hear about the farm

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accessory ordinance. So, I just want to
talk about what that is and what that

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isn't uh relative to the agenda item.
First, it's not a vote by the planning

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board. This is a remand from the town
council. So, it's a uh opportunity for

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the Youngs to be heard tonight. Um and
the reason for that is because the town

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council had uh asked the planning board
to review a farm accessory ordinance.

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The planning board did that, sent their
recommendation to the town council. When

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the recommendation got back to the town
council, the young family had indicated

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they hadn't had the opportunity to be
heard at the planning board. The town

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council sent it back to the planning
board so that the Youngs would have that

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opportunity to be heard. And that's why
we're here tonight. And it's for that

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express purpose that we're here for to
for that tonight. Again, there's not

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going to be a vote on that. Uh but for
the sake of fairness, we'll have anybody

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that wants to be heard, they can be
heard tonight on that farm accessory

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ordinance.
Now, when we do have that opportunity

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for comment, uh we'll limit comment to
three minutes per person, and we just

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ask that you try not to um repeat the
comments that are uh provided.

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Now, one last point on that farm
accessory ordinance. Um,

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we may or may not get to it tonight
depending on how quickly the agenda

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goes, but for everybody's knowledge, uh,
the accessory ordinance is about a

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change to the zoning ordinance that
would allow for a special use permit to

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allow certain activities on uh, farms in
town.

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the uh the planning board had heard that
prior and made their recommendations on

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that particular ordinance and that again
is what is up for discussion tonight for

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the Youngs to be heard. Mr. Chair,
that's all I have.

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» Thank you.

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But that doesn't get hurt tonight.

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All these people here
please don't vote for the whole agenda

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so we can all hear what's happen.
>> Well, thank you

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I don't know that we can do that, can
we?

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» I live across the street.

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» So, um there's a request to to uh change
the order of the agenda. Uh I can put

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that before the planning board. Um
>> I'll make I'll make a motion that we

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move that item to the top of the list.
>> Really?

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I have a second.
>> What happens to theformational meeting?

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» I'm not trying to make it.
>> We can move it below theformational

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though. It's second on the exam.
I think the the theformational

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hearing has to be uh
and I think that we can um we have two

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uh zoning uh requests petitions that
have been advertised and so we can uh

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make sure that we have time to hear
those prior to the uh closing of the

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meeting. So if if the the uh discussion
uh with the farm accessory uses carries

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on uh past 9:00 we can terminate then
and bring uh the subject to the zoning

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petitions is that
so um can I amend your motion? Sure you

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can
>> to uh so the motion is now to hold

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theformational meeting first
then move to item four which is to

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remand the request from the young family
for the matter of farm accessory

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ordinance to the planning board for
further discussion and then we will uh

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terminate that at 9 and we will uh deal
with the recommendations for the zoning

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board and those two petitions
Is there a second to that?

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» Second.
>> Second. All those in favor?

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» I
>> I.

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» Any opposed?
>> No.

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» Okay. Thank you,
>> Mr. Chairman. I just like the record to

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show that I need to recuse myself from
theformational meeting item number one

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on the agenda and I'll return for for
the open meeting.

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» Thank you.
So item number one is notice of

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anformational meeting is hereby given
upon the petition of David Harrison,

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trustee of the David Harrison
2024 trust, owner of the subject

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property located at 147B West Main Road,
Little Compton, Rhode Island, Tax

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Assessor's Plat 2, lot 9-9.
The applicant and/or their

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representative is presenting a master
plan for a five lot major subdivision of

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the subject property, including the
request for a dimensional waiver in the

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form of a road measuring approximately
2,380

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linear feet, including the 1,00 linear
foot along the existing 50ft wide right

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of way where greater than 900 linear F
feet is not allowed pursuant to appendix

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C 2D2.2.2E

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of the Lil Compton subdivision
regulations.

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The petitioner intends to create a five
lot residential family subdivision

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including one
LMI low to moderate income unit to be

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incorporated into an ADU accessory
dwelling unit on lot number one.

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Is this mic on?
>> Uh, I don't know.

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» Can Can everybody hear me? Oh, there it
is. Good evening, Court Chappelle. On

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behalf of the Harrisons, I'm going to
begin tonight by asking uh Mrs. Harrison

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to give you a brief overview, but just
for the audience and and for the uh the

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board, let me remind you that we were
here a couple of months ago on a

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conceptual. This is a 31 acre parcel.
The 31 acre parcel is owned now by the

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Harrison Trust and the goal is that the
Harrisons are building their own home on

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lot one and then each of their children
some of whom are represented here

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tonight are also uh hopefully building a
home within the next three or four years

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and it will be what I commonly refer to
as a family compound. It is extremely

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benign use and that it is five house
lots on 31 acres. There is just a single

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modification that is needed and that is
that the road that goes into it is in

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excess of 900 ft. But I remind you that
the planning board saw this before at

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the alme subdivision. When the Alme
subdivided and the a trust purchased

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some of the land, there was specifically
an easement that was uh incorporated

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into all the planning so that this lot
nine could be subdivided. And in fact,

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the planning board was involved in that.
In many cases, we see the easement go

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across the a trust land. And in other
cases, we see what we call hockey stick

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lot, which is the large 31 acre lot in
the back with an appendage that goes out

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to the main road. For some reason, I was
not present. Some of you may have been.

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This particular 50-foot road was a
separate parcel known as lot 7 and its

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sole existence was for ingress and
egress to lot 9. It is restricted from

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going to any other lot. They cannot
according to the a trust easement use

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this to develop and go into lot 10 or
any of the other surrounding properties.

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So it was apparent whether it be
mandatory for us or good neighbors, we

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wanted to go to the a trust and we were
on the agenda on two weeks ago and we

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were before them. So there's no issues
with the a trust land. There were

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discussions certainly that we had about
how we can uh decorate that piece, if

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you will, and landscape that piece. And
we agreed that we would stake it out uh

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to show where we were going to lay out
the road on that property and where the

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drainage and utilities would go, which
are part of the underlying easement. And

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we'll go back there regarding any
permission to put in trees and grass and

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those things. So, with that said, I'm
going to have uh Marilyn read a

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statement or give you a statement of
what her intentions are, and then I'll

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go over the modification and the plan
that's slightly different from the

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conceptual plan. The conceptual plan, if
you recall, you had some issues with. We

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were asking for phasing. We were asking
to cross some roads. We redid this as a

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simple, straight uh five lot
subdivision. Each lot meets your minimum

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criteria in your town ordinance for 2
acres. Each lot meets your minimum

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frontage and width requirements. And
it's all designed to be a large family

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farm with the large area including the
stable, barn, and riding area

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incorporated into and onto other
parcels. So,

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the property will flow as one big uh
farm type uh family compound. All the

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amenities won't just be on the lot one.
So, with that said, this is Harrison.

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Thank you uh for giving us the
opportunity to be here tonight.

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Oh, sorry, uh Maryanne Harrison.
Um you know, we purchased this property

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because we really see it as an
opportunity to create something for our

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family that's going to go well beyond
our lives. We, as Court had mentioned,

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we are building five home sites on
there. Our each of our four children are

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planning to build a home and my husband
and I will be building one as well. and

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we will have a barn with horses and a
paddock area also. And it's really to

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create a life that we really think would
be a beautiful one here in Little

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Compton. Um I [clears throat] grew up in
the country myself and I know how

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special it is to have that experience
child and the key thing for us and what

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we are trying to accomplish is to have a
place where our children can raise their

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families and they can have our
grandchildren would be there as well and

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they have a connection to the land to
the ocean and most importantly to their

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cousins. When my kids grew up, they had
an environment like that and we would

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like to replicate that for our
grandkids. U my daughter's here this

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evening as you can see. She's expecting
our first grandchild in the next couple

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of weeks. So, we're very excited about
that and my son is expecting twins in

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November. So, it is already starting to
to build and we really are looking

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forward to being able to have that
experience with our children. We also

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recognize that Little Compton is a very
special place and with that comes a

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responsibility for all of us. you know,
we want to be very thoughtful about how

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we develop the property. We want to
preserve as much as we can of its

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character and the open space and we want
to be good neighbors. So, that's really

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at the heart of what we're trying to
accomplish uh with purchase of this

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property. So, I'll leave it to court to
go through the details.

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» Thank you. So, I'll begin with the
access road. The access road again is on

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lot 7, which is a lot owned by the a
trust. It's 50 feet wide and your plan

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approved by the planning board when it
was done specifically says that we could

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have asked for modifications for 12 foot
wide road if we were building one house

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but if we were going to do more than two
I think it was that you set the width at

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20 ft. So we are so we believe that's
kind of a done deal that you said that

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the width of that would be 20 ft and
consistent with the egg trust. They

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obviously don't want that pavement.
They're very uh big on impervious

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service that must be gravel. So like
most of your roads in town we are

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proposing to uh honor obviously the
easement that that's gravel to that

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point.
>> Tell us what the what the proposition of

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would be please.
>> Yes.

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Yes, the Phil Bill Smith civil
engineering concepts. So that road will

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be a gravel road and consistent with the
subdivision standards. Uh 8 in bank run

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gravel, 8 inches of processed gravel on
top of that. Um compacted and uh

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essentially we're we're not asking for
any waiverss in the construction. We're

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going to meet your specifications for
that.

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» Okay. And even though that road is
approved, I should have said it's not

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installed. And part of the reason we
were here for master plan is that

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somewhat we're going to try to put the
cart before the horse and one you could

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certainly go down tomorrow and build get
a permit for one lot. So with that

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starting we want to improve the road to
make sure that we don't do damage to it

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to put it right up with the gravel now
so that we could get construction trucks

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and those things. And that's why we went
to the a trust and said hey do you want

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it left or do you want it right or you
want to keep us just in the middle? We

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don't want to put it in and then come
back to the planning board for

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preliminary and have them say, "Hey,
thanks for spending the money to make it

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a nice gravel road that's not in the
center, but the egg trust uh wants it

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differently." So, it's going to be
staked out before it's done. We also

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with the egg trust, there's corn growing
there now. Uh obviously, we're not

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plowing the corn to start it. We've
agreed to wait until harvest and to

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start it then. So again, I think it's a
a good communal effort to try to to try

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to work that out with them. Once you
come in, you can see where our road is

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really quite simple. It just sweeps down
along the property and then turns uh to

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the north and then each of the lots draw
themselves off the back. If you look at

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the topography of the land, you'll see
why that road is where it is and why the

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uh topography allows houses off to the
left of it. And then the large lot which

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we call lot one that would be occupied
by the parents uh building their house

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in the north west corner and building
the barn and amenities in the middle. Uh

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I certainly don't uh you know most of
you know I have a horse farm. I don't

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find uh horse farms offensive. Uh but
certainly the amenities of the horse

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farm which means where the horses are
and manure piles and things are kept in

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the middle of this uh property. It's
over I think five or 6 h00 ft uh from

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the from the nearest uh boundary to the
south. So again they're developing in a

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way with their neighbors in mind. Uh we
were here last time, remember we could

208
00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:21,760
have come, I guess for a four lot
subdivision and we could have avoided

209
00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:27,360
the uh low to moderate income
requirement. Uh but the truth is in the

210
00:23:24,799 --> 00:23:33,520
end we want five lots. So we might as
well address it now. So we are proposing

211
00:23:30,799 --> 00:23:38,799
five lots. By my definition under your
new ordinance, I guess we get to pick

212
00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:44,720
which lot has the LMI dwelling unit and
we want that dwelling unit to be on lot

213
00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:48,799
one. that lot uh lot one dwelling unit
will be in the form of an ADU which

214
00:23:47,120 --> 00:23:53,200
according to your ordinance is a
dwelling unit and can count and

215
00:23:50,559 --> 00:24:00,400
according to the state law an ADU can
also uh count as an LMI it has to be

216
00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:05,200
your solicitor would have to uh with our
office make sure that the proper

217
00:24:02,480 --> 00:24:11,440
documentation is filed so there are it's
a deed with the restrictions that would

218
00:24:08,720 --> 00:24:17,279
in this case not be a lot that an ADU
that was offered for separate sale, but

219
00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:22,720
a lot that we had to uh lease, show
annually the lease if uh if we lease it

220
00:24:19,919 --> 00:24:29,679
to someone that fits the criteria of the
LMI ordinance. So, it does

221
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:33,919
effectually pass not only your old
ordinance, but the new ordinance that

222
00:24:31,120 --> 00:24:40,480
you just looked at that we have 20% of
the lots, 20% of five is one has a uh

223
00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:45,039
dwelling unit. that dwelling unit has to
be done with the same construction uh

224
00:24:42,640 --> 00:24:49,200
construction materials and architectural
integrity as the other houses. And

225
00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:55,600
again, because it's a family compound
and all of the houses are done uh to

226
00:24:53,120 --> 00:25:01,440
look like a a rural family farm and
match the barn and match the stable. uh

227
00:24:58,559 --> 00:25:06,720
we will meet the criteria that the
construction materials and that the

228
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:13,440
quality of the 1,200 square ft unit in
the ad in the barn itself uh will be as

229
00:25:11,919 --> 00:25:20,159
uh with the same quality and
construction materials as our homes.

230
00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:26,159
So for those of you that might say the
house in the in the barn facility is

231
00:25:23,279 --> 00:25:29,760
strange, not so. Uh, I have a number of
clients that have them. And in my

232
00:25:27,919 --> 00:25:35,600
opinion, if we go back over to my side
of the bay over in Portsouth, the finest

233
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:40,080
equestrian center is with J Sergeants
called Sandy Point Farms, there's seven

234
00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:45,440
apartments attached to that. So, there
are in fact uh plenty of people that uh

235
00:25:43,279 --> 00:25:52,080
like nice apartments attached to the
equestrian world.

236
00:25:48,400 --> 00:25:56,480
Uh as to the modification
um I am asking there's there's two

237
00:25:54,320 --> 00:26:00,480
things I think we're asking for tonight
even though you're not voting even

238
00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:05,120
though it's just master plan. One is
we're going to try to put that road in

239
00:26:03,200 --> 00:26:12,880
once the a trust tells us where they
want it and once we know that it is to

240
00:26:09,039 --> 00:26:17,360
town specs. Normally the planning board
approves something and then your

241
00:26:15,039 --> 00:26:22,480
department of public works oversees the
road with Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith is going

242
00:26:20,559 --> 00:26:28,480
to try to get Department of Public Works
to oversee it now and to give good

243
00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:32,559
pictorial evidence so that he can show
that what we're doing now, a little bit

244
00:26:30,480 --> 00:26:37,520
cart before the horse, meets the
specifications of the Little Compton

245
00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:42,080
Road ordinance.
The other thing comes back to some

246
00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:46,400
recent controversies that we don't
necessarily like to talk about, but the

247
00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:50,720
this road is in excess of thousand feet
and that's the modification. There are

248
00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:55,440
many roads in town that do that. And the
problem is is that according to your

249
00:26:53,120 --> 00:26:59,840
ordinance, if it's a major subdivision,
once that road is approved over a,000

250
00:26:57,679 --> 00:27:05,039
ft, there's an argument that no further
subdivision uh can be done off of it.

251
00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:11,039
and we have
a five lot subdivision, but we have

252
00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:15,360
disclosed to everyone that there's a
strong possibility that we need a six

253
00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:20,480
lot subdivision. The reason we may want
a six lot subdivision is lot one could

254
00:27:18,159 --> 00:27:26,000
be cut off separate. Remember, lot one
is 13 acres. So, it could certainly be

255
00:27:23,520 --> 00:27:31,520
cut off from the Harrison's main home
and the apartment could be done separate

256
00:27:28,799 --> 00:27:36,240
as a primary dwelling or a house. The
most common things with family compounds

257
00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:40,400
and the trouble with them is sooner or
later a house needs to be sold and in

258
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:45,520
the natural order of things that may be
the one occupied by the oldest people

259
00:27:43,120 --> 00:27:50,480
and at my house that's the parents and
when my house gets sold I don't want the

260
00:27:48,159 --> 00:27:55,679
farm to go to my house cuz my farm is
the amenity for my four children and

261
00:27:53,279 --> 00:28:00,720
that's exactly what is happening here
with the Harrisons. So we would like the

262
00:27:58,240 --> 00:28:05,039
ability to cut that off in the future so
that it could be a separate lot so that

263
00:28:03,039 --> 00:28:10,080
we could still maintain ownership of
that even if the main house sold. It

264
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:14,080
would still be a six lot subdivision. It
would still be a minor subdivision. It

265
00:28:12,159 --> 00:28:21,919
would not kick in any more LMI
requirements. It just and we understand

266
00:28:17,679 --> 00:28:28,480
that in the future if the zoning changes
we may not be able to do it. But as of

267
00:28:24,159 --> 00:28:33,440
today, we could easily make lot one into
two lots because it has adequate

268
00:28:30,559 --> 00:28:38,159
frontage and adequate size. We don't
have an intention of doing it now, but

269
00:28:36,080 --> 00:28:43,679
when we come back in the future, if we
ever did, we'd like the planning board

270
00:28:40,399 --> 00:28:49,840
to say that road that you designed that
has a

271
00:28:46,480 --> 00:28:55,039
uh criteria that there may not be any
further subdivision.

272
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:59,120
you have disclosed to us and we designed
it in a way that it was adequate for

273
00:28:57,200 --> 00:29:05,360
six.
I I don't think the board will ever say

274
00:29:02,480 --> 00:29:10,799
that making this 22 ft is necessary for
six. Although if you do that, that's

275
00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:15,279
fine with us. I just want to be genuous
and say we see that there's a

276
00:29:13,039 --> 00:29:20,880
possibility sometime in the future that
it may go to six slots. And if it goes

277
00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:26,480
to six lots, we would like the board to
note that that requirement that it no

278
00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:30,399
further subdivision was addressed and
that we did that. That can be done at

279
00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:34,320
preliminary. Uh it may something that
you want to talk about. It might be

280
00:29:31,760 --> 00:29:38,480
something that Mark wants to to research
about the availability of it. We did

281
00:29:36,399 --> 00:29:42,559
turn that over to Anthony Disto that
specific question, but he reserved his

282
00:29:41,039 --> 00:29:47,520
right to keep looking I think is fair
enough to say. Um, but those are really

283
00:29:45,520 --> 00:29:52,480
the only criteria that make this any
different from a very innocuous simple

284
00:29:50,159 --> 00:29:59,200
subdivision.
>> No, I'm I'm just the the conscious of we

285
00:29:56,720 --> 00:30:04,000
right now you want to establish the
elements that you want in the master

286
00:30:00,960 --> 00:30:10,240
plan approved in preparing for the
preliminary plan. Is that right?

287
00:30:05,679 --> 00:30:15,120
» Yes. And so the the um if if you want to
have in my opinion if you want to have

288
00:30:12,480 --> 00:30:21,039
six slots eventually we need to provide
some conditional approval for that in

289
00:30:17,840 --> 00:30:24,480
the preliminary stage. I also think that
the the

290
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:31,000
we're going to need some better
understanding of having uh the loader of

291
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:31,000
moderate income

292
00:30:31,360 --> 00:30:38,559
building affordable
factor that's in in in another

293
00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:41,840
structure.
We're going to need

294
00:30:39,440 --> 00:30:46,480
» I I can address I can address that. and
and in in addition to I'm assuming

295
00:30:44,320 --> 00:30:52,480
you're going to rent it.
And so then then there there's all the

296
00:30:49,520 --> 00:30:55,679
the management of an affordable uh
property and and how that is

297
00:30:55,039 --> 00:31:02,240
» monitoring
>> monitored with the state

298
00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:05,600
there. There's a lot to that question.
>> I'm I understand I just want

299
00:31:04,080 --> 00:31:10,080
» and I'll answer it at the preliminary
but on a very preliminary because of

300
00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:13,760
where we are tonight. First of all, your
ordinance specifically defines a

301
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:19,440
dwelling unit. And when you look under
dwelling unit under your ordinance, it

302
00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:25,520
says a building or a portion of a
building. So your ordinance contemplates

303
00:31:21,840 --> 00:31:28,799
that a dwelling unit may be in a barn or
maybe a duplex or maybe a market. So it

304
00:31:27,440 --> 00:31:33,039
doesn't have to be its own freestanding
building. That was the first hurdle I

305
00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:40,159
thought I had to get over.
Secondly, your

306
00:31:36,640 --> 00:31:45,200
ordinance says, "Thou shalt have one of
your five lots." In this case, 20%, one

307
00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:52,159
of your five lots. It doesn't say shall
contain a single family home. It doesn't

308
00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:59,600
say it shall contain a dedicated single
family house to low to moderate income.

309
00:31:54,720 --> 00:32:04,399
It says it must contain a single low to
moderate income dwelling unit. And when

310
00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:09,760
you go to dwelling unit, it says a
building in a structure. That's I

311
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:14,559
believe hurdle number two. Hurdle number
three, when you redid your ordinance and

312
00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:18,480
when the state did the ordinance, it did
not say that the unit needs to be the

313
00:32:16,480 --> 00:32:23,200
same size. Some communities actually
have that. They have a size requirement

314
00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:29,039
for an LMI. Yours does not say that.
Yours does just says it has to be the

315
00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:32,640
same quality. You don't want an LMI
that's

316
00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:38,080
anyone insulting me with a trailer, but
a trailer next to another home and say

317
00:32:35,279 --> 00:32:43,279
that's not the integration of a low to
moderate income home into a nice

318
00:32:40,159 --> 00:32:48,000
community. I assure you this, I don't
think it's possible that this isn't the

319
00:32:45,039 --> 00:32:55,919
nicest LMI in Little Compton when it's
done. The problem with LMIs is

320
00:32:53,039 --> 00:33:00,480
there's some density bonuses and things,
but as you know, you can't sell them for

321
00:32:57,679 --> 00:33:06,559
more than 400,000 and you can't rent
them for more than X dollars. And you

322
00:33:02,240 --> 00:33:10,880
have to have a certain uh economic uh
person to lease them that doesn't make

323
00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:16,640
over 85, I think, if they're single or
120,000 if there's a a couple of kids

324
00:33:13,600 --> 00:33:20,399
and a and a spouse. But you can't It
doesn't It works in Providence. It

325
00:33:18,480 --> 00:33:24,640
really does. And we're trying to make it
work in Little Compton, but you can't

326
00:33:22,080 --> 00:33:30,720
spend millions of dollars on a piece of
of land and millions of dollars or

327
00:33:28,159 --> 00:33:35,120
substantial dollars to build a unit and
then say, "Let's sell it." Even if

328
00:33:33,279 --> 00:33:40,000
someone could afford the maximum
$480,000 to buy it, they couldn't afford

329
00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:45,279
the taxes and the insurance and the
homeowners association often times in

330
00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:52,240
this unit. So, this is a subsidized unit
basically for life by the Harrison's

331
00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:58,000
that they will rent it at uh according
to the code at an amount that does not

332
00:33:55,679 --> 00:34:04,720
exceed the rental that can be charged in
an LMI by state law that they will not

333
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:11,280
have a tenant in that unit that exceeds
the economic or monetary salary. And if

334
00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:16,720
the property loses, that's on them.
that's a little easier to incorporate um

335
00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:21,119
inside a structure that you're already
paying for and that you have the help of

336
00:34:19,119 --> 00:34:26,399
a homeowners association, in this case
your own four kids um all utilizing and

337
00:34:24,399 --> 00:34:30,879
maintaining. So I think it works in that
it fits your ordinance and I think it

338
00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:34,159
works in that it integrates quite
frankly an LMI in a in a neighborhood

339
00:34:32,800 --> 00:34:37,159
that would never have it without your
ordinance.

340
00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:44,399
S could you lean into the mic so that
everybody can hear you

341
00:34:43,599 --> 00:34:48,119
» please
>> lean into the microphone

342
00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:55,839
» can you hear me?
>> There you go

343
00:34:54,800 --> 00:35:01,839
» everyone.
>> Thank you.

344
00:34:57,359 --> 00:35:11,440
» So you want us to go beyond 900 ft.
You want us to go to six lots

345
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:18,480
eventually. You want us to give you
the the the expectations of possibly

346
00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:20,640
using lot one for further subdivision.
>> Well, that would make five into six.

347
00:35:20,240 --> 00:35:24,160
» Yes.
>> Not ever more than that.

348
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:28,560
» But you're you're talking about lot
number one possibly in the future to do

349
00:35:26,560 --> 00:35:35,280
something else. meaning it could be a
six lot subdivision whether we do it now

350
00:35:32,400 --> 00:35:40,480
or later. But okay, we would rather not
create a lot for the sole purpose of

351
00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:46,880
beating an ordinance in the future that
isn't necessarily

352
00:35:43,520 --> 00:35:51,599
always uh where modifications aren't
>> always granted

353
00:35:49,040 --> 00:35:55,839
because we have no intention of cutting
off a lot and selling it to anyone. We

354
00:35:53,839 --> 00:36:01,200
have intention of keeping this as a
family. I'm going to make sure you don't

355
00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:06,880
uh that's not my problem. My problem is
that you've given us a lot of

356
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:13,599
definitions when you came here just now
of what you could do without us. If that

357
00:36:10,320 --> 00:36:17,200
was possible, we wouldn't be here.
>> I I don't that way.

358
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:22,560
» I want to I want to be clear. I want to
be clear on what you want before we go

359
00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:27,440
to the next stage. All right? I don't
want to leave anything in the dock. I

360
00:36:25,359 --> 00:36:32,640
don't want to leave anything to your
determination later. I want to know what

361
00:36:30,800 --> 00:36:38,400
you want
now and and if it's something that we

362
00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:41,200
can agree on, fine. If not, I want to
know that now.

363
00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:45,839
» All right. Let me go through a four
process situation and have something I

364
00:36:44,240 --> 00:36:49,760
don't like later.
>> Let me start with what we don't want. We

365
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:56,880
don't want a 12 lot or 13 lot
subdivision that this land supports. the

366
00:36:53,839 --> 00:37:01,440
engineering supports it here and they
>> we know that

367
00:36:57,839 --> 00:37:07,119
» okay and and we don't want that. We
would like one lot for parents and four

368
00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:12,480
lots for kids.
>> Okay.

369
00:37:07,599 --> 00:37:17,280
» But we see the pro strong possibility
that the

370
00:37:14,400 --> 00:37:22,800
13 acre lot number one may need to be
cut off in the future. And when it's cut

371
00:37:19,520 --> 00:37:25,839
off in the future, either we can say, "I
just want to let you know we're cutting

372
00:37:24,079 --> 00:37:31,599
it off in the future. Are you okay with
it?" Or if you would like here at Master

373
00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:38,400
and we just show you the six slots now.
That's okay, too. We don't If this was

374
00:37:35,920 --> 00:37:43,040
the old days, we'd ask for two right
now. And when a child said, "I'm ready

375
00:37:41,040 --> 00:37:48,320
to build," would come in and say, "The
roads in as what used to be an admin or

376
00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:52,720
planning board approval not required.
Can I have a lot for my next child? Can

377
00:37:50,880 --> 00:37:57,200
I have a lot for my next child? And we'd
move right down the road. But because of

378
00:37:54,560 --> 00:38:03,760
all the new ordinances that say
successive and we may not be able once

379
00:38:00,160 --> 00:38:09,599
you give us a modification for over 900
ft, if you granted us that, you may not

380
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:13,359
do it again. We want to just say if we
have to do it that way and do six now.

381
00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:16,720
Now, we're still not saying 12, but if
we have to do it that way and do six

382
00:38:14,800 --> 00:38:23,640
now, then we'll do that. I just don't
think that's a practical approach.

383
00:38:20,079 --> 00:38:23,640
But that's me.

384
00:38:24,880 --> 00:38:30,640
» Yeah, I'm good.
>> The only scenario, just to be clear, the

385
00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:35,040
only scenario for lot six is should my
husband and I die, we want to make sure

386
00:38:33,040 --> 00:38:38,160
if the kids can't afford our place,
which I'm sure they probably won't be

387
00:38:36,400 --> 00:38:42,320
able to, and they have to sell our
house, that the farm doesn't go with it.

388
00:38:40,400 --> 00:38:46,880
we just want to append it probably to
somebody else's lot or have a lot six

389
00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:50,400
that they can all own. The plan is not
to expand and build another house. So, I

390
00:38:48,960 --> 00:38:53,400
just want to make sure that's really
clear.

391
00:39:01,599 --> 00:39:08,720
» Do you have any questions of Mr. Smith?
Uh, by the way, do we have the drawing

392
00:39:06,000 --> 00:39:14,960
of the uh barn?
Well, the one question I had was you you

393
00:39:11,200 --> 00:39:19,520
shown the uh six houses
with

394
00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:21,839
six accessory dwelling units. Is that
correct?

395
00:39:21,359 --> 00:39:26,400
» That is
>> five

396
00:39:24,240 --> 00:39:35,119
» five houses with five houses dwelling
units. Correct. And so when you uh come

397
00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:40,160
back for uh the preliminary, you'll know
the number of bedrooms and because it

398
00:39:37,680 --> 00:39:46,079
you've switched from
uh I think so now everybody has an

399
00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:48,480
individual uh septic system of their
own. Is that correct?

400
00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:51,920
» That's correct.
>> So those will all obviously be worked

401
00:39:51,040 --> 00:39:57,359
out for prelim
>> including the ADUs. And then besides

402
00:39:54,640 --> 00:40:04,320
appropriately to handle an ADU, if there
is going to be an ADU for for those

403
00:39:59,440 --> 00:40:07,920
lots, it is allowed. We as a matter of
we wanted to show it so that if somebody

404
00:40:06,480 --> 00:40:12,160
down the road
>> wanted to do that, then nobody's going

405
00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:15,160
to say, "Well, you never told us,"
>> right?

406
00:40:15,680 --> 00:40:19,640
You say, "I want to know."

407
00:40:28,560 --> 00:40:35,599
look like.
>> Very nice.

408
00:40:33,200 --> 00:40:41,880
» It's like the school. It looks like the
school.

409
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:41,880
You take a picture of the school built.

410
00:40:58,640 --> 00:41:01,640
Yep.

411
00:41:04,800 --> 00:41:13,599
Just Bill, other than the unique nature
of this lot and that it's already starts

412
00:41:09,839 --> 00:41:18,079
980 ft deep on on the road that was
other than the unique nature of the lot

413
00:41:15,760 --> 00:41:23,680
that it by definition doesn't start till
1,000 ft in the road that you've

414
00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:29,359
designed. Were were there any uh
scenarios that you could shorten that

415
00:41:25,680 --> 00:41:34,280
and still try to get the frontage of uh
the five lot division?

416
00:41:34,720 --> 00:41:41,119
» Um
yeah. So, so that was laid out so that

417
00:41:38,880 --> 00:41:47,359
we could take advantage of the there's a
substantial amount of water frontage

418
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:53,520
along this lot and the four lots um lots
2, three, four, and five will all be uh

419
00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:58,400
have water frontage. So, the road really
couldn't be shortened uh substantially.

420
00:41:56,400 --> 00:42:04,640
Could I move the coal sack back a few
feet? Maybe, but this seemed like this

421
00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:10,640
was a a good fit. Um, we've incorporated
storm water uh BMPPS along the roadway

422
00:42:08,640 --> 00:42:16,560
uh so that we capture storm water so
we're not causing any issues with uh

423
00:42:13,359 --> 00:42:21,920
runoff or sedimentation
um you know for the for either the water

424
00:42:18,880 --> 00:42:26,240
or for any of the neighbors. Um this
this seemed like this was the best best

425
00:42:24,319 --> 00:42:30,800
fit for the roadway.
>> Uh stay at the mic Bill for a minute. I

426
00:42:28,400 --> 00:42:37,149
have a question. When you I was up there
today. When you when you go in and you

427
00:42:33,839 --> 00:42:42,000
as you go in, it takes quite a rise
[clears throat] to the peak. Are you are

428
00:42:39,920 --> 00:42:47,839
you confident that you can pick up that
water that's coming off that ride and

429
00:42:44,640 --> 00:42:49,200
going towards West Main Road?
>> Yes.

430
00:42:48,560 --> 00:42:57,680
» Okay. Yeah.
>> If if do you have

431
00:42:52,560 --> 00:43:03,359
do you have a a way of uh of taking care
of that if the calculations are

432
00:43:00,160 --> 00:43:09,520
» So So we do that that section that's on
the actress prop a trust property um

433
00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:14,079
that drains back toward West Bane Road.
We'll have a swale system incorporated

434
00:43:11,760 --> 00:43:18,160
into it with a series of check dams so
that it can have whiz going down in the

435
00:43:17,440 --> 00:43:21,839
swailes.
>> Exactly. Yeah.

436
00:43:18,800 --> 00:43:24,800
» All right. So, you can feed the swale at
at West Main

437
00:43:22,960 --> 00:43:29,359
» and and the water will stay in each of
the cells, if you want to call it that,

438
00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:32,240
uh infiltrate into the ground so that it
reduces the runoff going out to West

439
00:43:31,359 --> 00:43:36,319
Main.
>> That's designed to the south side of the

440
00:43:33,920 --> 00:43:38,240
road so that it doesn't interfere with
the farmer.

441
00:43:37,359 --> 00:43:40,240
» Yeah.
>> And that was part of the act trust

442
00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:43,280
discussion.
>> Thank you. Thank you.

443
00:43:42,240 --> 00:43:46,319
» Can I just say
>> you you had asked a question if for

444
00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:50,079
Perlin we would have the number of
bedrooms for each of them. I just want

445
00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:54,240
to make sure that you're aware that
three of the lots will be built on

446
00:43:52,240 --> 00:43:58,400
relatively soon. The other two will be
quite a while. So, we originally, as you

447
00:43:56,880 --> 00:44:02,079
recall, we were going in phasing because
we knew two of them weren't building for

448
00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:04,960
quite some time, but we're still going
forward with the five, but we don't have

449
00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:08,760
we won't have the details on two of
those lots.

450
00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:08,760
» Okay.

451
00:44:09,440 --> 00:44:12,920
Thank you, C.

452
00:44:13,599 --> 00:44:16,760
» I'm good.

453
00:44:18,480 --> 00:44:22,640
I don't think we have any other
questions.

454
00:44:21,359 --> 00:44:25,119
» And all five of these are individuals,
right?

455
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:32,400
» All the septic systems.
>> So all five of these lots are individual

456
00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:37,280
ISDs systems. So they would um based on
Rhode Island DEM be approved for a

457
00:44:34,960 --> 00:44:40,480
fourbedroom or a five-bedroom. If the
person that was getting the lot, the

458
00:44:38,880 --> 00:44:45,040
child that was getting the lot
anticipated the ADU and the ADU was

459
00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:48,400
going to be onebedroom, then if they
were at a four-bedroom house, they

460
00:44:46,960 --> 00:44:53,839
either would build a five- bedroomedroom
system or they would have to do a new

461
00:44:50,960 --> 00:44:58,960
system at a later date. But that is 100%
uh done by by DEM, right? But this is

462
00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:03,599
not the common system like we that's a
much bigger issue in the common system

463
00:45:01,520 --> 00:45:08,079
in the other properties that we've been
before you recently.

464
00:45:05,920 --> 00:45:15,119
You're you're not going to utilize the
first culde-sac at the at the beginning

465
00:45:12,800 --> 00:45:18,880
of this property and at the end of the
egg trust property.

466
00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:24,079
» That culde-sac was put on to provide
frontage. Yes. This lot. So it

467
00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:27,359
legitimized this 31 acres as a separate
lot. We are not going to use that

468
00:45:25,760 --> 00:45:29,839
culdeac. We don't need the front.
>> So that won't be improved.

469
00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:33,920
» No. Okay.
>> No, there's no need for that.

470
00:45:31,520 --> 00:45:37,520
» Okay.
>> We're good.

471
00:45:34,880 --> 00:45:41,359
» Yeah. But the culde-sac at the end is of
adequate size and we'll have letters

472
00:45:39,440 --> 00:45:42,560
from the fire department.
>> Okay,

473
00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:45,520
» I'm good.
>> Thanks,

474
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:53,160
» Mr. Chair. So, all you would need on
this is a a vote to move to public

475
00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:53,160
hearing. Master plan public hearing.

476
00:45:54,160 --> 00:45:58,800
» Master plan public.
>> Never mind. So moved. I need to hear

477
00:45:56,880 --> 00:46:05,119
what it is. What's the motion? Mark, can
>> you make the motion again? Mark.

478
00:46:02,000 --> 00:46:06,960
» I'll make a motion that we move this the
master for

479
00:46:05,760 --> 00:46:09,119
» to to master plan.
>> Master plan.

480
00:46:07,760 --> 00:46:11,680
» Master plan. Public hearing.
>> Public hearing.

481
00:46:11,599 --> 00:46:13,040
You
>> want to second?

482
00:46:12,160 --> 00:46:16,800
» All those in favor?
>> Second.

483
00:46:13,680 --> 00:46:18,560
» I we scheduling that for next month.
>> Thank you.

484
00:46:18,079 --> 00:46:21,359
» Second.
>> Are we automatically scheduling that for

485
00:46:20,319 --> 00:46:24,359
next month?
>> No.

486
00:46:25,747 --> 00:46:28,480
[laughter]
>> Yeah. Okay.

487
00:46:27,280 --> 00:46:32,000
» The application.
>> Can I Can I ask a question? I just want

488
00:46:30,640 --> 00:46:37,240
to make sure I got it straight. It was
master plan not

489
00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:37,240
» this is a master plan applic

490
00:46:38,160 --> 00:46:44,560
» right but this is a master plan
application so weed the entire package

491
00:46:42,640 --> 00:46:48,240
to do master plan so we're not coming
back for preliminary we just agreed that

492
00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:52,960
this could be informal and then we'd
come back for

493
00:46:50,720 --> 00:46:58,560
but we don't have to refile anything no
>> which would except for advertising make

494
00:46:56,079 --> 00:47:03,680
this continue to next month on your
agenda subject to our uh working with

495
00:47:01,760 --> 00:47:06,960
Julie to make sure it's advertised for
the public master plan hearing.

496
00:47:06,079 --> 00:47:10,160
» Yes, correct.
>> Skip a month. I have time to to

497
00:47:08,880 --> 00:47:13,040
advertise.
>> We want to make sure the advertising

498
00:47:11,440 --> 00:47:15,760
gets done correctly. So, absolutely.
>> But if the advertising is done, we'll

499
00:47:14,640 --> 00:47:20,720
see you next month.
>> Yes.

500
00:47:17,119 --> 00:47:24,119
» Thank you. Thank you.
Thank you, Bill.

501
00:47:44,079 --> 00:47:54,000
So now we're we're going to um move to
item number four in accordance with the

502
00:47:49,520 --> 00:48:00,480
agenda. Uh and
u I think that we should we should uh

503
00:47:56,960 --> 00:48:05,280
ask the youngs to lead off the comments
and uh then we'll

504
00:48:03,280 --> 00:48:12,160
alternate with other people that wish to
speak and we'll um

505
00:48:09,119 --> 00:48:19,359
try to limit it to uh 3 minutes but
we'll we'll see how that goes.

506
00:48:15,760 --> 00:48:23,319
» Good evening. Good evening, Tyler.
>> You have me before we started.

507
00:48:25,200 --> 00:48:32,880
» So, good evening. My name is Tyler
Young. Uh, my wife Carl and I operate

508
00:48:30,400 --> 00:48:37,760
Young Family Farm. Many of you know our
farm well. We started 108 acres back in

509
00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:41,119
1997.
And over the years, we've grown into

510
00:48:39,280 --> 00:48:46,480
operation over 300 acres. We're one of
the larger growers in the state. Uh,

511
00:48:43,839 --> 00:48:53,200
raised some pretty good corn, too.
Farming this land always will be

512
00:48:50,319 --> 00:48:57,839
our primary purpose. But as anyone in
agriculture knows, open land isn't just

513
00:48:55,760 --> 00:49:02,640
scenic backdrop.
It is a living, breathing operation that

514
00:49:00,000 --> 00:49:06,400
requires constant physical work, massive
daily investment, and deep

515
00:49:04,000 --> 00:49:10,319
responsibility to our environment. My
family has worked these lands for

516
00:49:07,760 --> 00:49:15,440
generations, and our greatest hope is to
pass the legacy on to the next. But it

517
00:49:13,200 --> 00:49:18,880
brings up a critical question. What will
our town look like if working farms

518
00:49:17,200 --> 00:49:22,400
disappear?
When farmland is no longer financially

519
00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:27,119
sustainable and active cultivation
stops, those fields don't simply stay

520
00:49:24,640 --> 00:49:31,280
pristine. They quickly turn into dense
brush, overgrown briars, and unmanaged

521
00:49:29,200 --> 00:49:35,440
tall grass,
breeding several tick infestations, and

522
00:49:33,760 --> 00:49:38,559
driving deer activity right into our
neighboring yards, which we already

523
00:49:36,640 --> 00:49:41,839
have.
Even more than that, keeping a working

524
00:49:40,240 --> 00:49:46,400
farm viable is what protects our
community from ultimate disruption,

525
00:49:44,160 --> 00:49:51,040
being forced to sell farmland. The
reality is very few farmers today can

526
00:49:48,559 --> 00:49:55,440
afford to purchase land in this town,
even land that is protected.

527
00:49:53,839 --> 00:49:59,119
To keep 300 acres active and
well-managed, modern farmers must be

528
00:49:57,119 --> 00:50:03,359
allowed to diversify.
That is why we started a petition for

529
00:50:01,200 --> 00:50:08,720
our community members and customers who
support our vision. We're not asking for

530
00:50:06,000 --> 00:50:14,880
zoning change. We are requesting a
special you special use permit

531
00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:18,480
specifically for our farm.
This ensures the town council retains

532
00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:22,960
full control of keeping our plan
squarely aligned with the town's

533
00:50:20,559 --> 00:50:26,800
comprehensive plan.
In a short time, we received

534
00:50:24,480 --> 00:50:31,040
overwhelming support, nearly 900
signatures, 400 which have come directly

535
00:50:29,520 --> 00:50:35,040
from Old Compton residents and
taxpayers.

536
00:50:33,359 --> 00:50:38,400
We're also honored to be joined tonight
by representatives from Rhode Island

537
00:50:36,400 --> 00:50:42,880
BEM, the Department of Agriculture, the
Farm Bureau, and State Legal Council.

538
00:50:41,359 --> 00:50:46,720
The state of Rhode Island has made its
position explicitly clear for preserving

539
00:50:45,359 --> 00:50:50,800
working farmland for main and
production, family farms need

540
00:50:48,480 --> 00:50:55,520
sustainable economic models such as
hosting limited farm-to-table events and

541
00:50:53,280 --> 00:51:00,800
community gatherings.
State officials are here tonight support

542
00:50:57,200 --> 00:51:05,440
modernizing rules so that family farms
like ours can survive

543
00:51:03,200 --> 00:51:09,760
tonight. Let's simply set the record
straight and work together to preserve

544
00:51:06,880 --> 00:51:14,640
agriculture part of our town. Thank you.
But I'd like to also say that there's a

545
00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:19,200
flyer that was passed around town and
that flyer was very inaccurate.

546
00:51:17,440 --> 00:51:24,800
Some of the claims were multiple
commercial venues false unrestricted

547
00:51:22,079 --> 00:51:28,960
parties false. harmful tranquility
false. Now, we did a measurement. Some

548
00:51:27,280 --> 00:51:36,160
of the neighbors saying we're 70 ft from
the venue. The closest one was 241 ft.

549
00:51:32,640 --> 00:51:41,040
The next one was 401 ft.
Our proposed guardrails and facts

550
00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:48,000
limited special use permit pilot
program. Maximum 10 evening events per

551
00:51:44,240 --> 00:51:54,319
year with flexible to work with town 150
guest cap. Music stops at 9:00.

552
00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:59,359
Farm first focus events tied to
agriculture, farm, flowers, vegetables,

553
00:51:56,480 --> 00:52:06,800
and local. Designated parking area
avoids on street parking and traffic.

554
00:52:03,680 --> 00:52:10,720
Why support this proposal? Preserves
working farmland. Creates critical

555
00:52:08,880 --> 00:52:16,559
revenue for multigenerational farm
sustainability. Fair treatment. Follows

556
00:52:14,079 --> 00:52:22,160
rules similar to other non-farm venues
in Little Compton.

557
00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:26,240
Specific special use permit.
A property specific permit for young

558
00:52:24,079 --> 00:52:30,960
family only. This is not a townwide
zoning change. It allows for strict

559
00:52:28,319 --> 00:52:35,520
custom conditions tailored to farm and
neighborhood. Give towns council

560
00:52:33,280 --> 00:52:41,319
complete control and full review after
two-year trial. Next, I'd like to

561
00:52:37,520 --> 00:52:41,319
introduce my daughter Sarah.

562
00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:46,520
Just give me a minute. I got to pull
this up.

563
00:52:49,920 --> 00:52:56,520
We're ready to add another grandchild.
>> Yeah, any day now.

564
00:52:56,960 --> 00:53:04,160
» Actually,
>> um, good evening everyone. My name is

565
00:53:01,920 --> 00:53:08,800
Sarah Young. My sister Haddie and I are
here tonight to ensure Young Family Farm

566
00:53:06,160 --> 00:53:13,040
survives for our kids' generation. She
has twin boys and I have a boy due

567
00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:17,599
probably the end of this week. To be
honest, working farms are a huge part of

568
00:53:15,920 --> 00:53:22,480
what makes Little Compton special.
However, keeping a farm viable today uh

569
00:53:20,640 --> 00:53:26,400
requires diversifying revenue to be
sustainable against the unpredictable

570
00:53:24,240 --> 00:53:30,720
weather.
Yeah. And today's market cost of

571
00:53:28,960 --> 00:53:34,960
agriculture.
This isn't just business, it's personal.

572
00:53:32,880 --> 00:53:41,200
Hadtie and I held our own weddings and
baby showers on the farm just last year

573
00:53:38,160 --> 00:53:44,160
and in 2024 successfully without any
complaints.

574
00:53:42,559 --> 00:53:48,800
Many people in this room were actually
at these celebrations where our caterers

575
00:53:46,240 --> 00:53:52,960
featured the farm's crops, which guests
still talk about how good the sweet corn

576
00:53:50,480 --> 00:53:57,440
and potatoes were. Not to mention the
immense amount of flowers showcased. My

577
00:53:55,839 --> 00:54:02,960
sister and I own a floral design
business, Young Designs. We sourced at

578
00:54:00,400 --> 00:54:09,040
our both of our weddings roughly 75% of
the flowers used directly from the

579
00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:13,599
fields. Since 2016, Young Designs has
been rooted in agriculture.

580
00:54:11,359 --> 00:54:18,240
We focus sourcing farm flowers, which
significantly drives the farm's flower

581
00:54:15,520 --> 00:54:21,760
growing operations. The farm's flower
growing operations wouldn't be what they

582
00:54:20,000 --> 00:54:25,760
are today if it weren't for our floral
design business.

583
00:54:23,839 --> 00:54:30,640
Private events like these are what help
provide the predictable revenue, demand,

584
00:54:28,160 --> 00:54:34,640
and profitability that our farm needs to
thrive.

585
00:54:32,800 --> 00:54:39,680
To clear up confusion and address those
who oppose our request, we encourage

586
00:54:36,800 --> 00:54:45,280
everyone to read our full pilot program
proposal that we have on our website and

587
00:54:42,800 --> 00:54:49,440
the town's public records.
We don't want a permanent zoning change.

588
00:54:47,680 --> 00:54:55,760
were requesting, as my dad said, the
temporary 2-year special use permit for

589
00:54:52,319 --> 00:55:01,359
a tide events, including private daytime
gatherings intertwined with workshops,

590
00:54:58,720 --> 00:55:06,319
farm-to-table weddings, in addition to
the public events we already host, like

591
00:55:03,280 --> 00:55:10,319
the annual apple festival. Our farm has
hosted that responsibly for over 10

592
00:55:08,319 --> 00:55:13,760
years now.
Allowing private gatherings in

593
00:55:11,839 --> 00:55:18,480
residential zones is not unprecedented
in Little Compton. The golf club

594
00:55:16,079 --> 00:55:23,760
operates right here under residential
zoning. Regardless of grandfathered

595
00:55:20,960 --> 00:55:28,880
rights, working farms deserve that same
conditional land use opportunity to

596
00:55:25,839 --> 00:55:33,920
divers diversify and adapt to today's
economic realities.

597
00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:38,319
Banning events outright isn't the
answer. Enforcable [clears throat]

598
00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:42,319
rules are. Our pilot program addresses
impacts that would affect neighbors with

599
00:55:40,079 --> 00:55:49,200
binding conditions.
50 guest cap, on-site parking, and the

600
00:55:45,920 --> 00:55:54,000
uh 9:00 p.m. music cutoff. States across
the country like New Jersey and Virginia

601
00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:58,480
have already passed legislation,
recognizing that private farm events are

602
00:55:56,000 --> 00:56:02,480
essential to saving family farms. They
do this again through clear enforcable

603
00:56:00,400 --> 00:56:06,880
caps, the exact same accountability
model we're proposing tonight.

604
00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:12,480
We want to thank the nearly 900
supporters, including over 350 Little

605
00:56:09,599 --> 00:56:16,880
Compton taxpayers, who stand with us and
have signed our petition supporting the

606
00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:20,640
proposal.
We ask the board to evaluate this

607
00:56:18,559 --> 00:56:26,440
proposal based on its concrete physical
impacts and sound land use policy. Thank

608
00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:26,440
you.

609
00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:30,119
» Thank you.

610
00:56:40,640 --> 00:56:43,640
Anyone

611
00:56:45,520 --> 00:56:49,000
else want to speak?

612
00:56:50,960 --> 00:56:54,520
» Someone from your

613
00:56:54,559 --> 00:56:58,040
» Yes.
>> Yes.

614
00:57:03,680 --> 00:57:14,480
» So, my name is Jane Wear. I am taking
over White Lark Farm, which is right

615
00:57:10,960 --> 00:57:23,839
across from Peekom's greenhouse, if
everybody knows where I'm talking about.

616
00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:32,319
My father is Rusty Kabat. Um, and
I have a vested interest in Young's Farm

617
00:57:27,920 --> 00:57:40,559
being able to host weddings because that
will affect White Rock Farm in the

618
00:57:35,440 --> 00:57:48,640
future because um, as we set ourselves
up for the next generation to take over

619
00:57:44,799 --> 00:57:54,000
the farm, if they want to, I don't know.
Um,

620
00:57:50,720 --> 00:58:01,200
we need to have
other revenue outside of agricultural

621
00:57:59,200 --> 00:58:08,480
agricultural
um, things for them to be able to do and

622
00:58:04,960 --> 00:58:17,520
weddings is one of those things because
it's agricultural tourism.

623
00:58:11,599 --> 00:58:25,200
Um, and the Right to Farm Act
for Rhode Island states specifically in

624
00:58:22,559 --> 00:58:33,680
2-23-4
agricultural operations defined is

625
00:58:30,160 --> 00:58:40,640
in that is the mixed use of farm and
farmlands for other forms of enterprise

626
00:58:37,680 --> 00:58:44,240
including but not limited to the display
of antique

627
00:58:42,079 --> 00:58:51,839
vehicles, equipment, retail sales,
tours, classes, petting, feeding and

628
00:58:48,000 --> 00:58:58,720
viewing of animals, hay rides, crop
mazes, festivals, and other special

629
00:58:54,319 --> 00:59:05,920
events are hereby recognized as valuable
and viable means of contributing to

630
00:59:02,480 --> 00:59:14,480
preservation of agricultural.
So, one of the things that came

631
00:59:10,000 --> 00:59:19,359
out was that weddings were not
agricultural.

632
00:59:16,720 --> 00:59:27,440
And
according to the definition

633
00:59:21,839 --> 00:59:34,880
of the farm, the right to farm act is
festivals and other things

634
00:59:31,040 --> 00:59:39,760
i.e. weddings are allowed on
agricultural land.

635
00:59:37,839 --> 00:59:45,200
Um,
so

636
00:59:41,839 --> 00:59:54,480
with the
2018 Little Compton comprehensive plan,

637
00:59:50,079 --> 01:00:00,960
one of the things on page 71 and 72 is
that that the town is concerned not only

638
00:59:57,760 --> 01:00:06,400
with preserving agricultural land, but
also improving the vitality of the

639
01:00:03,680 --> 01:00:11,359
existing agricultural operation and
maintaining rural

640
01:00:08,079 --> 01:00:17,040
rural economy. In many farming
communities, accessories used to support

641
01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:25,040
agricultural growing portions of
revenues for farmers often

642
01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:31,599
ne are often necessary to maintain
active farms. While the towns

643
01:00:28,480 --> 01:00:38,480
is generally supportive of this concept,
the strong desire of the town to ensure

644
01:00:35,920 --> 01:00:44,160
that commercial activities on farmland
are an appropriate scale and are

645
01:00:40,960 --> 01:00:48,559
directly related related to our
agricultural

646
01:00:45,839 --> 01:00:54,160
production of or principal use of the
land. The town should consider

647
01:00:51,119 --> 01:01:00,240
regulations that will support desired
and appropriate commercial activities on

648
01:00:56,799 --> 01:01:06,559
farms and discourage and set limits to
the types of activities will that will

649
01:01:03,359 --> 01:01:13,200
increase uh create a nuisance for
surrounding residential properties and

650
01:01:09,040 --> 01:01:23,440
compro and compromise rural and peaceful
nature of the community. with Young's

651
01:01:16,720 --> 01:01:26,440
Farm's proposal of a 2-year
um

652
01:01:27,359 --> 01:01:37,319
special license
that they will h and they've

653
01:01:34,319 --> 01:01:37,319
um

654
01:01:37,517 --> 01:01:45,680
[sighs and gasps]
limited themselves i.e.

655
01:01:41,839 --> 01:01:53,280
Everything will be com done by 900 pm.
The the the

656
01:01:47,680 --> 01:02:03,400
size of the the wedding will be either
150 people or 175. I've seen both of

657
01:01:56,400 --> 01:02:03,400
those numbers. Um I think is valid

658
01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:14,400
because it's not a
overreaching.

659
01:02:08,880 --> 01:02:21,440
It's it's a limited let's see how we do
with this

660
01:02:17,359 --> 01:02:26,640
limited number of
um weddings

661
01:02:23,359 --> 01:02:30,200
and if there's a problem then we can
readress it.

662
01:02:32,400 --> 01:02:36,520
» Thank you.
>> Thank you.

663
01:02:41,680 --> 01:02:49,359
My name is Lindsay June. Um, friend of
the farmer, friend of the cabbs,

664
01:02:47,200 --> 01:02:53,520
obviously. And not to quote anything
agricultural, and you might call this

665
01:02:51,040 --> 01:02:59,200
apples and oranges, but a little bit of
me feels like we were burned before.

666
01:02:57,119 --> 01:03:05,200
And we give a better chance to a
millionaire in a mansion in Newport who

667
01:03:01,359 --> 01:03:09,880
sold jewelry than we're giving to our
own local farmers

668
01:03:09,920 --> 01:03:19,760
to maintain and to prosper on their
land. For our future, for Little

669
01:03:16,559 --> 01:03:23,039
Compton's future, the Kitts had Jane
Kat. She kept Little Compton little,

670
01:03:22,000 --> 01:03:25,839
didn't she? She looked out for the
farmers. She looked out for the

671
01:03:24,240 --> 01:03:33,119
civilians. She looked out for all the
workers. while her son was off fighting

672
01:03:29,599 --> 01:03:40,000
in the folder for the nation. These are
good people, guys.

673
01:03:35,440 --> 01:03:44,880
Really good people. We don't have 100
farms

674
01:03:41,680 --> 01:03:50,720
in Little Compton that could handle a
150 person wedding. It's nonsense.

675
01:03:48,960 --> 01:03:55,520
We have a few farms and they're good
farms and they're good people and

676
01:03:52,720 --> 01:04:01,680
without giving them a shot. It's two
years. It's two years. They're reigning

677
01:03:58,799 --> 01:04:07,119
themselves in. They're begging you guys
for assistance. These are your people.

678
01:04:04,880 --> 01:04:12,160
These are your constituents.
Just think it through long and hard.

679
01:04:09,599 --> 01:04:15,319
That's all I have to say.
Thank you.

680
01:04:21,440 --> 01:04:27,680
Good evening, Mr. Chairman, members of
the board. Uh my name is attorney Dne

681
01:04:25,200 --> 01:04:31,359
Ardente. For the record, I represent a
group of concerned abutters and agreed

682
01:04:29,520 --> 01:04:35,200
parties and residents uh within the town
of Little Compton. I wanted to mention

683
01:04:33,680 --> 01:04:39,200
to this planning board before I get
started, I'm very well aware of what

684
01:04:37,359 --> 01:04:41,920
we're doing here tonight and I'm very
well aware that the planning board also

685
01:04:40,799 --> 01:04:46,240
understands what we're doing here
tonight. Um, as the planning board

686
01:04:44,160 --> 01:04:49,839
knows, this is a process and it's the
same process for every town for passage

687
01:04:48,079 --> 01:04:52,720
of an ordinance. I understand that the
planning board has already issued a

688
01:04:51,119 --> 01:04:56,640
negative recommendation to the town
council and ultimately it's going to be

689
01:04:54,160 --> 01:05:01,359
the town council's duty to actually
review the ordinance, hold public

690
01:04:58,480 --> 01:05:06,640
comment, and take a vote on it. However,
if the planning board were to uh want to

691
01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:10,240
hear further input on this, I would ask
that the planning board not change its

692
01:05:08,480 --> 01:05:14,720
current negative recommendation for the
following reasons.

693
01:05:12,160 --> 01:05:19,920
I heard uh earlier some testimony
provided that this special use permit is

694
01:05:17,119 --> 01:05:24,079
not going to apply to every farm. Um but
the problem is is when we actually look

695
01:05:21,680 --> 01:05:28,160
at the text of the ordinance. There is
no limiting factors, right? It's a

696
01:05:26,319 --> 01:05:31,599
farming accessory use. There is no
qualifying factors for which farms are

697
01:05:29,839 --> 01:05:35,599
able to take advantage of it and which
farms aren't. Now that would be probably

698
01:05:34,160 --> 01:05:40,240
the qualifying language that you would
look for would probably be dimensionally

699
01:05:37,039 --> 01:05:44,160
related potentially on acreage or amount
of space or something of that nature.

700
01:05:42,400 --> 01:05:48,640
The only thing in this ordinance that it
actually proposes is someone engaged in

701
01:05:46,079 --> 01:05:53,200
farming use. So it is applicable to any
farm any farm throughout town if this

702
01:05:51,119 --> 01:06:00,000
ordinance was passed as written and take
advantage of the special use permit. The

703
01:05:55,760 --> 01:06:03,359
second part of this is I'm not aware of
any provision in the Rhode Island

704
01:06:01,920 --> 01:06:07,680
general laws that would allow a special
use permit to have a sunset period or be

705
01:06:05,599 --> 01:06:11,359
temporary. But what I am aware of after
reviewing the code and the proposed

706
01:06:09,119 --> 01:06:15,440
amendments is that the text as written
in this ordinance has no 2-year

707
01:06:13,119 --> 01:06:19,119
provision for this to be temporary. Once
this is in, as it's written, it's in.

708
01:06:17,520 --> 01:06:23,039
And I didn't see anything proposed that
would say it was 2 years. And I worry

709
01:06:21,039 --> 01:06:27,200
that the town council is going to
potentially just assume that that's

710
01:06:24,480 --> 01:06:31,760
drafted into there. Now, the planning
board's only concern with their

711
01:06:30,000 --> 01:06:35,520
recommendation and the negative
recommendation which they properly

712
01:06:33,440 --> 01:06:39,039
issued and the the reasons for why they
properly issued is based on the fact

713
01:06:37,440 --> 01:06:42,559
that this is inconsistent with the
town's comprehensive plan. And I just

714
01:06:40,559 --> 01:06:46,319
wanted to point out a few portions of
the comprehensive plan that uh that I

715
01:06:44,640 --> 01:06:50,880
think the planning board should be aware
of. Uh in the accessory uses on farms

716
01:06:48,880 --> 01:06:54,000
and the comprehensive plan, it provides
it is a strong desire of the town to

717
01:06:52,400 --> 01:06:59,599
ensure that commercial activities on
farmland are of an appropriate scale and

718
01:06:56,720 --> 01:07:06,079
directly related to aggricultural
production or principal use of land.

719
01:07:03,520 --> 01:07:10,400
Additionally,
uh limiting factors for economic

720
01:07:07,920 --> 01:07:14,240
development provides most importantly
economic development is limited by the

721
01:07:12,240 --> 01:07:19,599
desire of the residents to live in a
quiet rural community. I understand that

722
01:07:16,960 --> 01:07:23,839
this ordinance is limited to size and
the amount of people that can be at the

723
01:07:21,680 --> 01:07:28,480
venue. Uh but there are several portions
of the comprehensive plan that this also

724
01:07:26,799 --> 01:07:33,520
raises concerns about with the amount of
lighting. I understand that the

725
01:07:30,799 --> 01:07:36,400
ordinance proposes an enclosed uh event
area, but that doesn't take into

726
01:07:35,119 --> 01:07:40,319
consideration the amount of vehicles
that are going to be coming in and out

727
01:07:38,079 --> 01:07:44,160
on uh West Main Road, which I understand
currently is an unlated road. Uh and

728
01:07:42,720 --> 01:07:48,160
again, these are going to be patrons of
a wedding. We all know that patrons of

729
01:07:45,599 --> 01:07:52,160
wedding weddings drink. Uh that's a
concern that I think the town should be

730
01:07:49,520 --> 01:07:57,039
considering at this point in time. Um,
additionally, uh, I understand that

731
01:07:54,720 --> 01:08:01,440
although it's not this this board's
jurisdiction or interest to determine at

732
01:07:59,440 --> 01:08:06,079
this point in time, uh, the restrictions
applicable to to the Young family farm,

733
01:08:03,839 --> 01:08:10,960
there's a conservation restriction on
this property that directly and

734
01:08:08,720 --> 01:08:16,560
expressly prohibits them from engaging
in this in this use. And the last thing

735
01:08:13,680 --> 01:08:21,839
that I'll touch on for the board tonight
uh, is I heard reference that this is an

736
01:08:19,279 --> 01:08:26,080
agricultural use. Well, the problem is,
and as I'm sure the board's council,

737
01:08:24,080 --> 01:08:30,239
who's a phenomenal council, has advised
them many times, there's a case called

738
01:08:28,319 --> 01:08:35,279
Zerella versus the town of Exiter, and
our Supreme Court has specifically

739
01:08:32,960 --> 01:08:38,799
declared and expressly declared that
weddings and events are not an

740
01:08:37,199 --> 01:08:45,080
agricultural use protected under the
Right to Farm Act. Thank you.

741
01:08:41,920 --> 01:08:45,080
» Thank you.

742
01:08:51,600 --> 01:09:02,319
Good evening.
I'm uh Jack Salvagio. I'm a a butter of

743
01:08:57,120 --> 01:09:09,359
the young farm and um I consider myself
friends with the Youngs. I partnered

744
01:09:05,120 --> 01:09:14,400
with Tyler for at least 15 years to farm
my backfield. Uh got to know the family

745
01:09:12,560 --> 01:09:18,960
through that process and I still regard
them my friends. I I don't enjoy coming

746
01:09:16,719 --> 01:09:22,880
up here and having to face off my
neighbor, but that's where we are. But

747
01:09:21,918 --> 01:09:26,880
[clears throat]
there were a number of letters written

748
01:09:24,560 --> 01:09:33,199
to the planning board, town council
about this, and there were about 15

749
01:09:30,880 --> 01:09:37,279
letters of opposition.
At least eight to nine of those letters

750
01:09:35,199 --> 01:09:43,520
were direct to Butters to the Young
Farm. There were no letters of support

751
01:09:41,920 --> 01:09:48,159
on the young side that were direct to
Butters. And I'm

752
01:09:45,040 --> 01:09:53,359
I'm here to speak about being in the
butter here and what what's ahead of us.

753
01:09:50,239 --> 01:10:00,719
First thing I'd like to point out is
they're they're proposing 150 people for

754
01:09:57,520 --> 01:10:06,000
these weddings. And if you count up the
amount of people in these rows and you

755
01:10:03,520 --> 01:10:10,320
count the number of rows, we don't even
have 150 people

756
01:10:08,560 --> 01:10:14,480
sitting here. We have less than that. So
you have to add more of these people

757
01:10:11,760 --> 01:10:19,040
here, more of these people here,
probably to at least the front half of

758
01:10:17,120 --> 01:10:23,520
this room. So we're talking about this
many people

759
01:10:21,040 --> 01:10:29,440
um attending these weddings and the
parking that you would also assume for

760
01:10:27,040 --> 01:10:37,360
about this many people would come onto
the farm. Um what we're really here to

761
01:10:32,640 --> 01:10:45,120
talk about is a zoning change. um and
the difference between residential

762
01:10:40,400 --> 01:10:53,600
zoning and commercial zoning. And
the uh the the number one goal of our

763
01:10:49,679 --> 01:10:59,840
town's zoning ordinance is to promote
the public health, the safety, and the

764
01:10:56,560 --> 01:11:07,440
general welfare of the town. Okay. of
the number seven goal is to provide for

765
01:11:03,920 --> 01:11:12,239
the control, protection and abatement of
air, water, groundwater and noise

766
01:11:10,640 --> 01:11:18,480
pollution.
Okay. And I and that comes to partly

767
01:11:15,679 --> 01:11:24,320
what we're talking about as was just
mentioned by Dane Ardente.

768
01:11:21,120 --> 01:11:27,679
Uh there w this this entire case there
was a farmer in exit Rhode Island in

769
01:11:26,159 --> 01:11:32,480
2018
that

770
01:11:29,199 --> 01:11:38,960
uh interpreted accessory use under the
right to farm act as his ability to host

771
01:11:35,760 --> 01:11:44,719
weddings for a fee on his farm. And
unlike our town, uh the town of Exiter

772
01:11:43,120 --> 01:11:49,520
uh
looked at the residents were abudding

773
01:11:46,239 --> 01:11:56,480
his farm and they they objected and the
solicitor took that farmer to court and

774
01:11:53,520 --> 01:12:01,360
this case went to the Supreme Court. And
the wording in that the wording from the

775
01:11:59,360 --> 01:12:05,840
the ruling, I'll read it to you right
here. It says, "After careful

776
01:12:03,280 --> 01:12:11,760
consideration of this issue, we agree
with the town. It is our view that the

777
01:12:08,480 --> 01:12:16,800
second sentence of 2-23-4
provides only a clear and unambiguous

778
01:12:14,080 --> 01:12:21,600
list of mixed uses that the general
assembly has recognized as a valuable

779
01:12:19,679 --> 01:12:26,800
and viable means of contributing to the
preservation of agriculture. That list

780
01:12:24,159 --> 01:12:31,280
does not include weddings. But it is our
opinion that even if the activity of

781
01:12:28,800 --> 01:12:37,679
hosting weddings for a fee fell within
the ambit of 2-23-4

782
01:12:35,120 --> 01:12:42,880
second sentence that's second sentence
that sentence would not and could not

783
01:12:40,239 --> 01:12:48,960
expand the definition of agricultural
operations.

784
01:12:44,800 --> 01:12:54,560
So what we're if you look at the
definition of residential zoning versus

785
01:12:52,320 --> 01:12:58,800
commercial zoning
the purpose for residential zoning it's

786
01:12:56,480 --> 01:13:03,760
designed for housing including single
family homes, town houses, apartments,

787
01:13:01,840 --> 01:13:08,719
condominiums
maintained to have a lower traffic

788
01:13:05,679 --> 01:13:14,080
levels and strict noise limits to ensure
quiet safe living environments.

789
01:13:11,920 --> 01:13:19,199
Uh the regulations for residential
zoning focus heavily on maintaining

790
01:13:16,719 --> 01:13:25,120
neighborhood character, lot sizes,
keeping commercial disruption out.

791
01:13:22,560 --> 01:13:30,400
Commercial zoning dedicated to business
operations such as retail stores,

792
01:13:27,120 --> 01:13:36,960
office, rents, restaurants, hotels, and
warehouses built to hire higher volumes

793
01:13:33,760 --> 01:13:41,679
of people and noise, delivery trucks,
heavier parking, utility demands. So,

794
01:13:40,320 --> 01:13:49,040
this is kind of what we're talking about
right in as in a butter right right in

795
01:13:45,040 --> 01:13:54,000
our neighborhood. Now, um bear with me a
second. So,

796
01:13:52,480 --> 01:14:00,080
I understand there's going to be a
representative here from the DEM who

797
01:13:56,560 --> 01:14:04,560
owns the or who
uh the conservation easement was

798
01:14:02,880 --> 01:14:09,280
conveyed by the Rhode Island Department
of Environmental Management. I have I

799
01:14:07,520 --> 01:14:14,560
have a certain I have a I have the same
easement on my own property. Um

800
01:14:13,120 --> 01:14:18,800
so [clears throat]
if you go to the Department of

801
01:14:16,560 --> 01:14:26,800
Environmental Management's actual
website today and you wanted to find out

802
01:14:22,159 --> 01:14:32,000
about farmland preservation which I did
which I have on my own property you read

803
01:14:29,280 --> 01:14:37,040
the very first uh sentence. It says the
farmland preservation program helps to

804
01:14:33,920 --> 01:14:41,280
ensure that farming remains viable in
that state in the state. It does this by

805
01:14:39,440 --> 01:14:46,640
purchasing development rights from
farmers which enable them to retain

806
01:14:44,320 --> 01:14:52,480
ownership of their property while
protecting the land for agricultural

807
01:14:48,640 --> 01:14:57,936
use. Um not commercial use, agricultural
use. And if you go down and they're

808
01:14:55,520 --> 01:15:01,600
frequent frequently asked question,
[gasps]

809
01:14:58,719 --> 01:15:06,719
what is a development right? The
acquisition of development rights is a

810
01:15:04,080 --> 01:15:12,000
purchase right or easement to the
property which restricts all future use

811
01:15:09,440 --> 01:15:17,360
except those relating to farming with a
goal of permanently protecting the best

812
01:15:13,840 --> 01:15:22,000
farmland farmland and preserving a base
of agricultural land for food protection

813
01:15:19,679 --> 01:15:28,239
and open space. Selling development
rights enables a land owner to keep land

814
01:15:25,120 --> 01:15:31,480
in agricultural use. And finally on
their website

815
01:15:32,320 --> 01:15:39,440
and their frequently asked question once
I sell my development rights how will my

816
01:15:37,040 --> 01:15:43,760
property be restricted
and it gives three or four restrictions.

817
01:15:41,280 --> 01:15:50,719
Final one is no use other than
agriculture.

818
01:15:45,440 --> 01:15:56,480
So, even if we have the DEM supporting
weddings, and I support expanded uses

819
01:15:53,520 --> 01:16:01,920
for farms, this is really about weddings
and corporate events on farms. It's not

820
01:15:58,560 --> 01:16:06,960
about farm-to-table dinners, uh, you
know, some of the festivals Tyler's had,

821
01:16:04,080 --> 01:16:11,760
we nobody's had any issue like that. But
the abutters and one thing that was

822
01:16:09,360 --> 01:16:17,120
mentioned here earlier that was on some
things on that card were not accurate.

823
01:16:13,600 --> 01:16:21,040
If you take the GIS map of the young
farm,

824
01:16:18,960 --> 01:16:27,040
one thing that the Agricultural Land
Preservation Commission has said is we

825
01:16:23,920 --> 01:16:33,440
will allow you to have farms on that
farm of 180 acres, but it can only be on

826
01:16:30,080 --> 01:16:38,640
the equivalent of about a five to 6 acre
parcel pushed right up against the homes

827
01:16:36,480 --> 01:16:43,280
on West Main Road. And if you take the
GIS map, which you can do, and you use

828
01:16:41,120 --> 01:16:48,000
their measurement tool, there are three
homes, including the Youngs, which could

829
01:16:44,800 --> 01:16:53,600
be sold in the future, that are 70 ft
away from that border. That border only

830
01:16:50,239 --> 01:16:59,120
extends another 200 ft total from that
back wall approximately. So, so you

831
01:16:57,360 --> 01:17:04,880
really are not talking about 180 acre
farm. You're talking about a 6 acre

832
01:17:01,520 --> 01:17:09,199
parcel, 5 to 6 acre parcel pushed right
up against the West Main Road homes. And

833
01:17:07,040 --> 01:17:13,600
that's how it should be looked at.
Finally, uh, with regard to the

834
01:17:10,960 --> 01:17:16,239
comprehensive plan,
>> Mr. Salvage, I'm just going to ask you

835
01:17:15,120 --> 01:17:18,480
to try to wrap this up.
>> Yeah. Okay. I'll finish up.

836
01:17:17,280 --> 01:17:20,960
» You're going about five minutes. I
>> All right. Thank you.

837
01:17:19,040 --> 01:17:25,280
» Just earlier that we try to keep these
comments to about three minutes.

838
01:17:22,719 --> 01:17:29,840
» Okay. I'll just I'll just read two
goals. One of them was was already said.

839
01:17:28,080 --> 01:17:33,440
I said it says a strong desire of our
town to ensure that commercial

840
01:17:31,360 --> 01:17:37,199
activities on farmland are of an
appropriate scale and are directly

841
01:17:34,960 --> 01:17:41,600
related to agricult production or
principal use of land and to discourage

842
01:17:39,520 --> 01:17:45,280
or set limits on the types of activities
which may create a nuisance for

843
01:17:43,760 --> 01:17:48,960
surrounding residential neighbors or
compromise the rural and peaceful nature

844
01:17:47,040 --> 01:17:54,400
of the community. And there have been
some people suggest you know we we close

845
01:17:51,040 --> 01:17:59,280
our windows. Uh you know little kids
little b you little three-year-old kids

846
01:17:56,719 --> 01:18:04,960
which the young baby sap for my kid when
they're 3 years old they they go to bed

847
01:18:01,600 --> 01:18:09,440
at 7:00 at night and we like to sleep
with our windows open little Compton and

848
01:18:07,280 --> 01:18:16,280
we like to sleep where we're not hearing
150 people in our backyard 10 times a

849
01:18:12,000 --> 01:18:16,280
year. Thank you.

850
01:18:23,040 --> 01:18:29,040
Good evening. Um, Chairman Steers, a
member of the planning boards. My name

851
01:18:26,640 --> 01:18:34,400
is Eileen Stores Celino and my husband
and I live at Two Butts Rock Road. My

852
01:18:31,760 --> 01:18:38,800
husband and I are a Butters at a family
farm on Shaw Road, Wishing Stone Farm

853
01:18:36,880 --> 01:18:42,960
that would be affected by this revised
zoning ordinance to inject commercial

854
01:18:40,880 --> 01:18:47,360
businesses like weddings into a
residential neighborhood. We're here

855
01:18:45,120 --> 01:18:51,600
tonight because of a dangerous myth
circulating by neighbors who do not abut

856
01:18:49,600 --> 01:18:55,760
the farm who have com commented that
there's a middle path or an easy

857
01:18:53,760 --> 01:19:01,120
compromise that can regulate commercial
weddings on farmland. I'm not sure they

858
01:18:58,640 --> 01:19:05,679
understand the implication of a townwide
zoning regulation change. Or if they do,

859
01:19:03,920 --> 01:19:11,199
they aren't living right next door to
the location of a farm that may become a

860
01:19:08,320 --> 01:19:16,400
wedding venue. As my compatriots already
said, this room is probably a good size

861
01:19:14,320 --> 01:19:20,560
or estimate of what a wedding like that
might be. And in speaking directly to

862
01:19:18,880 --> 01:19:24,480
one of those neighbors, when I asked
them how they would feel living across

863
01:19:22,320 --> 01:19:29,600
the street from a farm with weddings,
they admitted they would not like it at

864
01:19:26,880 --> 01:19:33,679
all. It's easy to advocate for a
compromise when you are an armchair

865
01:19:31,360 --> 01:19:38,640
observer living safely down the street,
far out of earshot. Another neighbor

866
01:19:36,159 --> 01:19:42,960
also mentioned by someone else here, not
in a butter actually advised that we

867
01:19:40,800 --> 01:19:47,360
close our windows.
But for my family, living under a 100 ft

868
01:19:45,679 --> 01:19:52,880
from a farm in the residential
agricultural zone, a middle path does

869
01:19:50,159 --> 01:19:56,560
not exist. We love the tractors, the
working soil. We knew what we moved

870
01:19:54,640 --> 01:20:02,239
into. We knew there was a farm across
the street. We rejoiced. We had a lovely

871
01:19:59,040 --> 01:20:07,600
organic farm. But that's a vast
structural difference between the sounds

872
01:20:04,560 --> 01:20:13,679
of agriculture and small to farm table
dinners and other appropriately scaled

873
01:20:10,159 --> 01:20:18,080
agricultural accessory uses versus 150
person weddings with amplified music at

874
01:20:16,400 --> 01:20:22,239
night going on until late in the
evening. And as aside, I have my

875
01:20:19,840 --> 01:20:26,080
grandchildren coming here shortly and I
don't want to have to close the windows.

876
01:20:23,840 --> 01:20:31,120
We moved here because Little Compton is
beautiful and we've been coming down

877
01:20:27,840 --> 01:20:36,080
here for 45 years and we was our dream
to buy this home and be close to the

878
01:20:33,360 --> 01:20:41,440
ocean and around all the farms. So, this
is absolutely just crushing and so

879
01:20:38,560 --> 01:20:46,960
stressful. But the e acoustic and
ecological reality is that we are in a

880
01:20:44,719 --> 01:20:52,000
rural environment and this zoning
rewrite is directly threatening that

881
01:20:49,120 --> 01:20:57,199
piece. Not just for human residents but
for the local environment. Our dark

882
01:20:54,320 --> 01:21:00,719
skies, our wildlife, we heard uh great
horned owls the other night. I don't

883
01:20:59,120 --> 01:21:06,320
think we're going to hear those over the
music and lights. The directives of the

884
01:21:03,360 --> 01:21:11,040
comprehensive plan were extremely clear.
There's proposed v the proposed zoning

885
01:21:08,640 --> 01:21:14,719
rewrite explicitly contradicts many of
those uh directives which have already

886
01:21:12,880 --> 01:21:18,400
been mentioned but things like
residential character protect the

887
01:21:16,560 --> 01:21:23,840
residential character from nuisance that
generate excessive noise light pollution

888
01:21:20,800 --> 01:21:29,600
or traffic. Also, the comprehensive plan
speaks expansively about sustaining

889
01:21:26,640 --> 01:21:35,199
rural landscapes, directing growth away
from farms and forest areas into

890
01:21:32,080 --> 01:21:39,360
villages and existing commercial areas,
being compatible with the aesthetic

891
01:21:37,040 --> 01:21:44,080
quality of the community and minimizing
the negative environmental impacts. In

892
01:21:41,840 --> 01:21:49,280
other words, keeping Little Compton a
quiet and beautiful place.

893
01:21:46,880 --> 01:21:54,080
This commercial, this proposal also
raises fundamental questions about the

894
01:21:51,360 --> 01:21:58,000
economic priorities and the unverified
narrative that our farmers are in

895
01:21:55,840 --> 01:22:01,520
trouble. We don't have proof of that.
I'm sorry, I have financial backgrounds,

896
01:21:59,760 --> 01:22:06,239
but we don't have proof of that. And the
reality is that local farmers today in

897
01:22:04,320 --> 01:22:10,800
Little Compton receive massive amounts
of land for free to support their

898
01:22:08,400 --> 01:22:16,480
operations through the Little Compton
Agricultural Trust, which we contributed

899
01:22:13,280 --> 01:22:22,080
to, the DEM, Sakconet Preservation
Association, and the Nature Conservancy.

900
01:22:19,199 --> 01:22:27,199
Our community already heavily subsidizes
agriculture to keep it viable. Pushing

901
01:22:25,199 --> 01:22:31,760
commercial operations into quiet
residential agricultural zones is a

902
01:22:29,440 --> 01:22:36,159
failure of planning that compromises
compromises neighborhoods rather than

903
01:22:33,679 --> 01:22:40,719
doing the hard work of supporting an
active commercial center. And I will

904
01:22:38,159 --> 01:22:44,800
just comment we have seen a real decline
in our commercial activity here and that

905
01:22:42,960 --> 01:22:47,040
is a problem that I think that the town
council and the town needs to pay

906
01:22:46,400 --> 01:22:50,800
attention to.
>> Miss Selena, we're going on about four

907
01:22:48,880 --> 01:22:55,280
and a half minutes. Could you please
comments? Um, I just want to talk

908
01:22:52,639 --> 01:23:01,760
personally about what we we dealt with
um in 2015 and 2016. We had

909
01:22:58,560 --> 01:23:06,400
unmititigated noise next door to us. We
did not get any reaction from town

910
01:23:04,239 --> 01:23:12,080
council or the police. We were told to
stop calling. There was also multi-year

911
01:23:09,440 --> 01:23:17,440
litigation at Carolyn Sconet Vineyard.
There were no noise limits uh that were

912
01:23:14,560 --> 01:23:21,840
enforced. And today, Little Compton does
not have the infrastructure to manage

913
01:23:19,120 --> 01:23:28,080
it. And in fact, the budgeted police
force today is the same with 10

914
01:23:24,639 --> 01:23:31,760
policemen that there were in 2016. So
increased costs. We are going to see

915
01:23:29,760 --> 01:23:36,400
Little Compton residents are going to be
facing larger tax bills. It will require

916
01:23:34,239 --> 01:23:41,280
a larger police force, more zoning
inspectors, and an increased number of

917
01:23:38,560 --> 01:23:44,639
fire department personnel. And abutterss
are going to see a decline in the value

918
01:23:42,960 --> 01:23:50,480
of their real estate. So, we'll be
asking for some mitigation in our

919
01:23:47,040 --> 01:23:54,639
assessed values and as um attorney
already stood up and talked about there

920
01:23:52,400 --> 01:23:59,360
will be likely lit litigation that the
town will need to pay for. So, the town

921
01:23:57,360 --> 01:24:03,199
and the town uh planning board has
already been given some very good

922
01:24:00,960 --> 01:24:09,040
direction from the town solicitor. The
Zerella versus extor.

923
01:24:06,480 --> 01:24:14,159
» Yes. And I'm wrapping it up. I will
>> but I am

924
01:24:11,600 --> 01:24:19,120
I'm wrapping it up. I urge the planning
board to stand by its previous logic and

925
01:24:17,280 --> 01:24:24,239
town council when presented with this
zoning change and say no to protect our

926
01:24:22,000 --> 01:24:28,800
residential neighborhoods, protect our
local environment, and soundly reject

927
01:24:26,960 --> 01:24:32,239
this short-sighted proposal for our
family for generations to come. Thank

928
01:24:31,199 --> 01:24:35,400
you very much.
>> Thank you.

929
01:24:37,440 --> 01:24:45,120
I'd just like to reiterate, we asked for
people to keep their comments to about

930
01:24:42,960 --> 01:24:49,199
three minutes if they could. We have
people standing in line. I'm sure that

931
01:24:47,440 --> 01:24:52,400
there more people are going to comment.
The meeting has to be closed by 9:15.

932
01:24:51,199 --> 01:24:56,159
We're not going to get to everybody if
we're all doing five minutes.

933
01:24:55,199 --> 01:25:02,480
» Thank you.
>> And you're welcome. Can you hear me?

934
01:24:59,840 --> 01:25:09,520
My name is Barbara Passmore on West Main
Road and I'm a butter to the far to the

935
01:25:05,920 --> 01:25:16,880
fam farm young family farm and they've
been good neighbors. But as a farmer's

936
01:25:13,199 --> 01:25:21,120
daughter, I ask that you not change the
rules that would take away our town's

937
01:25:19,520 --> 01:25:28,400
tranquility,
uniqueness, and simplicity. Help us to

938
01:25:24,480 --> 01:25:36,400
keep our farms for farming and keep our
town like no other that we have known in

939
01:25:32,159 --> 01:25:41,480
all these centuries. I ask you not to
agree to this. Thank you.

940
01:25:50,159 --> 01:25:59,600
I'm Amanda Nickerson Toasty. I am 253
West Main Road. Any of you any of you

941
01:25:57,280 --> 01:26:05,679
that have purchased produce at Young
Family Farm have seen my house. I live

942
01:26:02,320 --> 01:26:10,400
directly across from the entrance. Uh 9
years ago, my husband and I bought our

943
01:26:07,600 --> 01:26:16,239
home. We would like the Youngs to know
that we support them and their right to

944
01:26:13,360 --> 01:26:21,120
have weddings on their property. They
are our friends.

945
01:26:18,000 --> 01:26:28,320
They have been any time I have gone to
Carla about the corn honking sign,

946
01:26:25,600 --> 01:26:33,120
the great corn honking event. Anytime we
across the road have had a problem that

947
01:26:30,320 --> 01:26:38,239
has been very small in our opinion,
very, very small. We've gone to Carla or

948
01:26:36,159 --> 01:26:43,360
Tyler. I have their cell phone numbers.
If Tyler is about to start irrigating

949
01:26:40,560 --> 01:26:47,679
and using the wells, he texts me and
it's usually along the lines of, "Hey

950
01:26:45,440 --> 01:26:53,600
kid, if you have any trouble, let us
know." We support their right to have

951
01:26:50,719 --> 01:26:59,440
weddings on their farm. We would ask
daytime if it could if if we do

952
01:26:57,040 --> 01:27:04,719
introduce weddings in some capacity into
our farms, which if you support agro

953
01:27:02,000 --> 01:27:09,600
tourism, weddings are a part of that.
farm-to-table weddings. You want to see

954
01:27:07,199 --> 01:27:16,800
the produce, you want to see the fields,
you want to get married in the vines, in

955
01:27:13,679 --> 01:27:20,880
the pumpkins, whatever it is. Um, but
what we would say is when the family

956
01:27:19,120 --> 01:27:26,480
weddings have happened, which we have no
complaints. Many of them are our

957
01:27:22,320 --> 01:27:32,000
friends. Um, my bedroom faces the farm
stand. So, every single vehicle that

958
01:27:29,360 --> 01:27:36,480
doesn't follow their very detailed
parking, and they've done a great job at

959
01:27:34,480 --> 01:27:40,719
parking people on the farm. I used to be
the crazy lady putting caution tape so

960
01:27:39,040 --> 01:27:47,520
people wouldn't hit my stone wall
because stuff happens. They within the

961
01:27:43,920 --> 01:27:52,639
next season modified and moved all the
parking from West Main Road into the

962
01:27:49,600 --> 01:27:58,320
farm. They've seen dangers. They've
mitigated in the past. Um, my main thing

963
01:27:55,840 --> 01:28:03,120
would be if it could be a daytime event
where if the farm stand were allowed to

964
01:28:00,480 --> 01:28:11,120
extend their hours to maybe 6:00 p.m. or
700 p.m. I can tell you I can tell time

965
01:28:07,440 --> 01:28:18,159
by 5:34 a.m. Tyler is in that tractor
and he's in the front field. We hear him

966
01:28:14,639 --> 01:28:23,520
all night, all year in his tractor
trailer, air braing right in front of my

967
01:28:20,719 --> 01:28:26,880
bedroom. But we understand that's food.
That's the food bank donations that they

968
01:28:25,440 --> 01:28:31,840
make. That's all of the other good
things that they do. I believe we need

969
01:28:29,040 --> 01:28:39,840
to support Wishing Stone. And also, I am
a unique butter. I share 488 ft of stone

970
01:28:36,480 --> 01:28:44,639
wall with Ian Walker. So, not only do I
live across the street from the Youngs,

971
01:28:41,760 --> 01:28:49,840
I purposefully bought a home 9 years ago
next to Cole Walker. We love looking out

972
01:28:47,600 --> 01:28:53,920
our windows watching Cole in the
tractor. We love looking out our

973
01:28:51,520 --> 01:29:01,040
windows. What I don't like is the idea
of 75 to 100 cars coming out at my

974
01:28:57,920 --> 01:29:06,000
bedroom. The breakdown of a wedding if
it ends at 900 p.m. Those of us that

975
01:29:03,520 --> 01:29:10,560
have worked for local caterers know
that's not staff breaking down. That's

976
01:29:08,480 --> 01:29:14,719
not chairs, tables. That's not any of
the cleanup that needs to be done. We do

977
01:29:12,480 --> 01:29:18,239
live in the woods. All of the food needs
to be cleaned up and secured and

978
01:29:16,560 --> 01:29:24,080
removed. So, there's a lot more work
that goes into a 900 p.m. event ending

979
01:29:21,440 --> 01:29:27,840
with 10 p.m. guests out the catering
staff and it's not their fault and it's

980
01:29:26,239 --> 01:29:34,800
nothing that Tyler or Carla could
control or any farm voices in the night.

981
01:29:32,239 --> 01:29:41,679
It sounds like they're in our bedroom.
So, again, I would say we support

982
01:29:37,920 --> 01:29:47,520
weddings daytime use maybe until 7. We
would just love to see a little bit more

983
01:29:44,000 --> 01:29:51,520
rained in on what exactly. And then also
the daytime events. They're daytime

984
01:29:49,520 --> 01:29:56,159
events we've had no problem with. So if
this was something we could fold in and

985
01:29:53,679 --> 01:30:01,880
talk more about, um, we are the voice of
disscent in the neighborhood. We support

986
01:29:58,880 --> 01:30:01,880
you.

987
01:30:10,239 --> 01:30:18,159
» Hello. Good evening everyone. Uh my name
is Ananda Fraser. I am the acting chief

988
01:30:15,120 --> 01:30:24,239
of the division of agriculture and
forest and environment at the DEM.

989
01:30:21,760 --> 01:30:28,639
I am here representing the department of
environmental management to express our

990
01:30:26,239 --> 01:30:32,960
strong support for the young family farm
and its proposal.

991
01:30:30,880 --> 01:30:37,199
The young family farm is exactly the
kind of agricultural operation Rhode

992
01:30:34,719 --> 01:30:41,280
Island has worked decades to protect.
For nearly 30 years, the young family

993
01:30:39,199 --> 01:30:45,360
has farmed more than 300 acres,
producing food for Little Compton, Rhode

994
01:30:43,600 --> 01:30:50,480
Island, and markets throughout the
Northeast. Importantly, there is now a

995
01:30:48,639 --> 01:30:55,360
second generation that wants to continue
their agricultural legacy.

996
01:30:53,360 --> 01:31:00,239
This is not something that should be
ignored. It should be encouraged.

997
01:30:58,000 --> 01:31:05,679
When we talk about protecting farmland,
we cannot simply focus on the land and

998
01:31:02,960 --> 01:31:11,120
allow it to beow. We have to keep the
land in active agricultural production.

999
01:31:08,560 --> 01:31:17,360
And for that to happen, farms have to be
viable. Not just financially viable, but

1000
01:31:14,480 --> 01:31:23,600
viable across generations.
Agriculture has changed. Costs have

1001
01:31:20,239 --> 01:31:29,120
increased. Markets have changed. And
island farms generally do not have the

1002
01:31:25,920 --> 01:31:34,400
economies of scale available
that larger operations would. Farms

1003
01:31:32,239 --> 01:31:38,880
therefore need the ability to diversify
and develop additional sources of

1004
01:31:36,400 --> 01:31:44,400
revenue that complement and support
their agricultural production.

1005
01:31:42,159 --> 01:31:49,760
That is particularly important for Rhode
Island agriculture. The average age of

1006
01:31:47,199 --> 01:31:56,480
Rhode Island agricultural producer is
over 57 years old. At the same time, 41%

1007
01:31:54,000 --> 01:32:00,880
of producers are considered new and
beginning farmers. We have the highest

1008
01:31:58,480 --> 01:32:06,560
percentage in the nation. This is the
exact scenario at Young Family Farm. We

1009
01:32:03,920 --> 01:32:10,560
have people who want to continue farming
and at the division of agriculture, it's

1010
01:32:08,480 --> 01:32:13,760
our responsibility to make sure that
they have the ability to continue

1011
01:32:11,920 --> 01:32:18,320
farming that property for decades to
come.

1012
01:32:15,679 --> 01:32:23,520
Farms face unique pressures. We continue
to lose farms over time. Rhode Island

1013
01:32:21,280 --> 01:32:28,639
had,243
farms in 2012

1014
01:32:26,480 --> 01:32:36,960
compared to just over a thousand farms
today. That's almost a 16 16% decline or

1015
01:32:33,360 --> 01:32:40,400
200 farms in the last decade.
Every time a working farm leaves

1016
01:32:38,480 --> 01:32:45,440
production, we lose more than just the
farmland. We lose the food production,

1017
01:32:42,800 --> 01:32:50,159
the economic activity, open space,
agricultural knowledge and an

1018
01:32:47,520 --> 01:32:55,199
opportunity for the next generation.
This is why the young farmley family

1019
01:32:52,159 --> 01:32:58,880
farms proposal is so important. Agurism
and the diversification of agricultural

1020
01:32:57,280 --> 01:33:04,080
activities can provide farms the
flexibility to remain in business while

1021
01:33:01,679 --> 01:33:08,719
continuing their primary agricultural
operations. A farm market, education

1022
01:33:07,040 --> 01:33:12,800
program, seasonal activities,
agricultural experience, and even

1023
01:33:10,800 --> 01:33:16,800
hosting a wedding that highlights food
and flowers produced on the farm can

1024
01:33:15,280 --> 01:33:23,440
create an opportunity to sustain
agriculture while connecting people with

1025
01:33:19,600 --> 01:33:27,920
the land. The Young's plan is that the
fundamental purpose of the property

1026
01:33:25,040 --> 01:33:32,480
remains in agriculture. Diversification
is a tool to support that purpose and

1027
01:33:30,480 --> 01:33:36,480
help ensure the farm can continue
operating.

1028
01:33:34,000 --> 01:33:40,639
Rhode Island recognized th this reality
through its right to farm act and its

1029
01:33:38,800 --> 01:33:45,199
recognition of the diversification of
agriculture activities means as a means

1030
01:33:43,600 --> 01:33:49,280
of supporting the preservation of
agriculture.

1031
01:33:46,719 --> 01:33:54,880
So from the division's perspective, I
come back to a simple question. What can

1032
01:33:51,920 --> 01:33:59,920
we do to make sure that farms remain in
agriculture as working farms for the

1033
01:33:58,000 --> 01:34:03,679
next generation?
In this case, we have a family that

1034
01:34:02,000 --> 01:34:07,679
wants to continue farming hundreds of
acres in Little Compton and a new

1035
01:34:06,000 --> 01:34:10,960
generation prepared to take up that
responsibility.

1036
01:34:09,280 --> 01:34:15,760
We strongly support giving them the
opportunity to do that. At the end of

1037
01:34:13,600 --> 01:34:20,639
the day, preserving farmland is
extraordinarily important, but

1038
01:34:17,600 --> 01:34:24,000
preserving working farms is the goal. We
want to see the Young Family Farm

1039
01:34:22,159 --> 01:34:28,320
continue to produce food, support the
local economy, steward the land, and

1040
01:34:26,800 --> 01:34:33,600
provide an opportunity for another
generation of Rhode Island farmers to

1041
01:34:30,560 --> 01:34:36,600
make a living from agriculture. Thank
you.

1042
01:34:41,679 --> 01:34:48,560
I also just want to put on the record, I
have sent in a letter to the planning

1043
01:34:46,480 --> 01:34:53,920
board, but on the record that the young
family farm does have an easement um

1044
01:34:51,199 --> 01:34:57,120
through the the DEM, the division of
agriculture. However, they did go

1045
01:34:55,760 --> 01:35:02,719
through the necessary channels for
approval for the event for the weddings

1046
01:35:00,400 --> 01:35:06,239
event planned on the farm and it was
approved in late 2024. So I just want to

1047
01:35:05,199 --> 01:35:10,000
make sure that they have gone through
the necessary channels to make sure that

1048
01:35:07,600 --> 01:35:15,520
they are in compliance with their
easement and nothing that is proposed

1049
01:35:11,679 --> 01:35:20,280
would um would be in uh juxaposition of
their their current easement. Thank you.

1050
01:35:28,239 --> 01:35:33,840
» Good evening. My name is Heidi Quinn.
I'm the executive director of Rhode

1051
01:35:31,360 --> 01:35:38,480
Island Farm Bureau. Um, much of what
Ananda says expresses our views as well.

1052
01:35:37,120 --> 01:35:42,480
So, I'm going to be a little bit more
brief. Uh, the most recent USDA census

1053
01:35:41,040 --> 01:35:46,400
of agriculture shows Rhode Island to
have the highest percentage of new and

1054
01:35:44,000 --> 01:35:51,120
beginning Sorry, new I'm from Rhode
Island. I apologize. Um, new and

1055
01:35:48,719 --> 01:35:55,760
beginning farmers in the nation. If we
do not allow our farms to be profitable,

1056
01:35:53,520 --> 01:35:59,760
the next generation of farmers cannot
succeed.

1057
01:35:57,199 --> 01:36:04,239
Farm succession, either family to family
or outside the family, is one way to

1058
01:36:01,840 --> 01:36:09,280
maintain current a acreage, but only if
farms can be profitable. It is far

1059
01:36:06,400 --> 01:36:12,560
easier to sell off the land. Currently,
Rhode Island has the highest

1060
01:36:10,560 --> 01:36:20,159
agricultural land value in the country
at $23,000 per acre. To compare, the

1061
01:36:16,560 --> 01:36:26,960
national average is $4,300 per acre. All
of New All of the Northeast has an

1062
01:36:22,560 --> 01:36:31,520
average value of $7,500 per acre.
The Youngs have preserved land, but

1063
01:36:29,679 --> 01:36:35,280
there is a lot of agricultural land that
is not preserved in Little Compton and

1064
01:36:33,199 --> 01:36:40,800
other areas of the state. It is much
easier to sell that land than to try to

1065
01:36:37,440 --> 01:36:46,159
fail at farming. As farm input costs
increase, fuel, seed, fertilizer,

1066
01:36:43,360 --> 01:36:51,199
equipment, insurance, product prices
cannot keep pace. Without profit, what

1067
01:36:48,800 --> 01:36:55,920
is there to keep farmers farming?
Agurism and diversification of a

1068
01:36:53,600 --> 01:37:00,400
activities is an increasingly common way
for farms to support their businesses

1069
01:36:58,239 --> 01:37:04,800
economic stability while at the same
time giving guests the opportunity to

1070
01:37:02,320 --> 01:37:08,320
experience the farm.
The Young family farm has offered a

1071
01:37:06,560 --> 01:37:13,280
well-thoughtout proposal to allow them
to host agurism events while maintaining

1072
01:37:11,040 --> 01:37:17,360
an authentic agricultural connection to
their farm. These events will help them

1073
01:37:15,840 --> 01:37:21,520
to continue to strengthen their own
economic viability and that of the

1074
01:37:19,280 --> 01:37:26,560
farm's next generation while continuing
to respect the community that they are a

1075
01:37:23,280 --> 01:37:29,800
part of. Thank you.
>> Thank you.

1076
01:37:38,639 --> 01:37:45,840
» All right. My name is Skip Paul. I'm
probably one of the oldest farmers in

1077
01:37:43,840 --> 01:37:50,239
Little Compton at this point. I'm 74
years old and luckily I have a 35 year

1078
01:37:48,159 --> 01:37:56,880
old son that's going to take up the
mantle and keep going with it. I've been

1079
01:37:53,280 --> 01:38:04,320
a 46 year town resident and uh running
stone farm for a good 40 years of that.

1080
01:38:01,040 --> 01:38:10,880
I want to support the uh young family
farms uh farm ordinance uh accessory

1081
01:38:08,639 --> 01:38:14,159
because I want to think it's a and
everybody seems to be getting all

1082
01:38:12,159 --> 01:38:19,119
bunched up about changing the town plan
and reszoning everything. We're just

1083
01:38:16,719 --> 01:38:24,400
looking for an example for him to try
something out for two years. And uh I

1084
01:38:22,560 --> 01:38:28,800
think that's really important to begin
with. People get all freaked out that

1085
01:38:26,400 --> 01:38:34,320
we're going to change the town u
ordinances and everything. Um, I also

1086
01:38:32,320 --> 01:38:38,880
like to give our small perspective on
farming in Little Compton. And uh,

1087
01:38:36,560 --> 01:38:44,560
another thing I want to comment is the
extraordinary means that wellunded

1088
01:38:41,040 --> 01:38:49,600
opposition has gone to inflate fear,
misrepresent facts, and gaslight the

1089
01:38:47,199 --> 01:38:54,560
farming community and the town into
believing that allowing farm weddings

1090
01:38:52,000 --> 01:38:58,880
will bring decades of out of control
events which will ruin life as we know

1091
01:38:57,280 --> 01:39:04,080
it.
And I've seen misrepresentation coming

1092
01:39:01,840 --> 01:39:09,520
through cards, video, the amount of
money spent on uh websites and stuff and

1093
01:39:07,440 --> 01:39:14,239
a lot of it's gone way over the top.
It's almost become vitriolic and we're

1094
01:39:12,480 --> 01:39:20,239
just trying to experiment to see how how
a system would work for two years. Um

1095
01:39:18,080 --> 01:39:25,040
the town can build whatever parameters
it wants to and protocols to be met. The

1096
01:39:23,440 --> 01:39:30,239
weddings don't have to go from 5 to
10:00. They can go from 1 to 7. public

1097
01:39:28,000 --> 01:39:36,159
can be done. Nobody's headlights are
bothering anybody. The town traffic is

1098
01:39:32,880 --> 01:39:41,119
uh can be moderated. Um the town parking
will be contained in their farm. Their

1099
01:39:37,920 --> 01:39:47,600
farm is plenty of size to to take the uh
farm uh parking. Noise town ordinances

1100
01:39:44,400 --> 01:39:51,760
will be met. Um
I don't think we have to change the town

1101
01:39:49,760 --> 01:39:57,239
plan, but it it's good to have an
experiment for two years.

1102
01:39:54,239 --> 01:39:57,239
Um

1103
01:39:58,480 --> 01:40:06,080
trying to save you a lot of my extra
ideas here. Um but this the whole

1104
01:40:04,400 --> 01:40:11,520
subject of that there's a hundred farms
in town and that we're we're in danger

1105
01:40:08,480 --> 01:40:17,040
of having all these people with card
tabletop people selling eggs and

1106
01:40:14,159 --> 01:40:21,760
zucchini as if they were there going to
be a new type of farm that's going to

1107
01:40:18,800 --> 01:40:27,520
register to try to be do weddings and
everything else. I also like to mention

1108
01:40:24,800 --> 01:40:31,600
hearken back to like Nelson Farm was
doing weddings four or five years ago

1109
01:40:29,920 --> 01:40:34,960
and it wasn't until some wealthy
neighbor

1110
01:40:33,119 --> 01:40:41,040
got enough lawyers and forced them to
shut it down. And so um I say that

1111
01:40:39,199 --> 01:40:46,560
little Compton, this famous rural
character was created by agriculture and

1112
01:40:43,920 --> 01:40:50,400
the fishing industry. Families like Gary
Maderas

1113
01:40:48,480 --> 01:40:56,960
and Cole Walker silently were the
backdrop to the alluring character that

1114
01:40:53,040 --> 01:41:02,480
Little Compton still is today.
Yet some of the new wellto-do residents

1115
01:40:59,600 --> 01:41:09,199
have any of their impact to the extent
that Walker stand was closed because his

1116
01:41:06,000 --> 01:41:14,400
son couldn't protect a sweet corn with a
gas cannon. I was in an agricultural

1117
01:41:12,159 --> 01:41:18,159
land tr the agricultural land trust
committee meeting and some wealthy guy

1118
01:41:16,239 --> 01:41:23,040
got up and said I didn't work all my
life to buy a piece of land to have this

1119
01:41:20,560 --> 01:41:27,520
cannon going off for 10 days and ruined
my summer and I got up right after you

1120
01:41:25,280 --> 01:41:31,840
stood up and said sir don't tell me you
don't invest in the stock market you

1121
01:41:29,040 --> 01:41:35,119
wouldn't buy a stock and have no idea
you have somebody look at what the what

1122
01:41:33,520 --> 01:41:39,520
the parameters are for what that's going
to be I'm sorry you didn't look at your

1123
01:41:37,440 --> 01:41:48,159
land next to a piece of land that the
guys been using a cannon for 25 years to

1124
01:41:42,639 --> 01:41:51,600
protect his his crops. And
the farming community doesn't want a

1125
01:41:50,000 --> 01:41:57,760
hand up, but needs some community
awareness of the financial needs that a

1126
01:41:54,880 --> 01:42:02,960
limited agricultural income requires.
Many East Coast farmers, 85% of them now

1127
01:42:00,639 --> 01:42:07,280
they say, need a husband or wife that
has off

1128
01:42:04,960 --> 01:42:12,159
seasonal job of teaching or some other
work to make ends meet.

1129
01:42:09,920 --> 01:42:17,760
If the wedding concept doesn't pass,
please don't take aim at farm-to-table

1130
01:42:14,320 --> 01:42:22,080
school bus tools and apple festivals.
And my last comment I love to call

1131
01:42:19,600 --> 01:42:27,360
walkie was a friend of mine. Walkers
didn't close by lack of money, more from

1132
01:42:24,880 --> 01:42:32,159
the lack of the community's interest and
supporting the value of the commodity

1133
01:42:29,840 --> 01:42:35,400
they offered.
Thank you.

1134
01:42:50,239 --> 01:42:59,440
I don't there's no way that I can
uh follow, you know, the words of a real

1135
01:42:57,199 --> 01:43:06,239
farmer and a real hard worker like Skip
Paul. Um but I'll try.

1136
01:43:04,000 --> 01:43:10,400
I'm speaking. My name is Jim Piatt. I
live on Amesberry Lane. I'm an

1137
01:43:08,400 --> 01:43:15,040
architect. I'm speaking tonight in
support of the Young family farm

1138
01:43:12,400 --> 01:43:19,600
proposal for a pilot program.
I and probably everyone in this room in

1139
01:43:17,520 --> 01:43:24,239
support or oppos opposition to the
Young's proposal values the farm and its

1140
01:43:22,400 --> 01:43:28,800
products as they relate both to their
delightful consumption but also as part

1141
01:43:26,639 --> 01:43:32,880
of the more intangible
and aesthetic enjoyment of the

1142
01:43:30,960 --> 01:43:38,960
ruralesque
environment of the town itself.

1143
01:43:36,480 --> 01:43:43,840
I though apparently not everyone take it
at the young family's word

1144
01:43:41,760 --> 01:43:48,159
and also the word of other farmers like
Skip and other families. People can read

1145
01:43:45,920 --> 01:43:52,800
about it across the country. We heard
the state representative talk about it

1146
01:43:50,400 --> 01:43:57,280
that farming crops in themselves does
not provide a sustainable living for a

1147
01:43:55,040 --> 01:44:02,159
farm family.
I'm 77 years old. I've been working

1148
01:43:59,520 --> 01:44:07,360
since the age of 14. generally hunched
over a drawing board, but sometimes in

1149
01:44:04,320 --> 01:44:13,440
construction labor. And so I figure, as
many might, that I have worked hard.

1150
01:44:11,760 --> 01:44:18,480
But I have for a long time been aware
that there are others, farmers for sure,

1151
01:44:16,080 --> 01:44:24,000
who work much harder physically, start
their mornings earlier at 4:30, and

1152
01:44:20,639 --> 01:44:30,080
don't quit at my closing time. They take
extraordinary risks financially for

1153
01:44:26,480 --> 01:44:35,840
tools and seed with their fortune such
as it is determined as much by weather

1154
01:44:32,320 --> 01:44:41,040
as by skill. And then we all who sit on
the sidelines in safe and secure

1155
01:44:37,679 --> 01:44:45,119
occupations hope that the farmer's
children will want to continue the

1156
01:44:42,719 --> 01:44:51,119
family tradition.
It's a romantic notion that I wouldn't

1157
01:44:47,920 --> 01:44:55,280
bet on. In Switzerland, by comparison,
the government pays subsidies that

1158
01:44:53,119 --> 01:45:01,520
account for approximately 50% of a
farmer's income. So, the farms will not

1159
01:44:58,000 --> 01:45:06,960
only survive for their produce, but also
enhance the landscape quality based on

1160
01:45:04,239 --> 01:45:11,280
legally determined aesthetic
concepts of beauty, ecology, and

1161
01:45:09,360 --> 01:45:16,320
tradition. And yet here in Little
Compton, we hope the farmers will just

1162
01:45:14,080 --> 01:45:23,480
keep doing it so the rest of us can have
a bucolic landscape to drive by and eat

1163
01:45:20,239 --> 01:45:23,480
a peach.

1164
01:45:28,639 --> 01:45:34,159
The Youngs are asking for a permit for
an event to occur on 10 days a year,

1165
01:45:32,159 --> 01:45:39,679
creating increased activity for those 10
days. Well, the rest of us, for every

1166
01:45:37,280 --> 01:45:44,719
day from mid-spring to midfall, we all
accept outdoors, the unbidden and

1167
01:45:42,400 --> 01:45:50,080
unlimited noise of lawnmowers, leaf
blowers, airplanes overhead, motorcycles

1168
01:45:47,679 --> 01:45:54,560
in convoys of a hundred, neighbors,
outdoor parties and weddings, boom

1169
01:45:52,159 --> 01:45:58,400
boxes, dogs parking at all hours, and
did I mention fireworks?

1170
01:45:56,800 --> 01:46:02,480
Well, some of these can be managed by
calling them police. Most we cannot

1171
01:46:00,080 --> 01:46:07,840
change. or we choose not to in the
spirit of live and let live which is how

1172
01:46:05,040 --> 01:46:11,920
I go about my life.
I support the Young's proposal. All the

1173
01:46:10,320 --> 01:46:16,320
concerns about how Little Compton will
deal that as a practical matter that can

1174
01:46:13,760 --> 01:46:21,440
be worked out. Perhaps volunteers such
as myself to what to help with

1175
01:46:18,320 --> 01:46:26,239
monitoring drawing plans of the site to
show what they're trying to do etc.

1176
01:46:24,159 --> 01:46:31,199
The alternative may at some not too
distant point in the future be the

1177
01:46:28,400 --> 01:46:36,239
collapse of the farms when there is no
one in the family who can make sense out

1178
01:46:33,199 --> 01:46:42,400
of being a farmer. Those holes in the
landscape will be filled by more big

1179
01:46:39,199 --> 01:46:45,639
houses with plenty of peace and quiet.
Thank you.

1180
01:46:55,520 --> 01:47:03,280
Good evening. Uh, my name is Rob
Galford. I live at 35 Butts Rock Road,

1181
01:47:00,159 --> 01:47:07,760
just a stones throw or a shout down from
Swishing Stone Farm. As you may have

1182
01:47:05,840 --> 01:47:11,679
seen included in the record, I wrote the
letter that was published in the Zakon

1183
01:47:09,360 --> 01:47:15,679
at times suggesting and saying that you
don't really need to make that stark a

1184
01:47:13,600 --> 01:47:20,960
choice between banning all such events
on one hand and devol defaulting to

1185
01:47:18,080 --> 01:47:26,480
parties run a mock on the other. Tonight
in three minutes or less, I promise uh

1186
01:47:24,080 --> 01:47:31,119
I'm here to offer a different focused
perspective on how and why such items as

1187
01:47:28,960 --> 01:47:36,080
the farm accessory ordinance and special
use permits can and should indeed

1188
01:47:33,600 --> 01:47:41,440
accommodate both these all these kinds
of activities. In one of my earliest

1189
01:47:38,800 --> 01:47:46,800
jobs in the hospitality industry, I
worked for a specialty caterer at more

1190
01:47:44,080 --> 01:47:53,199
than a 100 weddings, remote weddings and
celebrations in parks, private gardens,

1191
01:47:49,920 --> 01:47:57,280
estates, and farms. Exactly the kinds of
setting that the youngs are proposing.

1192
01:47:55,520 --> 01:48:02,320
It's a complicated business to run
off-site events where everything, and I

1193
01:47:59,520 --> 01:48:06,000
do mean everything, is brought in. An
entire catering kitchen and everything

1194
01:48:03,920 --> 01:48:10,080
that goes with it. and they can't forget
a thing because here's the important

1195
01:48:07,840 --> 01:48:15,440
part. Having those things ready on the
site are not the business of a farm or a

1196
01:48:12,719 --> 01:48:20,480
park or a garden. Their business is
simply growing things for people to

1197
01:48:17,360 --> 01:48:25,679
enjoy and to share it with with them in
a place of their own. And the successful

1198
01:48:22,960 --> 01:48:30,639
caterers and suppliers are masters at
making it work with hosting locations in

1199
01:48:28,480 --> 01:48:35,520
the single most important category,
which is respecting the rules. These

1200
01:48:33,679 --> 01:48:40,800
specialty caterers, such as the ones
I've worked for, work closely with the

1201
01:48:38,239 --> 01:48:46,880
host locations on adhering to rules
about safety, parking, timing, lighting,

1202
01:48:43,760 --> 01:48:52,159
and everything else. If a town says no
music after 9:00 p.m., you can be sure

1203
01:48:49,600 --> 01:48:58,400
that the band starts to play Last Dance
or Don't Stop Believing at 8:47.

1204
01:48:55,920 --> 01:49:04,480
They make they turn down cash bribes of
$1,000 or more from fathers of the bride

1205
01:49:01,360 --> 01:49:09,520
to keep the music going. And they never
get those bribes accepted. They hire

1206
01:49:07,280 --> 01:49:13,600
local people whenever possible. They
pride themselves on preparing meals

1207
01:49:11,600 --> 01:49:18,400
using ingredients grown right on that
site. They work closely with the towns,

1208
01:49:16,239 --> 01:49:22,719
police, and hosting locations and
staying within the rules. And that's how

1209
01:49:20,400 --> 01:49:27,920
they stay in business. That's why
specialty event kinds of catering

1210
01:49:26,000 --> 01:49:32,800
understands exactly what has to be done
and to make this work. And hosting

1211
01:49:30,159 --> 01:49:36,400
farms, however, hosting farms are in the
business of growing things for the

1212
01:49:34,719 --> 01:49:40,639
people to enjoy. And that's what they
want to do. Their intention is not to be

1213
01:49:38,719 --> 01:49:44,400
in the catering business, but to put
their farming places in the best light.

1214
01:49:42,960 --> 01:49:48,400
And they don't get rich from being a
fake farm with a catering business.

1215
01:49:46,639 --> 01:49:52,800
That's not what they want to do. They
are real farms and there are very few of

1216
01:49:50,800 --> 01:49:57,600
them left and we are very lucky in
Little Compton to have places like

1217
01:49:54,719 --> 01:50:02,320
Youngs and Wishing Stone and Small World
in our midst where farming is what they

1218
01:49:59,920 --> 01:50:09,199
do and they do what they can to support
and continue that and limited event

1219
01:50:04,800 --> 01:50:14,239
hosting 10 days perhaps out of 365 would
be one of those things. So please let's

1220
01:50:11,840 --> 01:50:18,639
not make it any harder for them than it
already is. Thank you.

1221
01:50:28,400 --> 01:50:39,840
Jane wear again. Um so I have a couple
of things. Um

1222
01:50:36,000 --> 01:50:46,080
this is my child. We are looking at
generational farming. Um, and one of the

1223
01:50:43,280 --> 01:50:53,840
things we want to do is looking at
diversifying our farm in order to make

1224
01:50:50,320 --> 01:50:59,040
the next generation be able to make it
profitable.

1225
01:50:56,080 --> 01:51:04,320
Um, [sighs and gasps] the other thing I
would like to ask is what is a

1226
01:51:01,280 --> 01:51:11,520
commercial wedding? Because one of the
things that was put out on the postcard

1227
01:51:08,800 --> 01:51:16,880
that was sent to everybody is that
commercial weddings was going to be a

1228
01:51:14,320 --> 01:51:23,760
thing. I don't understand what a
commercial wedding is. In my opinion,

1229
01:51:19,760 --> 01:51:29,119
weddings are personal. So, how do you
make a wedding commercial? Um, and then

1230
01:51:27,600 --> 01:51:34,320
I talked to somebody else and they were
like, "Oh, well, if you're a wedding

1231
01:51:30,480 --> 01:51:41,599
planner, it's a commercial wedding. You
you do that for a living."

1232
01:51:37,520 --> 01:51:46,400
Well, if you're only doing it for five
or eight times out of the year,

1233
01:51:44,800 --> 01:51:50,960
that's
not a commercial wedding.

1234
01:51:48,880 --> 01:51:57,599
Um,
the other thing is

1235
01:51:53,840 --> 01:52:04,639
if our farm, White Rock Farm, across
from Peekom's greenhouse were to ask for

1236
01:52:02,960 --> 01:52:12,639
a
uh variance or a a permit to have one

1237
01:52:09,119 --> 01:52:19,199
wedding, would that be a problem?
If that's not a problem, then why is

1238
01:52:15,040 --> 01:52:25,679
this why is Young's farm asking for a
permit or or a problem? If you would let

1239
01:52:23,760 --> 01:52:32,159
one farm
have a wedding one time,

1240
01:52:29,040 --> 01:52:38,560
why is it a problem to let this one
Young's farm

1241
01:52:34,159 --> 01:52:43,040
have five weddings in one year
if they follow the rules that they've

1242
01:52:40,800 --> 01:52:46,639
set out which they have set out that
they would have off?

1243
01:52:45,360 --> 01:52:51,679
» Miss Weir, I'm just going to ask you to
wrap up your comments. We have three

1244
01:52:47,920 --> 01:52:55,639
more people. We're almost there. So,
>> okay. Thank you.

1245
01:53:02,080 --> 01:53:12,800
» Um, good evening. I'm Cherry Bar and I
live at 231 West Main Road. So, first

1246
01:53:09,280 --> 01:53:19,520
I'd just like to thank everybody for
coming here. Um it's a very sensitive

1247
01:53:16,480 --> 01:53:24,880
subject and we do have differing
viewpoints

1248
01:53:21,199 --> 01:53:30,320
but this issue is
creating hostility

1249
01:53:27,520 --> 01:53:36,800
and I hope we can get beyond that. I
mean I have to say when I go to Young's

1250
01:53:33,280 --> 01:53:42,159
farm which I do almost daily I don't
even go to the cash register. I just use

1251
01:53:38,800 --> 01:53:47,920
the honesty box because this issue is
getting way too personal. So, I did

1252
01:53:45,920 --> 01:53:52,719
actually have a lot of comments. So, I
know that we're very pressed for time.

1253
01:53:50,480 --> 01:53:59,840
So, I just would like to say them very
quickly. Um, the ALPC easement contains

1254
01:53:56,800 --> 01:54:05,280
a pond and repairarian area which is
near to the wedding venue and which is

1255
01:54:01,760 --> 01:54:11,920
home to including not but not limited to
deer, coyote, fox, barred owls, wild

1256
01:54:08,880 --> 01:54:18,480
turkey, small animals, and multiple
species of birds. The easement

1257
01:54:14,800 --> 01:54:26,480
specifically states, "The premises has
over 180 acres of land with splendid

1258
01:54:22,480 --> 01:54:33,119
views. major habitat types common to the
area, woodlands, agricultural fields, as

1259
01:54:30,320 --> 01:54:38,000
well as repairing corridors and other
natural areas.

1260
01:54:35,679 --> 01:54:44,000
Has anybody requested that any kind of
environmental study be performed to see

1261
01:54:40,560 --> 01:54:48,639
what the impact of noise and lights are
on the area and the the wildlife in this

1262
01:54:46,639 --> 01:54:52,800
area?
It seems to me that should be

1263
01:54:50,000 --> 01:54:59,520
considered. Secondly, I'd like to speak
to um

1264
01:54:55,440 --> 01:55:07,280
some of the diagrams that I've seen in
the licensing application

1265
01:55:03,920 --> 01:55:13,360
uh entertainment licensing application.
The Young submitted a diagram

1266
01:55:10,320 --> 01:55:19,119
um which showed the activities
fully within the easement area

1267
01:55:17,440 --> 01:55:24,960
um in which they're allowed to have
agricultural structures.

1268
01:55:21,840 --> 01:55:31,280
In the current proposal, they show a
completely different diagram. And I can

1269
01:55:27,920 --> 01:55:37,760
assure you if that diagram were scaled,
had layout areas, had property lines and

1270
01:55:34,719 --> 01:55:44,719
easements, you would notice that the
entire tent is is is beyond the

1271
01:55:41,360 --> 01:55:49,840
agricultural area for structures. So I
think that really somebody needs to look

1272
01:55:46,320 --> 01:55:53,520
at this a little bit more carefully.
Um

1273
01:55:51,599 --> 01:55:57,040
I mean this kind of goes to another
thing which I just really want to touch

1274
01:55:55,520 --> 01:56:03,080
on.
um because I know we're we're very short

1275
01:55:59,840 --> 01:56:03,080
of time.

1276
01:56:03,920 --> 01:56:13,040
All right. Well, I don't have my notes,
so I'll just uh summarize it here. In

1277
01:56:09,199 --> 01:56:19,119
the application um for the entertainment
license

1278
01:56:15,280 --> 01:56:24,480
um which was granted
um

1279
01:56:21,360 --> 01:56:29,920
farm to folk to farm farm to fork
dinners was approved.

1280
01:56:26,880 --> 01:56:38,880
This was completely inconsistent
with what the zoning board said. They

1281
01:56:33,599 --> 01:56:44,800
said farmtofork dinners are not allowed.
In addition,

1282
01:56:40,800 --> 01:56:50,800
the the application asks that a diagram
be submitted that is scaled and includes

1283
01:56:49,280 --> 01:56:55,360
measurements.
And the answer from the Youngs on that

1284
01:56:53,040 --> 01:57:01,440
was yes.
The diagram had no scales. It had

1285
01:56:58,560 --> 01:57:05,440
absolutely no dimensions.
So

1286
01:57:02,960 --> 01:57:11,040
where is the coordination
between what one department says and

1287
01:57:08,560 --> 01:57:19,119
what is being permitted?
Why aren't you why are you approving

1288
01:57:16,639 --> 01:57:25,840
applications which are actually
incorrect and incompliant?

1289
01:57:22,400 --> 01:57:32,159
That really raises a lot of red flags
for me when we are talking about these

1290
01:57:28,719 --> 01:57:36,000
much larger issues.
And then I will just say one other

1291
01:57:33,920 --> 01:57:41,040
thing.
The cabbas are on the north side of my

1292
01:57:38,000 --> 01:57:46,480
property. The dressers who also have a
farm are on the west and the south side

1293
01:57:43,760 --> 01:57:51,599
of my property. The peckhams are a tenth
of a mile away. And the youngs are a

1294
01:57:48,800 --> 01:57:59,199
tenth of a mile away. If each of these
farms can have 10 weddings a year, that

1295
01:57:55,599 --> 01:58:04,080
is 40 weddings a year.
All of which are going to happen in the

1296
01:58:01,280 --> 01:58:09,599
summer months.
Is that right that I can't open my

1297
01:58:06,480 --> 01:58:16,880
windows because there's amplified music
for 40 nights of my summer?

1298
01:58:13,440 --> 01:58:22,080
What does this do to my property value?
I'm already thinking that when I sell my

1299
01:58:19,040 --> 01:58:29,199
house, I'll have to say, "Hey, extra
bonus, free music on Thursday, Fridays,

1300
01:58:25,440 --> 01:58:35,520
Saturdays, and Sundays." So, I again I
want to conclude this by saying I am

1301
01:58:32,320 --> 01:58:42,800
totally in support of appropriately
scaled farming and you know, revenue

1302
01:58:39,520 --> 01:58:48,800
generating activities. I do not believe
wedding venues fit within this or fit

1303
01:58:45,520 --> 01:58:51,760
within the comprehensive plan.
So be nice everybody.

1304
01:58:51,040 --> 01:58:55,000
» Thank you.
>> Thank you.

1305
01:58:55,599 --> 01:59:03,719
» Well, I could have gotten a bigger class
if you don't agree with what I said.

1306
01:59:06,880 --> 01:59:11,719
» I met the ones that grant the permit to
me.

1307
01:59:13,520 --> 01:59:20,000
Hello. I'm gonna speak now. Uh my name
is Alexandra Greenwood and I keep

1308
01:59:18,239 --> 01:59:24,960
hearing tonight that we want to keep
Little Compton little and quiet. And I

1309
01:59:23,360 --> 01:59:30,080
think that if we don't support this
proposal, it's going to be a ghost town.

1310
01:59:27,920 --> 01:59:36,480
Um we need to shift with the times. We
need to pivot. And I think everyone has

1311
01:59:31,920 --> 01:59:42,080
been affected by the increasing cost of
literally everything. You know, that

1312
01:59:38,880 --> 01:59:47,520
might be getting a second job, having to
be a stay-at-home mom because daycare is

1313
01:59:44,800 --> 01:59:51,520
too freaking expensive. Um, we're all
just trying to financially survive right

1314
01:59:49,440 --> 01:59:57,679
now. And these financial pressures have
touched farmers, especially the people

1315
01:59:53,920 --> 02:00:00,560
who feed you. And no offense, Tyler and
Carla, but this is like the least

1316
01:59:59,040 --> 02:00:05,280
creative thing that you could do is
being a wedding venue. But if it's going

1317
02:00:03,599 --> 02:00:09,440
to keep you going and it's going to keep
you, you know, the next generation

1318
02:00:07,280 --> 02:00:12,880
farming, I'm all for it. I think that's
incredible. They're not asking for

1319
02:00:12,288 --> 02:00:18,960
[sighs]
more than what, 10 events a year. Um, I

1320
02:00:17,119 --> 02:00:24,800
don't think that the great horned owls
are going to go away after 10 events a

1321
02:00:21,520 --> 02:00:29,119
year. Um, I think we can all find it in
our hearts to be flexible for our

1322
02:00:26,560 --> 02:00:33,199
community and for our farmers. Thank
you.

1323
02:00:30,400 --> 02:00:33,199
» Thank you.

1324
02:00:37,760 --> 02:00:44,480
Good evening. My name is Sarah Rich and
our family home sits at 238 West Main

1325
02:00:42,480 --> 02:00:50,080
Road, directly in front of the young
family's barn and working areas. We've

1326
02:00:46,960 --> 02:00:53,679
owned the property since 1989.
I'm not speaking about this from a

1327
02:00:51,679 --> 02:00:58,560
distance. I have personally heard music
from farm weddings already held on the

1328
02:00:55,760 --> 02:01:02,880
property, clearly from inside our home.
At that time, I remember being excited

1329
02:01:00,960 --> 02:01:07,599
knowing that it was Hadtie and Sarah's
wedding and that they were celebrating a

1330
02:01:04,960 --> 02:01:11,119
big milestone. I even remember a Venmo
link being shared on Instagram so

1331
02:01:09,520 --> 02:01:15,440
friends could chip in for a drink at
their bachelorette parties. And of

1332
02:01:13,119 --> 02:01:20,239
course, I did. My brother and I
anticipate being future owners of this

1333
02:01:18,000 --> 02:01:24,159
property. I live in the area year round
today with a good chance that I'll live

1334
02:01:22,159 --> 02:01:28,719
at this residence year round in the
years ahead. The Rhode Island Supreme

1335
02:01:26,800 --> 02:01:33,199
Court has already ruled on this.
Commercial farm weddings held for a fee

1336
02:01:30,800 --> 02:01:37,920
are not considered an agricultural use
the way a dinner or a festival would be.

1337
02:01:35,840 --> 02:01:42,800
That means this is a zoning question,
not a farming one. And the comprehensive

1338
02:01:40,560 --> 02:01:47,679
plan already speaks to it directly.
Policy ED2.D

1339
02:01:44,960 --> 02:01:52,880
Directs the town to regulate uses on
farms that are not directly related to

1340
02:01:50,800 --> 02:01:57,840
the agricultural operation or the
principal use of the land. I'd ask this

1341
02:01:56,080 --> 02:02:02,719
board to weigh this when you are making
a recommendation to town council. I also

1342
02:02:01,040 --> 02:02:09,040
don't believe weddings are easy to
contain, especially at a scale of 175

1343
02:02:06,560 --> 02:02:14,239
people. Based on what I've seen so far,
I don't have full confidence that a 9:00

1344
02:02:11,360 --> 02:02:18,480
cutoff will actually mean 9:00.
What makes this farm able to operate

1345
02:02:16,560 --> 02:02:22,320
under different rules than other farms,
the Stonehouse or the Vineyard? They've

1346
02:02:20,560 --> 02:02:26,880
been abiding by these rules for some
time now. What starts as a 10 weddings a

1347
02:02:24,800 --> 02:02:30,639
year could easily become 20, once
something like this is approved, there's

1348
02:02:28,719 --> 02:02:35,280
little standing in the way of the number
growing. I'd ask that the board to

1349
02:02:33,199 --> 02:02:40,960
consider that although tonight's hearing
is only about the young family farm, a

1350
02:02:38,000 --> 02:02:44,560
zoning change would apply to this far
wouldn't apply to this farm alone. it

1351
02:02:42,719 --> 02:02:50,719
would open the door to other farms
across town to make the same request.

1352
02:02:48,480 --> 02:02:56,159
It's also worth noting that the original
1996 conservation easement on this land

1353
02:02:53,840 --> 02:03:00,880
explicitly restricted the property to
agricultural use and prohibited

1354
02:02:58,320 --> 02:03:04,880
commercial development. I grew up next
door to the Young family. I remember

1355
02:03:02,800 --> 02:03:08,480
when they moved in and I watched Emma,
Hattie, and Sarah grow up. I've always

1356
02:03:07,040 --> 02:03:12,639
made a point of buying my hanging
basket, gardening needs, fruits, and

1357
02:03:10,639 --> 02:03:16,960
vegetables from their farm to support
them. This is exactly why it's so

1358
02:03:15,040 --> 02:03:21,840
surprising that this proposal in
progress since last fall was never once

1359
02:03:20,080 --> 02:03:26,080
mentioned to us or to the other
neighbors. And yet, the Youngs were able

1360
02:03:23,840 --> 02:03:30,639
to launch a petition and have it shared
across the entire community. Many people

1361
02:03:28,719 --> 02:03:35,360
who signed it have told us they didn't
fully understand what they were saying.

1362
02:03:32,800 --> 02:03:39,599
It's telling that outreach outreach was
possible when it served the proposable,

1363
02:03:37,760 --> 02:03:44,639
but not when it came to informing the
neighbors who'd actually be affected by

1364
02:03:41,520 --> 02:03:49,599
it, who had supported them for so long.
This board already did this work. On

1365
02:03:46,880 --> 02:03:54,159
July 7th, by a vote of 5 to zero, you
found that weddings do not conform with

1366
02:03:51,760 --> 02:03:58,400
the comprehensive plan. You specifically
warned that a special use permit becomes

1367
02:03:56,320 --> 02:04:03,840
permanent and travels with the property.
Meaning this decision binds every future

1368
02:04:00,400 --> 02:04:06,960
owner of this land forever. Honestly,
what's hardest for me isn't just the

1369
02:04:05,520 --> 02:04:11,599
noise or the scale. It's the
disappointment. This has stopped feeling

1370
02:04:09,360 --> 02:04:15,920
like a decision made with farms,
neighbors, and community in mind and

1371
02:04:14,000 --> 02:04:20,880
started to feel like a decision made for
the revenue at our expense. I support

1372
02:04:18,800 --> 02:04:27,280
the youngs earning a living on this
land. My first job was at Skit Paul's

1373
02:04:24,320 --> 02:04:31,920
country stand. I was very close to Cole
Walker and grew up with other farmers in

1374
02:04:29,599 --> 02:04:36,320
this town. I want to see farms in this
town find creative ways to stay viable

1375
02:04:34,480 --> 02:04:40,960
through farm stands, farm-totable
dinners, and other events that stay

1376
02:04:38,639 --> 02:04:47,000
close to the land's agricultural roots,
but not at the direct expense of

1377
02:04:42,960 --> 02:04:47,000
neighbors closest to it.

1378
02:04:48,400 --> 02:04:54,880
» Mr. Sher, I I would note that uh we had
a 9:00 deadline, but it looks like

1379
02:04:53,280 --> 02:04:59,360
there's only one more gentleman up here,
and I would suggest that we just uh be a

1380
02:04:57,520 --> 02:05:02,360
little loose with that 9:00 deadline.
Excellent.

1381
02:05:02,719 --> 02:05:09,760
» Yes. Thank you. It's a pleasure to be
here in front of the board. My name is

1382
02:05:07,440 --> 02:05:14,719
Henry Wright. I am president of the
Rhode Island Farm Bureau. I had the

1383
02:05:12,400 --> 02:05:23,119
pleasure of uh serving on the board of
directors bureau with Tyler for years.

1384
02:05:18,880 --> 02:05:28,480
Uh very dedicated farmer. Uh you people
are extremely lucky to have a farm such

1385
02:05:26,639 --> 02:05:35,199
as the Young's farm here in Little
Compton. Uh Ty, a few years back, Tyler

1386
02:05:31,840 --> 02:05:39,440
got an award for giving the most food to
the food bank, donating the food to the

1387
02:05:37,280 --> 02:05:44,800
food bank. He has always been
community-minded.

1388
02:05:41,119 --> 02:05:48,719
uh just excellent as my position as
president of the Farm Bureau Rhode

1389
02:05:46,880 --> 02:05:53,599
Island,
part of the American Farm Bureau, which

1390
02:05:50,880 --> 02:05:59,040
is largest Farm Bureau organization in
the United States. I get to travel

1391
02:05:55,360 --> 02:06:06,080
around a lot. Uh see what's wrong,
what's right. uh very very difficult to

1392
02:06:03,280 --> 02:06:12,000
continue to farm hold on to the land
especially to pass it on to you people

1393
02:06:09,280 --> 02:06:17,840
within the family.
Uh this year as in other years I had an

1394
02:06:14,960 --> 02:06:24,400
opportunity to visit farms that have
wedding venues and every one of them

1395
02:06:21,360 --> 02:06:29,840
said if it wasn't for the wedding venue
we would no longer be able to farm. Uh

1396
02:06:27,760 --> 02:06:35,119
it has been the bright spot in
agriculture. Agurism is the only thing

1397
02:06:32,719 --> 02:06:41,440
that's really keeping us going.
Remember, we're only producing 3% of the

1398
02:06:38,639 --> 02:06:47,199
food that we need here in Rhode Island.
3% is all we produce. If we lose that,

1399
02:06:45,360 --> 02:06:54,400
you know, you see on the TV all the
time, buy local. Where is local? Local

1400
02:06:50,639 --> 02:06:58,400
is 500 miles from here. It's it's going
to be difficult. Have we ever run into

1401
02:06:56,239 --> 02:07:06,400
trouble with transportation?
Three years. Uh I'm sorry. We only have

1402
02:07:02,000 --> 02:07:13,360
three days of food in Rhode Island.
After three days, we're out. Hurricane,

1403
02:07:09,440 --> 02:07:19,920
snowstorm, bad roads, whatever. So, this
is an opportunity perhaps for Little

1404
02:07:16,320 --> 02:07:24,800
Compton to step forward and maybe do the
right thing and show that they can do

1405
02:07:21,599 --> 02:07:29,719
something for two years. Thank you.
Thank you.

1406
02:07:26,079 --> 02:07:29,719
» Thank you, Mr. Wright.

1407
02:07:34,079 --> 02:07:39,119
Matters again. I'd like to thank you for
allowing all these people to speak

1408
02:07:37,520 --> 02:07:44,000
tonight.
It was very enlightening to me because

1409
02:07:41,599 --> 02:07:48,000
it's going to come in front of me with
everything everybody said. So, thank

1410
02:07:45,920 --> 02:07:51,960
very much.
>> Well, thank you.

1411
02:07:53,040 --> 02:08:00,320
» So, Uh Mr. Chair, as that concludes the
the comments, uh no motions necessary on

1412
02:07:58,560 --> 02:08:05,119
this because this was just a remand
again to the planning board to hear uh

1413
02:08:03,280 --> 02:08:10,239
the Youngs in accordance with the town
council's order.

1414
02:08:07,760 --> 02:08:15,920
» Thank you everyone. Uh we'll continue
with our our planning board of business

1415
02:08:12,000 --> 02:08:22,320
as I had mentioned earlier and and the
next item for us our first item is the

1416
02:08:18,560 --> 02:08:25,320
petition by Lesie Fox for some solar
panels.

1417
02:08:28,480 --> 02:08:33,239
» Sorry, but they don't.

1418
02:08:35,679 --> 02:08:43,400
So, so you lastly
that means we're back to the zoning.

1419
02:08:49,920 --> 02:08:57,760
» Let's get Julie.
>> Um, how many council here?

1420
02:08:56,800 --> 02:09:02,079
» Excuse me.
>> Excuse me. We're holding a planning

1421
02:09:00,639 --> 02:09:06,719
board meeting. If you could exit
quietly, please, you can have your

1422
02:09:04,639 --> 02:09:09,719
conversations outside. We'd appreciate
that.

1423
02:09:10,000 --> 02:09:13,800
» Oh, really? Hi.

1424
02:09:14,239 --> 02:09:25,639
» Yes, that's what I'm trying to do right
now is trying to

1425
02:09:20,400 --> 02:09:25,639
» trying to get everything back up here.

1426
02:09:31,840 --> 02:09:35,159
fire away.

1427
02:09:38,400 --> 02:09:44,000
» Yes.
>> And he's going to make it or just run

1428
02:09:42,000 --> 02:09:48,159
through the
you slides.

1429
02:09:46,880 --> 02:09:52,520
» Right.
I think the most important thing.

1430
02:09:59,360 --> 02:10:05,599
» Where's S when you need it?
>> Do we have the packet for this one?

1431
02:10:03,520 --> 02:10:09,520
» Yeah, I do.
I label it number two.

1432
02:10:06,800 --> 02:10:13,119
» Oh, you're smart. Let's do this.
>> Give Tyler Dang.

1433
02:10:10,560 --> 02:10:17,199
» I have spread out
got important solar things. It's, you

1434
02:10:15,840 --> 02:10:19,440
know, I don't like what they've done
here.

1435
02:10:18,719 --> 02:10:23,599
» It took me a while.
>> Can anyone hear me? Uh, we we have to

1436
02:10:22,000 --> 02:10:27,199
conduct the rest of the business for the
planning board. So, if you want to

1437
02:10:25,599 --> 02:10:31,960
continue talking to one another, could
you go out in the foyer, please? Thank

1438
02:10:28,960 --> 02:10:31,960
you.

1439
02:10:34,880 --> 02:10:38,360
Not you, Marsha.

1440
02:10:46,000 --> 02:10:53,400
Yeah, where the start of the races
right across the street.

1441
02:10:55,360 --> 02:10:58,360
» Um,

1442
02:11:00,480 --> 02:11:07,199
» which ones?
>> Well, that shows your house, right?

1443
02:11:05,040 --> 02:11:12,159
» I've got the two photos. I've got the
survey plan.

1444
02:11:09,360 --> 02:11:17,920
take a photo of the court. I mean they
like the little flag in the drive

1445
02:11:15,119 --> 02:11:21,639
» myself
different

1446
02:11:18,639 --> 02:11:21,639
» different

1447
02:11:22,239 --> 02:11:25,880
I don't like this yet.

1448
02:11:26,400 --> 02:11:34,719
So the the
ordinance asks you to come for a special

1449
02:11:32,159 --> 02:11:39,679
use permit when you want to put solar in
Pikes Peak area

1450
02:11:37,119 --> 02:11:47,840
» and so that is
>> Mike we can't hear you

1451
02:11:42,960 --> 02:11:53,360
» the the ordinance uh on on solar
>> just turn me off. Oh, go ahead.

1452
02:11:50,639 --> 02:11:59,280
» The the ordinance is is so that the from
the visibility standpoint of solar

1453
02:11:55,840 --> 02:12:06,079
panels within the Pikes Peak area and
does it affect the the view of the

1454
02:12:02,719 --> 02:12:08,079
quality of the town. So that's why the
pictures of your house

1455
02:12:07,679 --> 02:12:14,560
» Yes.
>> and where the panels will be and are

1456
02:12:10,800 --> 02:12:20,719
they visible to the the general public.
>> Correct. is is probably the first and

1457
02:12:17,199 --> 02:12:28,000
most important question uh with regard
to your solar application.

1458
02:12:24,560 --> 02:12:31,360
» Okay. I don't know. Do you have the
plans?

1459
02:12:29,360 --> 02:12:33,440
» Yes, we do. We do have we do have your
plan.

1460
02:12:31,760 --> 02:12:38,639
» Oh, yeah. They got they got copies of
everything that you gave me. So,

1461
02:12:35,119 --> 02:12:45,040
» thank you. So, I'm Lesie Fox. I live at
14 Commons and I have a application for

1462
02:12:41,920 --> 02:12:53,119
a permit for solar panels which would go
on the south roof which you cannot see

1463
02:12:48,400 --> 02:12:59,119
from the street. Uh 10 panels
10 or 12 I can't remember 10 or 12 would

1464
02:12:55,679 --> 02:13:04,400
go on the south roof. The north roof
faces the street. No panels on the north

1465
02:13:02,239 --> 02:13:10,320
side obviously.
and two panels would go on the west

1466
02:13:08,000 --> 02:13:18,880
roof, which is where that arrow is
pointing to. So, if if you stood exactly

1467
02:13:15,920 --> 02:13:24,800
where this photo was taken, you would be
able to see

1468
02:13:21,520 --> 02:13:31,280
uh a pan, at least one uh of the solar
panels, but otherwise not visible from

1469
02:13:27,760 --> 02:13:38,360
the street at all.
>> The panel with air was

1470
02:13:34,480 --> 02:13:38,360
You couldn't see anything else.

1471
02:13:38,719 --> 02:13:47,840
» To the south.
>> Yeah. Can't see anything. Yeah. Okay.

1472
02:13:45,440 --> 02:13:51,599
All right.
>> Should I go on or

1473
02:13:49,520 --> 02:13:57,199
» the
the solar application is for the use of

1474
02:13:54,960 --> 02:13:59,440
your property?
>> Yes.

1475
02:13:57,520 --> 02:14:05,920
» I don't know. They call that net zero or
or whatever. So, it's not not a solar

1476
02:14:02,000 --> 02:14:12,639
installation where you're selling it to
uh Rhode Island Energy.

1477
02:14:08,480 --> 02:14:16,400
» I would It's a reciprocal, what do you
call it?

1478
02:14:13,119 --> 02:14:21,360
» So, it's it's called net metering.
I I'm Thomas Campbell. I work for Beacon

1479
02:14:19,199 --> 02:14:27,119
Solar. Um so, what it's referred to as
net metering. Um, so basically

1480
02:14:25,280 --> 02:14:31,520
she's not selling any of the
electricity.

1481
02:14:28,400 --> 02:14:36,560
» Whatever she produces,
her electrical panel will draw

1482
02:14:33,920 --> 02:14:41,360
» and then if there's any excess,
the meter that Rhode Island Energy

1483
02:14:39,040 --> 02:14:43,920
installs or whoever the local company is
over here,

1484
02:14:42,560 --> 02:14:48,719
» um,
>> tracks that and just keeps the data for

1485
02:14:47,679 --> 02:14:54,079
her use.
>> So it it banks that energy sort of. Yes.

1486
02:14:51,840 --> 02:14:59,599
for her for her future use.
>> Yes. But it's not be sold or

1487
02:14:56,159 --> 02:15:04,000
» the solar installation is for the use of
the residents and their consumption.

1488
02:15:01,440 --> 02:15:11,520
» Yes. The sole use of her res.
>> And the main reason why I wanted to get

1489
02:15:06,880 --> 02:15:18,159
solar is to um have a power backup. I
was without electricity for 24 hours

1490
02:15:15,599 --> 02:15:24,480
last February and it was pretty brutal
in the cold. I don't want to buy a noisy

1491
02:15:21,599 --> 02:15:28,239
generator. So, I'd much prefer to
>> So, this has a clean.

1492
02:15:25,679 --> 02:15:31,040
» This has a bank of batteries as well.
>> Yes.

1493
02:15:29,760 --> 02:15:35,840
It'll have a
>> Yes. Yes. If you look on the plan set,

1494
02:15:33,920 --> 02:15:41,520
it kind of shows it. It's the Franklin
Agate and the battery disconnect and the

1495
02:15:38,079 --> 02:15:45,440
uh Franklin A power 15 kilowatt hour.
That's what the battery is. Yeah.

1496
02:15:43,599 --> 02:15:49,400
» Right there. So, all right.
>> That's pretty good. Yep.

1497
02:15:51,679 --> 02:15:57,440
No.
Carter, you Mary, you okay with Yep.

1498
02:15:56,560 --> 02:16:06,040
» Yep.
>> Yep. Yep.

1499
02:16:00,480 --> 02:16:06,040
» Anybody want to make a motion to uh

1500
02:16:06,320 --> 02:16:11,599
communicate to the zoning board that
this uh

1501
02:16:09,840 --> 02:16:18,639
» with the comp plan? Yeah, I uh I'll make
a motion that this uh application

1502
02:16:15,520 --> 02:16:26,320
uh adheres to the comprehensive plan and
uh and uh will provide for

1503
02:16:23,119 --> 02:16:31,199
» um the clean energy the the type of
energy that we're looking for in the

1504
02:16:27,920 --> 02:16:36,800
town and also uh takes uh the our
ordinance in the uh in that area into

1505
02:16:34,479 --> 02:16:39,519
consideration.
>> Second.

1506
02:16:38,080 --> 02:16:42,160
» All those in favor? Hi.
>> Hi.

1507
02:16:41,120 --> 02:16:43,840
» Terrific.
>> Thank you everyone.

1508
02:16:43,040 --> 02:16:47,840
» You're very welcome. It
>> was a long

1509
02:16:45,920 --> 02:16:54,240
Well, it was a little a little flag.
Don't do anything flag.

1510
02:16:50,559 --> 02:16:58,399
» No, the flags are staying.
>> We Okay.

1511
02:16:56,080 --> 02:17:02,080
» Well, no. I think we have one more.
>> Yes.

1512
02:17:00,399 --> 02:17:06,000
We're going to come up to the 15 minute
point on that. Do we just move to

1513
02:17:04,160 --> 02:17:09,000
elections?
>> Yeah.

1514
02:17:09,120 --> 02:17:13,559
Um and please

1515
02:17:13,760 --> 02:17:17,880
can we extend the we

1516
02:17:18,319 --> 02:17:22,479
» why don't we do elections and then
extend. See

1517
02:17:20,559 --> 02:17:25,439
» I think you you've got to extend now.
>> Yeah. Do both.

1518
02:17:24,319 --> 02:17:31,439
» We can do both.
>> Yeah.

1519
02:17:26,240 --> 02:17:36,880
» Um Marian Carter, what were uh
conversation think about extending the

1520
02:17:33,200 --> 02:17:40,880
meeting so we can do this? We're we were
at 14 after

1521
02:17:39,200 --> 02:17:44,319
» Yeah, we're running close.
>> We I'm fine with continuing.

1522
02:17:43,120 --> 02:17:48,880
» Yes,
>> everybody. Okay. So, make that motion.

1523
02:17:47,040 --> 02:17:50,639
» Yeah, I'll make a motion that we accept
the meeting

1524
02:17:49,760 --> 02:17:53,200
» till 10.
>> Okay. Well, we don't have to go that

1525
02:17:52,000 --> 02:17:56,160
till we're done
>> until we're done.

1526
02:17:54,960 --> 02:18:00,559
» Continue the meeting. That's first.
Anyway, how about 12? And who second?

1527
02:17:58,719 --> 02:18:07,040
» All right.
Um second, second. Thank you, Carter.

1528
02:18:04,000 --> 02:18:11,679
» All those are in favor. We weed within
favor.

1529
02:18:08,160 --> 02:18:19,519
» Okay. Uh the the um
the next uh petition is is um

1530
02:18:17,599 --> 02:18:23,760
on behalf of the closest
>> I miss our small room. I can't hear you.

1531
02:18:21,760 --> 02:18:28,080
I'm not sure whether it's a variance or
whatever. Yes,

1532
02:18:24,800 --> 02:18:30,399
» we cannot hear you down here.
>> Speak to the microphone so we can hear

1533
02:18:29,840 --> 02:18:34,800
you.
>> Okay. I'm not used to this giant venue.

1534
02:18:33,280 --> 02:18:38,160
» We're we're
>> Thank you.

1535
02:18:36,319 --> 02:18:43,280
» Okay. Yeah, we're we're we're moving on
to the next petition

1536
02:18:39,840 --> 02:18:48,679
» for the the closest.
>> I I can help explain this if nothing

1537
02:18:45,679 --> 02:18:48,679
else.

1538
02:18:49,599 --> 02:18:55,359
» I know you said,
>> right?

1539
02:18:53,519 --> 02:18:59,359
» Just for this one thing and then you
then you're free to go. Thank you.

1540
02:18:57,359 --> 02:19:03,920
» Thank you.
Very briefly, hopefully. Yes, briefly.

1541
02:19:01,920 --> 02:19:09,920
Uh, Court Chappelle on behalf of George
and Mallerie Close. This is 71 Warren

1542
02:19:06,639 --> 02:19:15,359
Point Road. It is just a single mic.
>> Yeah, it's just a single family home. It

1543
02:19:12,399 --> 02:19:21,679
has no basement and no garage and it has
a structure on it now that according to

1544
02:19:17,840 --> 02:19:28,000
the town is a 10x12 cottage. It more
like a 10x12 shed. And off of that shed

1545
02:19:24,800 --> 02:19:32,240
there was a permitted outdoor shower.
Now, whether that's a fence or whether

1546
02:19:30,000 --> 02:19:39,359
it's a structure is an interesting
point, but long story short, uh your

1547
02:19:35,519 --> 02:19:43,920
zoning ordinance has a provision that if
you have a pre-existing building that's

1548
02:19:41,439 --> 02:19:49,840
too close to a property line and you
file for a demolition permit, you can

1549
02:19:46,639 --> 02:19:54,240
ask to rebuild it and they can move it.
Uh but you can without getting a

1550
02:19:52,479 --> 02:19:58,800
variance.
The issue with the and I don't want to

1551
02:19:57,280 --> 02:20:02,880
get caught up in it here, but the issue
with the zoning board is one of the

1552
02:20:00,960 --> 02:20:08,560
criterias that you can do that is that
the increase is not more than 50%. And

1553
02:20:05,760 --> 02:20:13,840
if you have the 10 by 12 building alone
and this building goes 16 to 20, well

1554
02:20:11,040 --> 02:20:19,439
that's more than 50%. But back when the
shower got permitted, that was an

1555
02:20:15,680 --> 02:20:26,319
enclosure that's 5t by 14t and then the
generator was it was enclosed.

1556
02:20:23,280 --> 02:20:31,760
It's not just a fence. It's a fence.
This area meets the building on all

1557
02:20:28,640 --> 02:20:36,960
three sides. It in some cases by the
shower has a floor under the generator

1558
02:20:34,080 --> 02:20:42,160
doesn't have a floor. So it would be
less than a 50% increase if you looked

1559
02:20:40,479 --> 02:20:45,760
at the current footprint of the
building. And I think Julie has some of

1560
02:20:44,000 --> 02:20:51,520
the pictures and you can see it. But
that isn't really for here. What I'm

1561
02:20:47,840 --> 02:20:55,680
saying to you is a home that is a single
family residence that fits in your

1562
02:20:53,600 --> 02:21:00,720
comprehensive plan as a single family
residence has an existing structure that

1563
02:20:58,720 --> 02:21:06,560
straddles and goes onto the neighbor's
property. It's a foot and a half onto

1564
02:21:03,680 --> 02:21:12,960
the egg trust easement. We're raising
that and moving it as far as we can and

1565
02:21:10,319 --> 02:21:19,920
as close to the house as we can to put
in this small 16 by 20 studio that and

1566
02:21:18,319 --> 02:21:24,240
part of the w part of the width is a
stairway so that there's storage in the

1567
02:21:22,080 --> 02:21:28,560
basement. Uh you can't even get to the
basement from the inside a separate door

1568
02:21:26,560 --> 02:21:33,359
that goes down. So, it'll have some
storage underneath that the house is

1569
02:21:30,160 --> 02:21:40,560
desperate to to add some storage to and
a small uh building for a studio and

1570
02:21:36,399 --> 02:21:44,399
fitness room for uh Mr. Close and his
wife.

1571
02:21:42,160 --> 02:21:49,359
I would argue it's more fitting with the
comprehensive plan because you're taking

1572
02:21:46,479 --> 02:21:55,439
a building that has not only a zero lot
line but a negative 1 1/2 ft trespassing

1573
02:21:52,960 --> 02:22:02,160
lot line onto the neighbor's property
pre-existing from these owners and

1574
02:21:58,479 --> 02:22:08,160
you're moving it 7 ft away.
If they say it is 50% or less, it's just

1575
02:22:06,399 --> 02:22:12,960
a special use permit and we'll argue
that at the zoning board. If they say

1576
02:22:10,000 --> 02:22:17,520
it's a variance, then we still think it
uh fits with the comp plan because it's

1577
02:22:15,200 --> 02:22:23,920
not getting any closer to where it is
now. The current building is 41 ft from

1578
02:22:20,640 --> 02:22:28,399
the road where 50 ft is required under
your ordinance, but that's just the

1579
02:22:26,000 --> 02:22:36,399
distance of the current structure. If
you say the generator, which is 5T

1580
02:22:32,479 --> 02:22:40,560
closer, then it's 37 ft, I believe. And
we're not moving anything closer. It's

1581
02:22:38,240 --> 02:22:43,520
just straight sideways moving it closer
to the house, moving it away from the

1582
02:22:42,479 --> 02:22:49,760
property line.
>> So if if if I can um

1583
02:22:46,640 --> 02:22:54,080
» back to the chase, maybe the the on the
north side of the property, there's a

1584
02:22:52,160 --> 02:22:58,640
small shed
that you've on your plan. Is that going

1585
02:22:57,120 --> 02:23:03,920
away?
>> On the north side? No.

1586
02:23:00,800 --> 02:23:08,000
» No. So the the little shed just past
your driveway where you park, that

1587
02:23:06,240 --> 02:23:11,760
stays. next to us
>> and and

1588
02:23:09,600 --> 02:23:18,960
» sorry George post
>> and so the the the the structure that's

1589
02:23:15,120 --> 02:23:24,560
going to get demoed is the existing one
that in fact encroaches on the property

1590
02:23:21,680 --> 02:23:27,280
line on the south side of the property.
>> Correct.

1591
02:23:25,120 --> 02:23:30,479
» And you're you're going to you want to
consolidate that

1592
02:23:28,960 --> 02:23:33,520
» want to consolidate that with the
existing shower generator

1593
02:23:32,080 --> 02:23:36,399
» with one new building.
>> Correct.

1594
02:23:34,000 --> 02:23:39,399
» And push it over. Yes. So you're you're
um

1595
02:23:39,520 --> 02:23:44,720
you're asking to be able to take down
that building, put up a new building and

1596
02:23:44,160 --> 02:23:48,640
that
>> right

1597
02:23:45,439 --> 02:23:52,240
» is better conform more is in more in
conformance with zoning than the current

1598
02:23:50,800 --> 02:23:54,319
situation. That is correct.
>> Property too. The other one is off the

1599
02:23:53,920 --> 02:24:00,720
property
>> and well that could be and again it's a

1600
02:23:57,840 --> 02:24:04,800
special use permit. If you look at the
size of it as a whole, it is less than a

1601
02:24:03,439 --> 02:24:09,200
50% increase.
>> But that our concern is does it con

1602
02:24:07,680 --> 02:24:12,000
comport with the comp plan.
>> It's still more conforming still

1603
02:24:11,200 --> 02:24:15,680
residential
>> is makes the property more in

1604
02:24:14,560 --> 02:24:18,720
conformance.
>> That is correct.

1605
02:24:16,240 --> 02:24:21,600
» And a new better structure built to
code.

1606
02:24:19,920 --> 02:24:26,960
» That's absolutely true. whether the
zoning want board wants you to do it one

1607
02:24:23,840 --> 02:24:30,319
way or the other doesn't affect the the
the

1608
02:24:29,200 --> 02:24:34,960
effect or it doesn't
>> I agree I just background but

1609
02:24:32,960 --> 02:24:37,840
» um how does everybody
>> I don't have

1610
02:24:35,520 --> 02:24:40,080
» they think it's a good idea or okay with
it

1611
02:24:38,720 --> 02:24:43,120
» Mike I have
>> pardon

1612
02:24:41,439 --> 02:24:48,160
» uh what um
>> in the mic

1613
02:24:44,399 --> 02:24:54,000
» oh in mic sorry um is there something
you have to do to comply with CRMC See,

1614
02:24:50,800 --> 02:25:00,720
seeing it's within the uh 200 foot
jurisdictional area,

1615
02:24:57,200 --> 02:25:06,319
» I think when they anything that we do,
we'd have to go through them. We believe

1616
02:25:03,280 --> 02:25:11,200
it's either not going to need them or
what we call a minimum of impact, but

1617
02:25:08,560 --> 02:25:14,800
» what we call a minimal impact petition,
which is kind of an administrative

1618
02:25:12,960 --> 02:25:18,800
petition where they say, "Hey, that was
there before. It's okay now." But the

1619
02:25:16,880 --> 02:25:24,000
zoning board or the town never waves
that if it's uh if the building

1620
02:25:21,200 --> 02:25:30,399
inspector requires that we go and get
the coastal permit. We they require town

1621
02:25:27,120 --> 02:25:35,359
first. I can't go to coastal and say the
town might do it. So can will you they

1622
02:25:32,880 --> 02:25:38,720
only opine on things after I get a
letter from the building inspector says

1623
02:25:37,200 --> 02:25:43,280
that according to the planning board and
the zoning board and the building

1624
02:25:39,920 --> 02:25:48,399
inspector you could do this. So yes we
will we may have to that that line I

1625
02:25:45,760 --> 02:25:55,359
understand has shifted. Yeah, there was
a it was just redrawn that say that 200

1626
02:25:51,280 --> 02:26:01,840
foot jurisdiction is set back is
as of last when it was drawn I think uh

1627
02:25:58,960 --> 02:26:05,520
a year ago right so
>> so and if you can see it's right on it

1628
02:26:03,600 --> 02:26:10,800
» well
I don't think it's going to be worse

1629
02:26:09,200 --> 02:26:16,960
even
even considering that she don't you

1630
02:26:13,200 --> 02:26:16,960
agree that it's it's it's improvement

1631
02:26:17,120 --> 02:26:24,040
because it's it is where it is and it's
going to be where it is.

1632
02:26:24,240 --> 02:26:28,600
Yeah. Okay.

1633
02:26:29,040 --> 02:26:36,560
And the irony is moving in 5t to get out
of that is closer to the street which is

1634
02:26:34,000 --> 02:26:39,560
a zoning.
Okay.

1635
02:26:40,160 --> 02:26:48,240
» Yeah. I'll make a motion that we accept
this plan as provided and uh make a

1636
02:26:45,840 --> 02:26:54,000
recommendation that it is uh in
conformance more in conformance to the

1637
02:26:50,399 --> 02:26:59,680
comprehensive plan uh in the plan than
as as it exists now.

1638
02:26:57,040 --> 02:27:02,680
» Is there a second to that?
>> Second.

1639
02:27:05,680 --> 02:27:08,800
» Second.
>> Second. All those in favor?

1640
02:27:08,479 --> 02:27:12,399
» I
>> I Excellent.

1641
02:27:10,080 --> 02:27:16,640
» I wish to be recorded as having recused
myself from the vote due to my service

1642
02:27:14,880 --> 02:27:21,520
on the Little Compton Agricultural
Conservancy Trust which has a easement

1643
02:27:19,359 --> 02:27:23,520
abuing the property.
>> Thank you everyone. Enjoy your evening.

1644
02:27:23,040 --> 02:27:27,760
» Thanks.
>> Thank you

1645
02:27:24,960 --> 02:27:31,359
» again.
>> All right. Um

1646
02:27:30,399 --> 02:27:36,560
offices.
>> No, I think the next thing is

1647
02:27:32,880 --> 02:27:39,520
» Tracy, you're all good to go. Thank you.
Thank you.

1648
02:27:38,319 --> 02:27:47,760
» Thank you.
>> So our next uh item of business is the

1649
02:27:43,680 --> 02:27:53,920
um minutes from July 7th
resitions, corrections.

1650
02:27:50,080 --> 02:27:56,479
» Mr. No amendments for the move that
becept

1651
02:27:55,680 --> 02:28:00,720
prepared.
>> Seconded.

1652
02:27:57,920 --> 02:28:09,000
» All those in favor? I.
>> Any opposed? No. Okay. And the um

1653
02:28:11,920 --> 02:28:18,640
I think that request for extension
>> where is that handled with?

1654
02:28:16,960 --> 02:28:25,120
» Well, we're going to the the extension
can be handled administratively.

1655
02:28:21,920 --> 02:28:30,319
» So, we don't need to do
the the request for the SBA extension. I

1656
02:28:27,760 --> 02:28:35,479
can I can do administratively.
We don't have to with our new laws.

1657
02:28:36,800 --> 02:28:46,640
So, sorry to make you uh hang out for
>> Pardon.

1658
02:28:44,000 --> 02:28:50,920
» Okay. Um
and the the uh

1659
02:28:51,359 --> 02:28:56,080
Donnie, I I don't think we can give you
justice tonight on

1660
02:28:55,439 --> 02:29:00,479
uh
>> want

1661
02:28:57,760 --> 02:29:03,680
we're passed. We need to do our officers
and

1662
02:29:01,600 --> 02:29:08,960
» we might still make it if we don't.
>> All right.

1663
02:29:05,920 --> 02:29:12,240
» It's only I mean we'll go to 10.
>> I

1664
02:29:10,560 --> 02:29:15,359
got a date in the morning though.
>> Pardon?

1665
02:29:13,920 --> 02:29:19,439
» Thanks again Tracy.
>> Yeah. Let's get it done.

1666
02:29:18,479 --> 02:29:21,760
» What are we doing?
>> Let's do the election of officers.

1667
02:29:21,359 --> 02:29:24,640
» Okay.
>> Okay.

1668
02:29:22,560 --> 02:29:28,399
» Okay. Uh if we do that, we should switch
uh

1669
02:29:26,240 --> 02:29:32,399
we should have a vote to move that up in
the agenda.

1670
02:29:29,600 --> 02:29:39,840
» Let I I uh I make a motion that we move
the offic's uh uh item uh

1671
02:29:37,600 --> 02:29:45,479
» the agenda to the next item.
>> All right.

1672
02:29:42,479 --> 02:29:45,479
» Second.

1673
02:29:45,840 --> 02:29:47,520
» All right. Second.
>> Okay.

1674
02:29:47,200 --> 02:29:51,600
» Okay.
>> Okay. Wait a minute. Just moving.

1675
02:29:49,200 --> 02:29:55,720
» Who s you made the motion? Mayor, you
second. Thank you.

1676
02:29:56,640 --> 02:29:59,520
» All in favor?
>> All those are in favor?

1677
02:29:58,720 --> 02:30:02,520
» I
>> I

1678
02:30:03,359 --> 02:30:06,080
» All right.
>> All right.

1679
02:30:04,880 --> 02:30:10,479
» We ready?
>> All right.

1680
02:30:07,040 --> 02:30:16,240
» I'll make a I'll I I'll nominate for
president,

1681
02:30:11,520 --> 02:30:21,600
» Vice Chairman. Chairman
and vice chairman. uh chairman first

1682
02:30:19,439 --> 02:30:27,680
Carter Wilkkey,
vice chairman Mike Steers and

1683
02:30:25,040 --> 02:30:33,920
administrative officer
for them to share both to share that

1684
02:30:31,439 --> 02:30:42,280
position. So if one has to recluse
himself, the other would be present

1685
02:30:38,080 --> 02:30:42,280
» and Carter will do a trust.

1686
02:30:42,560 --> 02:30:48,160
» Mary,
>> what second?

1687
02:30:45,760 --> 02:30:53,040
I think uh Mike Chucker amendment was
that I take Mike's position as the

1688
02:30:50,240 --> 02:30:56,479
planning board's design
agricultural.

1689
02:30:55,280 --> 02:31:00,240
» You want to add that to it?
>> Yep. Just add that to it.

1690
02:30:58,560 --> 02:31:04,800
» So that that motion's been amended. Is
the second uh in conformance with that

1691
02:31:02,560 --> 02:31:07,600
amendment?
>> Yes.

1692
02:31:05,920 --> 02:31:10,240
» Yeah.
All those in favor? I

1693
02:31:09,680 --> 02:31:15,280
» Great.
>> All right. Okay. All right. Now, now

1694
02:31:13,600 --> 02:31:19,200
Donnie, now we got to move.
>> Come on. We got to get done.

1695
02:31:16,560 --> 02:31:23,200
» Got to talk fast. It's not your not your
your trait, you know.

1696
02:31:22,640 --> 02:31:27,520
» Super quiet.
>> I had to talk him into it. Hurry up.

1697
02:31:25,840 --> 02:31:33,600
» Really, it just hinges on a on a
question as to how the board wants this

1698
02:31:30,720 --> 02:31:38,880
to be filed. U, it's a it's a concept
plan. Um, you know, basically it's an

1699
02:31:36,399 --> 02:31:42,800
administrative subdivision that follows
the

1700
02:31:40,319 --> 02:31:47,120
» uh format or the end result of a
one-time only subdivision. As we know,

1701
02:31:44,720 --> 02:31:52,479
the one time only requires a variance
for the for the back lot having

1702
02:31:49,200 --> 02:31:58,800
frontage. And so we, as I said in the
cover letter, we believe that we um need

1703
02:31:55,520 --> 02:32:04,160
unified development review um to get a
frontage variance for the rear lot to do

1704
02:32:01,359 --> 02:32:08,800
this. I just before we file a formal
application, we just wanted to make sure

1705
02:32:06,160 --> 02:32:12,560
that uh we understood
>> direction from the board on how to the

1706
02:32:10,720 --> 02:32:16,080
proper way to proceed with this.
>> So,

1707
02:32:14,160 --> 02:32:20,479
we did an administrative subdivision on
this a while ago, right? To take the

1708
02:32:18,000 --> 02:32:24,880
property line out of the building.
>> That That's correct. Did the property

1709
02:32:22,399 --> 02:32:31,840
was owned by the Teachman estate. The
north lot had the existing house number

1710
02:32:27,600 --> 02:32:36,880
44. Um and the south lot was vacant. um
at two long narrow lots each one acre in

1711
02:32:34,640 --> 02:32:41,600
size, basically the same shape, same
amount of road frontage, same width

1712
02:32:39,040 --> 02:32:45,680
going down to the back. Um but the lot
line of the vacant lot went through just

1713
02:32:44,160 --> 02:32:50,240
clipped the corner of the existing
house.

1714
02:32:46,560 --> 02:32:54,000
» So So now you're you're
right now there are two dwellings on

1715
02:32:52,880 --> 02:32:56,640
this property. Is that right?
>> No, it's two separate properties.

1716
02:32:55,439 --> 02:32:59,760
» Two separate properties.
>> Yep.

1717
02:32:57,920 --> 02:33:03,120
» And how many how many dwellings are
there? There's one dwelling on each

1718
02:33:01,520 --> 02:33:08,000
front on each property. That's correct.
>> So you're you're you're you want to move

1719
02:33:06,640 --> 02:33:09,840
the property line.
>> That's correct.

1720
02:33:08,560 --> 02:33:16,880
» Right.
>> That uh instead of it being horizontal,

1721
02:33:13,840 --> 02:33:18,399
you want to slice it vertically in the
middle.

1722
02:33:17,520 --> 02:33:22,960
» That's correct.
>> Which then causes you to make the access

1723
02:33:21,760 --> 02:33:29,040
by easement.
>> That's correct.

1724
02:33:24,720 --> 02:33:33,600
» Why? It would seem to me you you could
make this administrative change, but

1725
02:33:31,359 --> 02:33:40,080
keep let the house
>> in the back, if you will, have access to

1726
02:33:36,720 --> 02:33:45,520
the road on and own that access.
>> Well, we we could, but what we're trying

1727
02:33:42,319 --> 02:33:50,560
to do is keep the lot areas equal. Um
what happens is if you take that area

1728
02:33:48,319 --> 02:33:57,040
for the driveway and incorporate it into
the rear lot that you you have to make

1729
02:33:54,160 --> 02:34:02,640
the front lot bigger to accomplish that.
>> Right? So if you move the line the

1730
02:33:58,960 --> 02:34:08,880
septic system line to the right then
then the the house to the south or the

1731
02:34:06,800 --> 02:34:11,200
» compensate by moving the line near the
septic system

1732
02:34:09,439 --> 02:34:16,319
» then they can own their their their
right of way to their house

1733
02:34:14,399 --> 02:34:18,080
» instead of and instead of having it by
easement.

1734
02:34:17,120 --> 02:34:23,040
» Well
>> that's correct but but just kind of

1735
02:34:22,000 --> 02:34:26,880
concept discussion.
>> Yeah. So the with the concept

1736
02:34:24,479 --> 02:34:31,280
discussions, our our advice always is we
don't want to we just want to say

1737
02:34:28,399 --> 02:34:36,560
whether these ideas are good or bad. We
don't want to give the applicant the

1738
02:34:33,840 --> 02:34:40,000
plan that we want because then what
happens and I know Don wouldn't do this

1739
02:34:39,120 --> 02:34:42,399
to us but
>> yes he would.

1740
02:34:40,800 --> 02:34:45,520
» We don't want them to come back later
and say oh no you said

1741
02:34:43,760 --> 02:34:50,000
» you told me to do it this way. Yeah.
Okay.

1742
02:34:45,920 --> 02:34:54,960
» Right. No, I'm just suggesting that in
we've done two lot one time only and you

1743
02:34:52,960 --> 02:35:01,359
could do the access by easement as
opposed to owning the right of way. The

1744
02:34:57,920 --> 02:35:06,880
the it's been favored or thought that if
the land owner can own his access,

1745
02:35:04,560 --> 02:35:09,760
that's a preferable position. If that
doesn't work the way you want to slice

1746
02:35:08,319 --> 02:35:15,040
it.
>> Yeah. that I mean my my thought is

1747
02:35:12,479 --> 02:35:18,960
there's two options there and they're
options right one way or the other you

1748
02:35:17,840 --> 02:35:23,439
know that there's I think there's
benefits to to both options depending on

1749
02:35:22,000 --> 02:35:25,280
where you're looking where you're coming
from

1750
02:35:24,000 --> 02:35:29,280
» and it's just
>> I do know now

1751
02:35:26,720 --> 02:35:34,000
» the both houses the set back to both
houses to the property line is about 12

1752
02:35:31,280 --> 02:35:38,399
feet so this basically makes the two
lots much better shaped and more

1753
02:35:36,479 --> 02:35:41,359
functional in terms of yard area and
privacy and whatnot

1754
02:35:41,520 --> 02:35:47,840
So I think we're back to the to the crux
of the question

1755
02:35:45,600 --> 02:35:52,880
» and how is he? Yeah. Any
>> All right. So what were you were you

1756
02:35:51,200 --> 02:35:58,640
wanted to know what kind [clears throat]
of

1757
02:35:54,560 --> 02:36:02,319
» So I the the the I just wanted to make
sure um

1758
02:36:00,720 --> 02:36:07,520
» to the degree that you can. I just
wanted to introduce this before I file

1759
02:36:04,640 --> 02:36:11,680
formally to do it. Um, but I believe
this would be um this is an

1760
02:36:09,760 --> 02:36:17,520
administrative sub as presented. It's an
administrative subdivision. Um, that

1761
02:36:14,960 --> 02:36:22,160
follows the format of a one-time only
and we know the one time only requires a

1762
02:36:19,920 --> 02:36:26,160
frontage variance for the rear lot to
not have frontage, which

1763
02:36:23,359 --> 02:36:29,359
» we're not creating a new lot, right?
>> But we're adjusting lot lines,

1764
02:36:27,840 --> 02:36:31,760
» which is just an administrative
subdivision.

1765
02:36:30,080 --> 02:36:36,080
» Well, so we're taking a lot that has
frontage and we're rendering it with no

1766
02:36:33,760 --> 02:36:41,040
frontage. So, so, so Don's right here.
The issue is you could do an

1767
02:36:38,160 --> 02:36:49,520
administrative subdivision if there are
no uh incursions onto the setbacks. So,

1768
02:36:45,120 --> 02:36:55,040
imagine let's say um the problem here is
there's an incursion into the setback,

1769
02:36:52,240 --> 02:37:00,640
the frontage setback. So, it's Yeah. So
let's say if it was a, you know, a line

1770
02:36:57,600 --> 02:37:09,120
right down the middle of the lot and you
know we have to have 175 feet on each

1771
02:37:05,280 --> 02:37:14,560
for each lot. Right. So what if we say
it's down the line then we move it even

1772
02:37:11,520 --> 02:37:18,560
more so that there's only 100 foot of of
frontage. Right. Right. We would require

1773
02:37:16,640 --> 02:37:25,120
a variance in that case. Yeah. Now, this
is a little bit different because we're

1774
02:37:21,200 --> 02:37:30,240
flipping the W line, but we're still uh
basically making it so that there is a

1775
02:37:27,280 --> 02:37:34,080
um an incursion into that frontage. Don,
is that am I explaining that?

1776
02:37:32,399 --> 02:37:37,120
» Well, less conforming,
>> right? So, you're you're making it less

1777
02:37:35,680 --> 02:37:42,240
conforming.
>> So, so I think what Don's asking is

1778
02:37:39,680 --> 02:37:44,880
whether he needs a variance here. And I
guess the question is whether you go to

1779
02:37:43,520 --> 02:37:49,520
the zoning board to get the variance or
do you apply to um univ development

1780
02:37:48,000 --> 02:37:52,880
review because we have an administrative
subdivision right here too.

1781
02:37:51,760 --> 02:37:57,040
» So I guess it's a question of whether
you guys want to see this or you want to

1782
02:37:54,240 --> 02:38:03,200
hand it off to the zoning board.
>> Well the the um he wants to change the

1783
02:38:01,760 --> 02:38:05,760
current lot configuration.
>> Yes.

1784
02:38:04,160 --> 02:38:11,120
» Zoning board can't do that. Right.
>> Correct. So a unified development is

1785
02:38:08,240 --> 02:38:12,960
whenever it's the variance is attached
to a subdivision.

1786
02:38:12,479 --> 02:38:16,160
» Yeah.
>> So

1787
02:38:13,439 --> 02:38:20,960
» it has to be.
>> So that

1788
02:38:18,399 --> 02:38:24,080
that's the the the
decision here.

1789
02:38:21,920 --> 02:38:28,800
» So then therefore because the variance
requires unified review it then rises to

1790
02:38:26,640 --> 02:38:32,080
a minor subdivision. Correct. I just
want

1791
02:38:30,000 --> 02:38:35,760
» in order to do the the
>> an admin will well an administrative

1792
02:38:33,600 --> 02:38:39,439
subdivision that requires relief
automatically rises to a minor.

1793
02:38:38,319 --> 02:38:44,319
» Okay, that's correct.
>> So I I just that's why I'm here. I just

1794
02:38:42,319 --> 02:38:46,640
wanted to make sure I understood how how
this

1795
02:38:44,960 --> 02:38:50,960
» I'm glad you're here because now we
understand it too.

1796
02:38:47,760 --> 02:38:53,280
» Awkward to treat it as an admin that you
know is going to have public hearing.

1797
02:38:52,800 --> 02:38:57,040
» Say again.
>> It's gonna it' be awkward to treat it as

1798
02:38:54,800 --> 02:38:59,920
an admin that admin subdivision that's
going to have a public hearing. So,

1799
02:38:58,240 --> 02:39:01,680
» it's better to call it a minor anyways,
I guess. Right. Is that what you're

1800
02:39:01,120 --> 02:39:04,240
saying?
>> Yeah.

1801
02:39:02,319 --> 02:39:06,560
» You got to come
>> both. Yeah.

1802
02:39:04,960 --> 02:39:12,399
» Yeah. You got to
>> Okay. Thank you. I appreciate you saying

1803
02:39:09,520 --> 02:39:14,640
to save your time.
>> Yes.

1804
02:39:13,840 --> 02:39:17,680
» We agreed.
>> I think we did. Is there something else

1805
02:39:16,240 --> 02:39:19,040
you want to have a motion for?
>> No.

1806
02:39:18,319 --> 02:39:21,920
» What?
>> I say something.

1807
02:39:20,080 --> 02:39:26,399
» Oh, good.
>> Thank Julie.

1808
02:39:23,439 --> 02:39:31,600
» Yes.
>> What? She's coming back next month. She

1809
02:39:29,600 --> 02:39:36,640
can't leave.
She can't leave. He may listen very

1810
02:39:34,080 --> 02:39:42,560
loud.
>> You're welcome.

1811
02:39:37,920 --> 02:39:48,840
» Ah, Julie, Julie, Julie,
Jolie, Julie. I'll make a motion we

1812
02:39:45,840 --> 02:39:48,840
adjourn.

1813
02:39:54,399 --> 02:39:58,920
» No.
Bye.

1814
02:40:03,439 --> 02:40:09,520
» So, what's your report?
>> Thank you. Thank you.

1815
02:40:07,520 --> 02:40:14,399
» So, when you say we can do this
administratively, you know, what does

1816
02:40:11,680 --> 02:40:17,280
that mean? We need an extension. That's
right. So I