Matter will be voted on at September Town Board meeting

By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

A law which would revise, modify and add to existing town law regarding agriculture was a big topic of discussion at the Aug. 9 Cazenovia Town Board meeting, but councilors won’t vote on it until the Sept. 12 meeting because they have not received any recommendations from Agriculture and Markets.

Local Law G of 2016 would amend the town code to further support agriculture, farm operations and farmland protection in the town and would more in-line with the state Agricultural and Markets law.

“This law is a result of a zoning code audit from the state the town underwent a few years ago,” said Supervisor Bill Zupan. “Mainly what we’re talking about it making it easier for the smaller groups — many of which you see at the farmer’s market each week — to be considered a farm.”

If adopted, the law would:

∙Revise the definitions for “farm,” “farming” and “farm operations,” specifically to reduce the minimum acreage of the definition of a farm to 7 acres from the current definition of 15 acres.

∙Create definitions for farm-related uses such as “manure storage facility,” “winery,” “nursery,” “brewery,” “distillery” and “farm stand” as a way to provide “clarity and guidance” for farms and residents in the town, as well as for the various municipal boards reviewing applications by establishments for such uses.

∙Include a new explanation of the potential exemption from the zoning law of certain restrictions on farm operations.

∙Modify the criteria for inclusion in the Agriculture Overlay District zoning categorization. The existing law requires farms to have at least 15 contiguous acres and have at least 50 percent USDA prime soils. The new law requires only 7 acres, and 50 percent prime soils or at least a total of 20 acres prime soils.

The purpose of the proposed law is to make the town more “farm friendly” in its zoning by implementing recommendations identified in the town’s 2013 Agriculture and Farmland Protection Plan, said Zupan.

Some residents who spoke at the public hearing, many of whom were neighbors of Owera Vineyards, had concerns this law opens a floodgate that will bring it small vineyards and microbreweries.

“I worry about this change,” said resident Sam Woods at the public hearing. “I fear this will open the door for pop-up breweries and some may take advantage and cause problems for neighbors. How will we regulate how many events they have? What will constitute as ‘marketing’ for them? I don’t think we’ve ironed out these issues.

Town Attorney John Langey pointed out any farm looking to add a brewery component would have to undergo site plan review and approval from the planning board before they could open tasting rooms or have events.

“I think the biggest change here is the definition of ‘farm,’ which will bring us more in-line with state law,” said Langey.

Although this local law was discussed extensively, Zupan said the town board will not vote on it until the Sept. 12 meeting because they are waiting for comments from NYS Agriculture and Markets before it is voted on.

Another local law that had a public hearing but won’t be voted on until the September meeting is Local Law I of 2016, which would add a new article to the town code to permit and regulate the construction of solar energy systems within the town “in a manner that preserves the health, safety and welfare of the town while also facilitating the production of renewable energy,” according to the legislation. The law would allow for the regulation of the placement and use of solar systems in the town through a coordinated special use permit and site plan review by both the town planning board and zoning board of appeals.

These two laws will be discussed and possibly voted on by the town board at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 12.