Letter: Little Compton farmland use draft would benefit from public input

Posted 3/20/19

To the editor:

An open letter to the Little Compton Town Council:

We are writing to you in advance of the hearing you have scheduled for Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. We …

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Letter: Little Compton farmland use draft would benefit from public input

Posted

To the editor:

An open letter to the Little Compton Town Council:

We are writing to you in advance of the hearing you have scheduled for Thursday, March 21, at 7 p.m. in Town Hall. We understand the purpose of the hearing is to allow the public to speak on a proposed farmland use amendment to the Little Compton Zoning Ordinance.

We understand that the proposed amendment is designed to define, clarify and establish the conditions for the conduct of accessory land uses on farms. The proposed amendment details which uses are allowed by right and which uses would require a special use permit. Such a permit would be issued by the Zoning Board of Review. We also understand that the proposed amendment would apply to both residential and business districts.

We support the purpose of the proposed amendment as stated by the Planning Board in their January 23, 2019 draft. We commend the Planning Board for taking the important, initial steps to research, analyze and draft the proposed amendment.

However, we believe taking a vote at this time on the proposed amendment would be premature. We believe that such a change in our zoning laws requires the input and support of the broad community. We believe that farmers and their neighbors, both of whom would be most affected by any proposed changes, should directly participate in the drafting of a farm accessory land use amendment.

Accordingly, we strongly encourage the council to gather input at the public hearing on March 21 and, at the conclusion of the hearing, move to form a farmland use advisory committee. The committee would include farmers, town officials and other members of the community. The committee would be charged with delivering, in a timely fashion, revisions to the current proposed amendment.

At the end of the day, an effective farm accessory use amendment will add revenue opportunities for farmers, while, at the same time, allowing their neighbors to enjoy their property without undue disturbance or inconvenience.

We all share a love for our unique and beautiful coastal community. We seek to preserve Little Compton’s agricultural heritage and rural character. Without farms, farming and farmers, we will not only lose the bounty of a local harvest and the benefit of locally raised livestock, but also experience the irreversible loss of our town’s heritage and character.

We encourage the council to postpone a vote on the adoption of the proposed farm accessory land use amendment. There is no deadline to meet. Getting it right is the most important consideration.

Mike Hudner and Chris Burns

Little Compton

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