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Applicant proposes year‑round farmers market at 345 Deschota Road; planners say text amendment and detailed site plan required
Summary
Bonnie Knopf presented a concept to add a farmers market and agritourism uses at Bill Barr Farms (345 Deschota Road). Planning staff said a text amendment to the zoning code would be required and flagged parking, seasonal vs. year‑round use, building upgrades and site circulation as issues to resolve before formal application.
Bonnie Knopf presented a concept proposal on May 28 to establish a farmers market and related agritourism uses at 345 Deschota Road (the Bill Barr Farms property). The property includes multiple buildings on roughly 10 acres; the applicant proposed using existing buildings and a new barn-like structure to host a mix of permanent and rotating vendors and perhaps a coffee shop over time.
City planner Amy Barrows told commissioners the parcel is currently zoned A‑1 and operates under a conditional use for trailer and lawn-equipment sales and service. Barrows said the market concept would require a zoning text amendment to add farmers market or agritourism uses to the allowable uses in the A‑1 district or to make such uses conditional, and that any formal application would include a site-plan review, a parking plan (paving and marked stalls), building upgrades to meet code for year‑round use, and accessibility/bathroom requirements if the market operates year-round.
Commissioners and staff encouraged a phased approach: use the two existing buildings for a market pilot with rotating vendors and limited hours, then evaluate moving to the larger building for permanent vendors and additional amenities. Staff outlined key items an application should address: whether the market is seasonal or year‑round (seasonal operations can reduce some building-code requirements), a customer-parking layout, traffic and circulation plans, and clear definitions of permitted vendor products. Barrows recommended the applicant consult neighbors early to address potential traffic and noise concerns and advised that either a conditional-use route (with public hearing) or a text amendment permitting the use by right are options, but the applicant should design the proposed ordinance language to reflect the community’s expectations.
Commissioners expressed general support for the concept but asked the applicant to return with a formal site plan and suggested draft text for the zoning amendment. No formal action was taken; staff and the applicant agreed to follow up on required application materials.
