Council puts 'farm café' zoning text amendment on public hearing; separate farm overlay also forwarded to planning board

The Exeter Town Council approved sending a proposed zoning-text amendment to a public hearing that would allow a limited 'farm café' — food service at farm breweries — and forwarded a separate farm-overlay district petition to the planning board for study.

Town planning staff and a council member said the two items are related: the farm-café proposal would alter definitions and the permitted-use table (Appendix A) and the overlay petition seeks a district to provide farming enterprises more flexibility. Council members and staff said the state now requires objective criteria for special-use permits, and the council asked that the special-use entries be adjusted to a yes/no format until objective criteria are drafted.

Town staff credited planner Bill (present at the meeting) with drafting language intended to balance a single applicant’s request with townwide rules. Council members moved both items so the planning board can review details and the public can comment at a scheduled hearing.

The council’s vote authorized a public hearing on the farm-café zoning amendment next month and directed the planning board to review the farm-overlay district petition for Lots 60-4-1-8 and 64-1-9400 Rockhouse Hill Road. No final zoning changes were adopted at the meeting; both items will return after planning-board review and the public hearing.