Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Vermont committee considers tightening Act 250 language for multiuse farm buildings
Summary
A Vermont legislative committee heard farmers and legal staff April 29 about ambiguities in Act 250 exemptions for multiuse farm structures used for events and accessory businesses and discussed four draft fixes, including a preferred rewrite that would tie exemptions to primary farm use.
A Vermont legislative committee on April 29 heard testimony on whether Act 250’s permitting exemptions should be clarified to protect multiuse farm buildings used for on-farm events and accessory businesses.
The discussion centered on four drafting options presented by Caroline Sherman Gordon, director for Rural Vermont, and other stakeholders aimed at resolving a dispute over whether Act 250 requires permits for improvements to farm structures when the buildings are also used for commercial events or sales.
The issue grew out of an enforcement notice the committee heard about: a district coordinator reported an alleged Act 250 violation in a case where local officials and the farm owners called a recently built barn a primarily farm structure. Joseph Morrell, representing the farm, said the owners received a notice Nov. 5 and replied in January that the building was a multiuse farm structure and “majority farm use.” The enforcement authority has…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
