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Veterans Farm asks county to treat donated tiny homes as farm use; raises statute, zoning hurdles
Summary
The founder of Veterans Farm of North Carolina told commissioners the county’s development office is treating five donated tiny homes as a subdivision/development rather than a bona‑fide farm use, citing General Statute 160dash903; he asked the board to intervene so donors are not charged excessive fees or denied an exemption.
Robert Elliott, founder and executive director of the Veterans Farm of North Carolina, asked the Harnett County Board of Commissioners on Jan. 6 to help site five donated tiny homes on farm property for veterans participating in an agricultural training program.
Elliott said the tiny homes — donated by Purple Heart Homes of Statesville and described in the meeting as 10 feet by 30 feet — are intended as temporary housing for veterans enrolled in the program and that the county’s development office had treated the project as a development that requires full permitting and fees. He said county staff are requiring Schedule F documentation to establish bona‑fide farm status, and he cited a state law by number as “general statute 160dash903” (as spoken in the meeting) and alleged the county’s practice violates that statute and Harnett County ordinance.
“The county is violating general statute 160dash903, which shows bona fide use of farms by only requiring a schedule f when there are other options,” Elliott said. He asked the board to intervene to get an exemption so the donor would not face large, unexpected costs; he said the donor has already paid for addresses and other expenses and that the project is at risk of being lost to the county.
County response and direction: Commissioners and staff acknowledged Elliott’s requests; one commissioner said staff and planning would follow up and help verify the regulatory path. After public comment, a commissioner told Elliott, “We’ll get with you,” and county staff indicated they would work with him to ensure permits are handled properly. No formal zoning or permitting action was taken at the Jan. 6 meeting.
Why it matters: Elliott presented the tiny homes as a low‑cost way to provide transitional housing for veterans attending training on the farm, and he warned that permitting delays and fee requirements could jeopardize donated infrastructure and a program the speaker described as a veteran‑suicide prevention effort.
Next steps: County staff were asked to follow up with Elliott and to check permitting options and applicable statutes; the meeting transcript records no formal waiver or other county action during the Jan. 6 meeting.
