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Westerly council approves rezoning for beekeeping and limited agriculture at 11 Quarry Road
Summary
The council voted to rezone 11 Quarry Road from MDR30 to RR60 to allow agricultural uses including beekeeping; the applicant said the change will allow a single-family residence and a larger shop for his apiary.
The Westerly Town Council approved an ordinance rezoning 11 Quarry Road from MDR30 (medium-density residential) to RR60 (rural residential) after a public hearing on Nov. 3.
Attorney Sergio Trenzia described the site (tax assessor map 45, lot 7) and said the owner, Kale Calder, plans to continue an apiary operation and to build a single-family home. Trenzia said wetlands on the site required negotiated access and that the proposal had been endorsed by the planning board and the Westerly Land Trust. "It's a relatively straightforward application to reszone the property, maintain a residential use, but also open it up for agricultural use," Trenzia said.
Calder confirmed he and his wife intended to live on the property and that they needed a larger shop for their beekeeping equipment: "No, actually the wife and I just want to build a house for ourselves and our dog," he said. A member of the audience asked if future subdivisions could occur; council members clarified the zone change reduces density (larger minimum lot size) and said it would not enable higher-density development.
Following the hearing, a motion to approve the rezoning passed on a council vote. The council closed the public hearing and the ordinance was adopted at the meeting.
No litigation or appeals were announced during the meeting.
