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Planning board clarifies right-to-farm buffer rules after chicken coop query
Summary
Franklin Township planners clarified that an accessory egg-building must be assessed as farmland to qualify for a right-to-farm buffer exception and confirmed a disputed measurement left an applicant 1 foot outside the reduced buffer.
The Franklin Township Planning Board clarified rules about right-to-farm buffers and accessory farm structures during its July 16 meeting, resolving a recent question about whether a chicken coop qualified as an exempt "egg building."
The board explained that an accessory structure qualifies as an egg building under the ordinance only if the property is assessed and officially qualified as farmland. The secretary told members deed-restricted buffers prohibit construction of buildings other than fences, walls and drainage facilities, meaning most new structures are not permitted inside those restricted zones.
On a specific past application, board members corrected an earlier statement about setback distance: the chicken coop was measured at 51 feet from the rear property line after a correction (not 91 feet), leaving it 1 foot outside the reduced 50-foot buffer and therefore not in violation. Board members also discussed that one exception to buffer rules applies if the adjacent farmland is enrolled in an approved woodland management program; mere presence of woods is not sufficient to trigger the exception without the formal program designation.
Why it matters: The clarification affects how future minor and major subdivision applications near farmed or wooded land are reviewed; applicants and staff must verify property assessment status and any woodland management program enrollment before applying buffer rules.
Process notes: The board said it will do due diligence on whether adjacent parcels are in a woodland management plan when reviewing future applications. The affected applicant was not penalized in this instance because the structure sat 1 foot outside the board’s 50-foot buffer.
Next steps: No formal vote was required; the board recorded the clarification for the minutes and agreed to follow-up diligence on future applications.
