Commission approves greenhouse and permanent farm stand at 280 Northfield Road; temporary event permits granted

The Litchfield Planning and Zoning Commission on June 15 approved a site plan for a greenhouse and permanent farm stand at 280 Northfield Road (MLB #051-024-010) and agreed to issue temporary permits for events already scheduled this year, including a Fall Fest for Fox and the Buck Farm. The motion to approve the site plan was made by M. Eucalitto, seconded by C. Bunnell, and carried unanimously.

Applicant V. Butkus submitted required materials including property surveys, Department of Transportation approval for the curb cut, drainage design for parking and access, documentation of PA490 farm status from the assessor, and TAHD approval. The proposed farm stand and attached greenhouse will be located on the house lot; the applicants provided a list of planned events and hours of operation as part of the submission.

Commissioners discussed that Litchfield’s zoning regulations currently lack a clear provision for non-farming events on farms, and several commissioners suggested drafting accessory-use rules for farm events. The Commission agreed to pursue drafting regulations after discussions with local farmers; in the interim the Commission will issue temporary permits for previously scheduled events, with Land Use Administrator S. Macary to be notified by the applicants by email before each event. The commission also suggested the applicant consider merging the interior lot with the house lot to avoid potential setback issues arising from using both parcels for farming operations.

The site-plan approval record includes TAHD approval and PA490 documentation supplied by the applicant; construction or operational dates beyond existing scheduled events were not specified in the minutes.