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Planner urges town to notify neighbors of agricultural‑district applications, citing limits on local enforcement
Summary
Town planner Eric Blarkco urged the board to send courtesy notices to neighbors about county agricultural‑district applications, saying inclusion in the agricultural district can limit the town’s ability to enforce local rules on matters such as noise, odor and setbacks.
Town planner Eric Blarkco told the board that county agricultural‑district inclusion is procedurally separate from farm‑use exemptions and that enrolling in the district can carry protections under New York State Agriculture and Markets law that make it harder for towns to enforce certain local regulations if they are found to “unreasonably restrict or interfere with farm operations.”
Blarkco said he has seen properties apply for inclusion even while local violations exist, and he argued that neighboring property owners currently receive little direct notice from the county. He proposed the town issue a one‑time courtesy notice to neighboring owners when county agricultural‑district applications are filed so residents know a county hearing is imminent and understand that local enforcement options may be limited if a property is included.
Board members supported circulating a courtesy notice this year while pressuring the county and the agricultural board to adopt broader notification practices. The board discussed cost estimates (printing and mailing) and agreed staff could prepare the notices and send them to affected neighbors before the county hearing date.
