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Zoning board approves temporary hoop house variance for local growers
Summary
The zoning board granted Saul and Haley Shuster a variance to install a temporary 12-by-60-foot aluminum-frame, plastic-covered hoop house forward of their house line to extend their growing season, conditioned on maintenance and limited use as described.
The zoning board approved a variance allowing Saul and Haley Shuster to install a temporary, 12-by-60-foot aluminum-frame hoop house covered with 6-mil plastic on their property, the Shusters said at the July hearing. The structure will sit forward of the house’s front line and the applicants said they plan to keep the plastic cover year-round to extend the growing season for cold-hardy vegetables.
Why it matters: The Shusters said the site’s topography and backyard woods make other siting infeasible and that the hoop house will support small-scale organic production for their household, neighbors and possible future market sales. The board noted the lot is large (about 56.4 acres) and surrounded by farmland, and that a similar pole-barn variance had been previously granted on the property in 2016.
Applicant Saul Shuster described the hoop house as “an aluminum frame where the posts get pounded into the ground … and plastic 6 mil sheeting gets draped over the top,” and said he and his wife hope to use it “for the rest of our lives” to expand their season and sell produce. He also said Ontario County had emailed an exemption indicating no county review was required despite the site’s proximity to County Road 41.
Board members pressed the applicants on what ‘temporary’ means in practice; Shuster said the structure has no poured foundation (only small footers) and is removable, though they plan to leave the cover in place through winter to gain passive solar heating and plant earlier in spring. The board and staff agreed to record surveyed distances to the road and property lines as approximate to allow construction flexibility during siting.
The board discussed conditions to limit future conversion of the hoop house into a more permanent accessory structure. The board agreed to a motion limiting approval to the described 12-by-60-foot aluminum-post, plastic-covered hoop house and to require it be maintained in good repair. After a motion and second, the board voted in favor and the motion carried.
What’s next: The Shusters were told to pursue any required building permit and to pursue opt-in to the county agricultural district (which they said they plan to apply for in November), though board members noted opting in would not retroactively void the granted variance. The board recorded the approval and closed that agenda item.
