Council approves special-use permit for farm-stand bakery at 618 Chatham Hill Road

The Marion Town Council approved a special-use permit allowing a home-based farm-stand bakery to operate at 618 Chatham Hill Road.

Zoning staff read the applicant's narrative describing a 4-by-3-by-6 mobile stand operated by Taylor Preston on weekends (Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to dusk) and said the family had filed the required application packet. Staff reported the stand had been removed while the permit was processed.

Neighbor Lisa Stone spoke during public comment with food-safety concerns, asking whether the home kitchen had been inspected and whether baked goods would carry ingredient lists or expiration guidance. She said her food-service experience made her worry about temperature control and labeling. Bridget Preston, the applicant's mother, told council the family had consulted the health department and said the Virginia cottage-food law applied, which the family interpreted as not requiring a home-kitchen inspection. "We clean before we cook anything ... Taylor's hands are washed continuously," Bridget Preston said.

Council members asked whether the cottage-food rules applied and whether the town needed to address health inspections; staff and other councilors said the cottage-food law generally covers small-scale bakery sales and the town's role in permitting is limited to issuing the special-use permit. After discussion, a councilor moved to approve the permit; the motion was seconded and the council voted to grant the home-based business special-use permit.

The council recorded that the applicant had submitted required paperwork and that town staff would process the permit. The transcript does not include a roll-call tally; the mayor announced the permit was granted and the council closed the hearing.