Council approves Marietta Farms pumpkin patch permit with tightened setup window

The Andover City Council on a unanimous 6–0 voice vote approved a temporary-use permit for Marietta Farms to run a pumpkin patch at 1600 West Highway 54 this fall.

Julie Boyd, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, told the council the applicant requested a longer season but staff recommended limiting the setup and teardown window. Boyd said the applicant asked to set up in early September and tear down Nov. 17, but staff recommended teardown be complete by Nov. 14 and suggested the actual season run Sept. 25 through Oct. 31 with two weeks of buffer around those dates. "Staff are recommending that tear down be complete by November 14," Boyd said during the discussion.

Assistant City Administrator JoLynn Graham moved to approve the permit with firm dates and hours included in the motion: setup on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026; operations Sept. 25 through Oct. 31, 2026 (weekdays 10 a.m.–6 p.m.; weekends 9 a.m.–8 p.m.); and teardown completed by 5 p.m. on Nov. 14, 2026. The motion was seconded and passed on a 6–0 vote.

Council members raised concerns about materials being left on the property outside approved periods and about photo documentation in the packet; staff said they would follow up to ensure no prohibited structures or storage containers remained on the parcel outside the permitted dates. The approval carries conditions that teardown must be completed by the date specified and that materials placed on the property outside permitted times could violate zoning rules.