Zoning to allow residential farming has a long way to go in Lyman, but the town should at least provide a solution for one property owner at Saturday’s Town Meeting.
Voters approved moving forward with an ordinance to address the issue in voting Tuesday, which is a step in the right direction, but one situation needs immediate attention.
Residents Russell and Judi Wing purchased property with the intention of farming for personal use only to find that, in 2005, their zoning had been changed to residential and farming was prohibited in the residential zone.
A provision to redesignate their property as general purpose zone, which would allow them to have a few animals, will go before voters during the open floor part of Town Meeting Saturday.
We hope voters will support this proposal, as the couple purchased the property with this plan in mind, and, as Code Enforcement Officer Patti McKenna pointed out in a recent interview with the Journal Tribune, there’s at least one area of town where a road separates the zones, so those on one side of the street can farm and those on the other side cannot.
The town’s ordinance review committee and planning board had been working to develop an ordinance that would allow farming for personal use in the residential district, but a consensus between the two groups could not be reached by the deadline for the town warrant, according to McKenna.
It’s clear the town needs a comprehensive ordinance on this issue to clarify the standards and make it more equitable for land owners.
Hopefully, the ORC and planning board will come to a consensus, and if they cannot, the board of selectmen can step in and decide on which proposal should go to voters.
In today’s culture of buying local and going “green,” the town is likely to see more and more request for residential farming as people want to know where their food is coming from to ensure it is healthy and clean. Voters made it clear Tuesday that they value Lyman’s rural character and want to have the ability to keep, say, a few chickens or a cow on their residential property.
Getting local laws for this type of use on the books ”“ as soon as possible ”“ will ensure residents have clear and distinct guidelines for what is and is not allowed on their properties, and keep the peace amongst neighbors.
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Today’s editorial was written by City Editor Robyn Burnham on behalf of the Journal Tribune Editorial Board. Questions? Comments? Contact Managing Editor Kristen Schulze Muszynski by calling 282-1535, Ext. 322, or via email at kristenm@journaltribune.com.
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