Market Garden Ordinance to Move Forward [VIDEO]

A discussion among members of the Chatham Township Committee Thursday night showed three of five are in favor of moving forward with the proposed market garden ordinance as a conditional use.

The ordinance still requires some changes before it will be ready for introduction, and Mayor Nicole Hagner said she wanted to make sure the concerns of those opposed to the ordinance were taken into consideration before any action was taken.

Committee Members Kathy Abbott, Bailey Brower Jr. and Hagner said they liked the idea of allowing farming on qualifying properties within Chatham Township.

"Local organic produce is up and coming," Abbott said, and the movement "will include what's left of large parcels in a suburban town." Like the Right to Farm Act, Abbott said, "it's encouraging food security in New Jersey."

Deputy Mayor Robert Gallop said he was not sure the ordinance was the best way to move forward. "Government does best when it does least," he said. "There's no need in this town for market gardens," and for those who would argue the township was historically farmland, Gallop said "that ship has sailed."

Hagner was in favor of moving the ordinance forward for a vote. "Originally, I thought it was too restrictive," she said. "I think the concept of allowing people to grow produce ... is something I could support. ... Why would we want to limit [people's] ability to use their property in that way?"

Committee Member Kevin Tubbs said when there has been a contentious issue before the committee in the past, "what we've done is tried to maintain the status quo," and the same should be done now. Anyone who wished to farm should use the mechanisms already open to them and go before the Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Brower said he agreed with Hagner and Abbott. He said "if someone has an acreage and they want to plant it, ... to me it adds to the ambience of the community." As long as the farms operated without adding to traffic on the road, Brower said he was in favor of the idea.

The committee heard comments from the public on both sides of the debate, and agreed to make further adjustments to the ordinance before bringing it forth for introduction.

The ordinance will apply as a conditional use to any tillable area of over 3 acres on one or multiple contiguous plots of land in any residential area in the township.

Farms would be required to operate within the requirements of the Soil Conservation District and the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Organic Program.

The committee discussed how they would fund inspectors to ensure organic practices are followed. They also agreed to restrict the kind of trees which can be grown in a market garden to "fruit trees," reversing a decision made by the Planning Board to allow other trees, such as Christmas trees, to be permitted.

Also, Attorney Carl Woodward urged the committee to not allow composting in a market garden. He said he dealt with several clients in his private practice who did composting, "and they always have problems."

Michael Bucuk, whose family is one of two Green Village Road residents requesting the ordinance, clarified some points on how a farm can be certified as organic for the committee. He said if a property has not been farmed and has not had any "prohibitive materials" applied, the owner can provide an affidavit attesting to the fact and the property can then be eligible as certified organic.

Richard Erich Templin, a resident of Green Village Road who is opposed to allowing the ordinance as a conditional use, asked the committee members if any of them currently use Green Path Landcare, the landscaping company owned by Bucuk's family. Abbott said she used them.

"I was looking for an organic landscaper for a long time, and these guys were the only real deal around," Abbott said.

Templin also asked if anyone "involved in the request for farming" served as an active volunteer in any of the sitting committee members' campaigns. All said no.

Brower, in a reference to signs paid for by Templin during the primary election season which read "Anybody But Brower," told Templin the signs helped get him elected.

Templin responded by saying Brower and Abbott should recuse themselves from any vote on the market garden ordinance.