Market Garden Ordinance Undergoes More Changes

The Chatham Township Planning Board made further revisions to a draft of the market garden ordinance that would allow qualifying property owners to sell produce grown on their land.

Planning Board members reviewed the changes made in a November meeting and proposed further changes to the draft ordinance. The updated version of the ordinance was posted to the Chatham Township website hours before the meeting started Monday evening.

A draft of the ordinance, current through Monday afternoon, is attached to this article. The draft does not reflect changes made during Monday night's meeting.

Board President Lydia Chambers said the board will send the draft to various professionals for further revisions before the next meeting. At that point, Chambers said, "we hope to discuss it briefly ... and then vote on a final draft to recommend to the township committee."

The changes suggested by board members and members of the public included reducing set-backs for freestanding temporary buildings (buildings without a foundation, such as a hoop house) from 100 ft. from adjacent property lines to 50 ft. Such buildings must still be 100 ft. from any roadway or right-of-way.

Board members also specified national holidays that farming work will be prohibited on, and stipulated that property owners will have to obey all other lighting, sign and noise ordinances applicable to commercial businesses.

Members of the public commented in support and opposition to the ordinance, including being more specific in the definitions and specifying that farming, which can take place on plots of land more than 3 contiguous acres, should have the same owner. Otherwise, some neighbors said, adjoining neighbors can group their properties together to meet the 5-acre requirement for allowing livestock and animals. 

The board agreed to specify that retail sales, wholesales and pick-your-own sales will not be permitted onsite.

The role of the Planning Board in this issue, according to Chambers, is "to provide guidance only" on how the ordinance can best fit into the township's Master Plan. Francis Benisch, the board's planner, said the Master Plan outlines two basic goals: To enhance Chatham Township's residential character as predominately single-family homes and "protecting dwindling farmland."

Once the board votes to approve a final version of the ordinance, the ordinance will go back to the Chatham Township Committee for further action. If market gardening is eventually approved as a conditional use, residents with qualifying properties can submit an application to the Planning Board to get approval. Approval for market gardening will pass from property owner if the land is sold.