Coming before the Mattapoisett Planning Board as a walk-in to the regular meeting on June 2 was Mike King, who has been attempting to receive the needed permissions to re-open a farmstand on North Street where locally grown vegetables, meat and poultry have been sold.
As King noted, the night before his Special Permit hearing (May 15) with the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), he received notification that a Variance was required, not a Special Permit. King said that the ZBA gave him a continuance, translating into time that might be adequate for receiving clear guidance from the Building Department.
On Monday, King fully detailed for the Planning Board the confusion he has been experiencing in what he said several times is “a right to farm community.”
He told the board members that in November 2024 he was selling Christmas trees at the farmstand and giving away hot cocoa. He said he was swiftly notified by Town Hall, “that I couldn’t do that,” without a Special Permit.
King said he subsequently reached out to the town planner for assistance but didn’t hear back on his request for a site-plan review. In researching state requirements for farmstands, King now held that state statues allowed the farmstand to be open if it obtained a site-plan review from the Planning Board.
King did meet with the Zoning Board of Appeals on May 15, at which time his request for a Special Permit and/or Variance was tabled in order to obtain final clarity from either the building inspector or Planning Board.
During the discussion on June 2 when King met with the Planning Board, he gave some background saying the North Street location was a farm owned by the Ferguson family for decades. He said he has a 10-year lease on the property to grow produce there and sell it at the stand. The original homestead was built in 1810. King stated that delays in receiving a permit to operate the stand not only puts him in financial straits but threatens the Fergusons as well.
King appealed to the board for a site-plan review. Possible hearing dates were discussed. Matters were directed to the town planner for follow-up.
Board member Bill Wennerberg was flummoxed, saying he didn’t see what the problem was. He was ready to make a motion for the requested site-plan review.
Chairman Tom Tucker said, “I think this is headed to Town Counsel.” As of Tuesday, the matter has been reviewed by the Town Counsel, Town Administrator Mike Lorenco stated. He concurred when asked that if this is a unique situation, as the town doesn’t have many farmstands.
King still has a scheduled hearing with the Zoning Board of Appeals on June 19.
Earlier in the proceedings, the board members confirmed language changes for roadway-construction bylaws. The members also discussed cottage-style subdivisions in the Route 6 corridor and the size of Accessory Dwelling Units.
The next meeting of the Mattapoisett Planning Board is scheduled for Monday, June 16.
Mattapoisett Planning Board
By Marilou Newell