Letter to the Editor

Zoning rules are supposed to protect neighborhoods and ensure land is used responsibly. But here in our town, I’ve seen firsthand how loopholes in agricultural zoning are being exploited, and it’s creating unfairness for ordinary residents while others skirt the rules.

In 2021, I looked at a property for sale on Pie Hill Road. It had been built under an agricultural use designation, though it wasn’t clear what type. I passed on it when I learned the septic system had been installed without permits or inspections.

In 2024, my realtor showed me another property at 777 Rt. 63. Once again, it was permitted for agricultural use. Behind closed barns—which I wasn’t allowed to enter—I could see multiple boats being stored. Today, that same property has effectively been converted into a country club for vintage cars, hardly the intent of agricultural zoning.

Meanwhile, when I approached the Land Use Enforcement Officer in 2022 about building a barn on my own 10-acre lot to help sell the property, I was told I could not unless I had a primary residence first. Then in 2025, a new Land Use Enforcement Officer advised me to simply apply under “agricultural” use.

It shouldn’t depend on who you know or how well you navigate loopholes. The zoning system is not meant to be manipulated for personal gain while others are held back. If we want fair and consistent enforcement, these agricultural exemptions need to be reviewed and tightened—before more properties turn into private clubs under the guise of farming.

Andy Savage
Goshen