CU25-014 PC Decision - Laserfiche WebLink

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EFU zone where the subject property is located. The Planning Commission finds that this criterion is not met. (d) A home occupation shall not be authorized in structures accessory to resource use on high-value farmland. There is a large structure on the northern side of the parcel built with an agriculturally exempt permit. The applicant states that it is in use for maintenance of farm vehicles and equipment, as well as storage of farm equipment, materials and incidental personal vehicles and items. The applicant stated in the application materials, and subsequent conversations with staff, that the agricultural structure is in no way related to the tow truck business. Staff visited the site on May 19th, 2025, to see the parking area of the tow trucks and the agricultural structure. Staff saw that the contents of the parking area around, and the inside of, the agricultural structure matched the description of the applicant. The applicant attests that maintenance of farm vehicles and equipment owned by the Fobert family occurs within the structure, with some incidental personal vehicle maintenance. The applicant states that the semi-truck trailers stored in the gravel parking area around the agricultural structure are for the transport of hay. During the public hearing before the Planning Commission, an opponent of the proposal brought up that the applicant’s towing business (B&T Transport) also advertises transport of personal property within the trailers. The applicant was unable to provide any evidence in the record to support their assertion that the trailers were for the transport of hay. Hay is traditionally transported on flat bed trailers or bale trailers which are open to the air and are specifically designed for transporting large round bales. Transporting hay inside of an enclosed semi-trailer is not a standard method. Part of the code enforcement investigation on the subject parcel involved allegations of an automotive repair business inside an agricultural structure. Staff observed during their site visit, and the applicant provided pictures of, an area with mechanic tools and two vehicle lifts within the agricultural structure. The applicant stated that this area is for working on farm vehicles and equipment utilized on the family farm. When asked about the family farm, the applicant told staff verbally that they farmed between 200 and 300 hundred acres. The applicant was not able to identify where those acres are located. The applicant was not able to provide any evidence regarding what crops are produced. They assert that hay is being produced and harvested somewhere and then moved via the trailers parked in the parking area of the agricultural building. The applicant was unable to provide any evidence that the vehicles that are being worked on in the automotive shop area of the agricultural building are farm vehicles owned by the applicant or his family. There is insufficient evidence in the record to support the applicant’s description of farm activities involving the agricultural structure. The proposed tow truck home occupation also appears to involve transport of non-farm goods utilizing trailers stored in the fenced parking area of an agricultural structure, and vehicular repair within the storage structure.