Support for farm tourist homes: Town approves new regulation making it easier to bring tourist homes to town

By Peter Marteka

Editor

Chris Bassette opened the historic John Hollister House as an Airbnb more than a year ago and has been welcoming families into the oldest house in town.

“It’s not only made a huge difference on the wear and tear in the house, but we also had a Hollister Farm family 10^th generation come and stay in December,” she said. “It was so heart-warming to see them be able to be a part of the history of their family. Airbnbs end up promoting economic development in town...we sit there and promote ourselves, but we put in a book and text out to everybody who comes all our favorite places...It’s a win-win for everybody.”

Owners of the Ephraim Hubbard home are hoping to turn a barn on their property into a tourist home. (Marteka)

And the Town Council has made it easier for farmers – and others in town – to create tourist homes. Farmers like John Yushkevich, the grandson of Joseph Preli, who is hoping to add a farmhouse on the Preli Farm at 279 Hopewell Rd. as a tourist home, the Schneider Family Living Trust for a house at 58-60 Tryon St. And a barn turned living unit behind the Ephraim Hubbard home along Neipsic Road.

Tourist homes and agribusinesses are becoming popular in town with local farms looking to supplement their income. Last year, the town plan and zoning commission approved an agribusiness special permit for John Hollister House allowing them to also host farm tasting events and a year-round roadside stand.

According to the new zoning regulations a tourist home is allowed if it’s “a dwelling used for overnight accommodations for compensation to one or more transient persons up to a maximum of six persons which is located on a parcel or contiguous property that is occupied by the owner for a minimum of 183 days per calendar year.”

Shelley Caltagirone, director of community development, said the goal of the new regulation was to have a more specific requirement for permanent residency.

John Yushkevich, the grandson of Joseph Preli, is hoping to add a farmhouse on the Preli Farm at 279 Hopewell Rd. as a tourist home. (Marteka)

“Over the last two years we’ve had more tourist home applications in front of the commission and it’s often a conversation about what does it mean to be a permanent resident. Some residents leave for the summer or winter for a couple of months,” she said.

She also noted the goal of the regulation is to “better address the modern use of Airbnb and Vrbo and some of those other short-term rental models.”

Attorney Meghan Hope is representing all of the current applicants looking to create tourist homes. Hope said the new regulation is the “clearest way to resolve the issues the TPZC was dealing with how it was being interpreted.”

“The through line,” she said, “is that they have these old and/or historic structures that they want to maintain on their farms or they’ve been in their families for multiple generations, so they don’t want to sell it or subdivide off the lot.

“But having it be used as a typical rental where you’re having,” she added, “you know a 10-year lease or something like that is just putting too much wear and tear on these old and historic buildings. So, they found that this tourist home - the short-term rental - is really the perfect way to keep the building in use, but not have it deteriorate any further.”

Resident Sarah Dzialo said she was in favor of agritourism and “deregulation of our highly regulated building code and building zoning” and support “these great farm operations in this community that make this town so great.”

“We need to keep looking for these ways that we can reduce barriers to small businesses and farms,” she said, “ways we can streamline permitting, simplify zoning wherever possible and appropriate and reduce mandates and making it easier for farmers and business owners and entrepreneurs to economically act in our town.

“Because economic growth and opportunity come from individuals and independent agents freely creating value in the community,” she added. “So, when we let the market work, we allow those service and goods to be produced in the economic community which create wealth naturally for everybody.

Resident Donna Cupka said the council should consider the impact of adopting the zoning amendment on neighborhoods.

“Living next door to renters of my neighbors’ in-law apartment has essentially usurped our privacy and quiet backyard,” she said. “It is built so the apartment (and doors and windows) runs along our backyard, creating an alley and quasi-public walkway, also containing an old car and wood pile. Please strongly consider a neighbor’s property values and right to enjoyment of their own property. We keep curtains drawn, avoid our ownyard, and would move if cost was not an issue. This situation is simply terrible for us.” GL