Agritourism Site Permit is Approved

By Randy Pierce

ST. JACOB — Eric DeMange has received unanimous approval from the Madison County Board to continue the operation of his “agritourism” business near St. Jacob amid objections expressed by neighbors when his request was considered.

At the county board’s Wednesday, Jan. 17 meeting, a recommendation from its building and zoning committee to approve the special use permit sought by DeMange passed without discussion.

Concerning DeMange’s property located in an agricultural zoned district on Cypress Road in St. Jacob Township, the permit request was initially reviewed by the county zoning board of appeals when it was pointed out DeMange was in violation of pertinent regulations by operating his business at this location for the past five years.

Referring to one part of the property where public events are held as a pumpkin patch, DeMange explained to the zoning board that this business operates seasonally with a primary focus on weekends from mid-September through Halloween including one holiday in October.

Using 30 of the applicable 60 acres on his property for this purpose, DeMange has a parking lot off the road where people can leave their vehicles while participating in picking their own pumpkins, going on hayrides, children’s activities such as bounce houses or navigating through a corn maze at the site. He also has hosted events there featuring live music and stated he had been unaware a special use permit was necessary for him to operate the business on his property.

With normal operations occurring between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. during those days the business is open, DeMange noted that the closing time for special events is set at 10 p.m.

Patricia Hutt of 1152 Cypress Road submitted a letter objecting to the issuance of the permit, saying the traffic increases significantly when DeMange has events while there is also excessive noise from live bands playing music at those times this occurs.

Bottles, cans and other trash accumulate on her property, Hutt added, due to the numbers of people attracted by the DeMange business operation with another problem created by it being large quantities of stormwater run-off in a lake during times of heavy rains, causing pesticides to flow into it and heavy silt buildup.

Hutt’s concluding statement in one of two letters she wrote, the second being to the county board building and zoning committee, said, “It would have been to everyone’s advantage if the owners had talked to the neighbors and considered their concerns before they moved their events to the current location.”

Also submitting written objections to the permit were Diane and Brian LaMew of 1165 Cypress Road who said they breed, raise and train thoroughbreds for racing on their property next to Demange’s.

Mrs. LaMew explained that when there is noise and “commotion” occurring on DeMange’s property, it can disturb her family’s sensitive horses making the couple hesitant to bring them there between racing dates while also noting she believes what goes on next to their land decreases its property value.

Members in good standing of professional horse racing organizations, the LaMews said a line of trees and solar fencing had to be planted to protect their property from what goes on next to them at the DeMange site while concern about the noise, dust and water runoff exists for them also. Most of the over 100 trees they planted, according to their statement, “did not make it due to mowing, spraying or animal interference” originating from DeMange.

Calling DeMange’s operation a “fair-like business,” one of the LaMew’s pair of letters concerning this matter said the activities were occurring two or three days a week from July to November with “screaming and yelling” going on plus loud band music for “Rocking the Corn Maze” night and 15 to 50 cars in and out most weekends.

“Consider what it is like,” the LaMews queried, “to try and relax in your yard with fair-like activities going on every weekend for three months.”

An address-less letter of support for DeMange was submitted to the zoning board from Tiffany and Victor Duncan who stated their daughters enjoy visiting the corn maze multiple times when it is open, calling it “just plain fun” and “a good family friendly experience.”

DeMange explained that his business is part of an agricultural operation that has been in existence since his father ran it for many years, the current total of acreage for everything standing at 400, some of which is farmed for others, with a portion as referred to previously dedicated to the agritourism component of it.

Jen Hurley, Madison County zoning coordinator, responded to numerous questions during the initial hearing including sharing that hours allowable for agritourism are from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Monday through Sunday while also stating that the sale of alcohol on the premises is permitted as long as the applicable liquor licensing requirements are followed and any noise generated must be within the applicable established guidelines. Both DeMange and his farm’s pumpkin patch operations manager, Anne Matthews, said there is no alcohol sold at their events and there are no plans to do so.

In discussing the various concerns expressed to and by the zoning board members, DeMange agreed to make efforts to keep the music quieter, address dust issues and reduce event hours so that activities will cease at 7 p.m. on those specific evenings.

When the possibility of relocating some of the agritourism activities to another part of the DeMange farm was addressed to Matthews, she responded this would not be practical because those parts of the land are used for farming.

Additionally speaking at the zoning hearing was Paige Langenhorst, manager of the Madison County Farm Bureau, who said that agency supports agritourism as a boost to the economic development climate in the area while also standing behind the use of such farm property for consumer education like when school groups tour the site.

In answer to one of the LaMews’ statement about pumpkins rotting on the DeMange property, Langenhorst said those actually serve as fertilizer for the soil and are better suited to that than in a landfill where they would be generating methane or other harmful gases.

The zoning report indicated that there are currently three other agritourism operations in Madison County which had all been approved over the last 15 years and that the special use permit is solely pertinent to DeMange and not any subsequent owners of the property.