HomeMy WebLinkAboutAAC 2026-04-08 ApprovedAAC 2026-04-08
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AGRICULTURE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
April 08, 2026
In-Person
Present: Evan Carpenter (chair), Doug Antczak, Austin Beck, Steve Foote (7:34),
Kim LaMotte, and Brian Magee
Liaisons: Jason Leifer (Town Supervisor)
Craig Schutt (Conservation Board)
Guests: Cheryl Richter (Planning Board)
The meeting was called to order at 7:33 p.m., and introductions were made.
Review and Approval of Minutes from March 11, 2026
On motion made by K LaMotte, seconded by D. Antczak, the minutes of March 11,
2026, were approved as written. Vote: Ayes- Antczak, Beck, Carpenter, LaMotte, and Magee
Ed Hill Rd Subdivision Plan Update
While the developer has modified the Trillium Woods plan to preserve two 30-acre
parcels and donate 10 acres to the town, the committee views this as the creation of open
space rather than the preservation of functional farmland.
Committee members expressed significant frustration that previous resolutions
regarding development pauses were omitted from Town Board agendas and ignored during
public meetings.
There is an active effort to draft a resolution for a moratorium on the development of
"prime soil" and "soils of statewide importance." This is intended to provide a mosquito net to
protect the town’s agricultural assets during the zoning update process.
Local dairy operations rely heavily on rented land; for example, the Beck farm currently
leases up to 60% of the fields it harvests. The subdivision of large parcels into residential
estates effectively removes this land from the rental market, as new owners may restrict or
prohibit active agricultural practices such as manure application.
The Trillium Woods Subdivision Dispute
The committee conducted a thorough critique of the revised Trillium Woods proposal,
which currently includes approximately 14 to 15 building envelopes.
Modified Proposal Specifics
▪ (Two) 30-acre parcels intended to be preserved as available agricultural land
▪ (One) 10-acre parcel to be donated outright to the town
▪ Building envelopes designed to sit mostly outside the existing woods
▪ A shared driveway through the middle of the agricultural parcels
Committee Concerns
Members observed that even when land is designated for agricultural use, its viability can
be compromised by future residential owners who may restrict practices such as manure
application or the use of large farm equipment.
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Proximity concerns with the building envelopes located within 100 feet of critical
agricultural infrastructure, such as water treatment systems and silage bunkers, increase the
likelihood of conflicts with neighboring residents.
The committee questioned the developer's narrative of small farms. A Beck noted that
their previous build-out rate was only four parcels in ten years. The project is viewed as a land-
flipping exercise rather than a sustainable development.
Field Size and Practice
While modern dairy operations (some milking 2,000–4,000 cows) prefer 300-acre
chunks for efficiency, local farmers struggle with an average field size of seven acres.
Small fields (3–10 acres) are difficult to work with large modern machinery and remain
necessary due to the region's topography.
The Open Space Fallacy
Members argued that the town's comprehensive plan often confuses open space with
farmland. True farmland preservation requires protecting the right to farm (manure, noise,
traffic) and maintaining large, contiguous tracts of high-quality soil. "If Dryden truly supports
ag, this will not happen. If they want to see the liability of farms and show their support for our
agriculture community, this wouldn't happen," one member stated.
Survey large landowners by reaching out to major local owners (e.g., Cornell, the
Powerlines) to gauge their feelings on development restrictions and long-term land vision.
The Farmer’s Dilemma
The meeting highlighted internal tension within the agricultural community regarding
property rights. For many landowners, selling land for development is their primary retirement
strategy.
Members acknowledge that while they want to preserve the land they rent from
neighbors, they also resist restrictions that would prevent them from selling their own land as
a liquid asset.
While only one of the two members with solar on their land has successfully integrated
solar into working pastures, earning income by pasturing sheep and turkeys under panels, he
cautioned that poorly designed solar, e.g., the site behind Willow Glenn Cemetery, can still ruin
productive cropland.
Policy and Governance Challenges
The committee discussed the difficulty of influencing town policy, citing a perceived lack
of support from the Town and Planning Boards.
Members reported attending the town meeting only to find their resolution regarding
agricultural pauses omitted from the agenda. The Town Board's response, claiming oversight,
was described as typical of the board.
The committee is pursuing a moratorium on the subdivision of "prime soils" and "soils
of statewide importance.”
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To prevent "sledgehammer" developments from destroying prime land before new zoning
protections are finalized.
The proposed resolution uses definitions from the National Resource Conservation
Service (NRCS) and state classifications for Class 1 and Class 2 soils.
To ensure the moratorium is legally defensible, members emphasized the need to
include a hardship variance process, providing the Town Board with a “pressure relief valve” for
exceptional cases.
Recommendations
The committee concluded that the town's current approach, relying on developers to
volunteer conservation subdivisions, is failing to protect the agricultural industry. They intend
to draft a resolution to submit to the Town Board for tomorrow's meeting:
▪ Formally express their profound disappointment with the Town Board’s lack of
response.
▪ Advocate before both the Planning Board and the Town Board for the inclusion
of clear, specific language on soil classifications to ensure the zoning update has
meaningful enforceability (“teeth”).
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:37 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Allison Kjellander-Cantu
Deputy Town Clerk