Chilmark will allow farms to host events this summer while town officials consider permanent regulations on the contentious issue.

The select board voted Tuesday to permit farms to hold three events from June to August after a back and forth with town building inspector Adam Petkus, several farmers and some planning board members. The town intends to review and revise its regulations if necessary in the fall. 

The new policy from the select board was meant to push things forward while giving the board time to draft more succint guidelines, according to select board chair Marie Larsen. 

“Can we create a regulation or something of three events for this summer and get through [while we] work on this,” she asked her fellow board members.

Discussions over events at farms, such as dinners, have been going on for years, as farmers consider branching into agricultural events to make their outfits more economically viable. Mr. Petkus came to the town to ask for guidance to help him make decisions on what events are allowed based on current zoning bylaws.  

“I’m doing this in the spirit of the zoning enforcement officer and the building inspector for the town of Chilmark, not as somebody who is extensively trying to accomplish policy,” he said. “I’m trying to effectively be able to get guidance to enforce the laws of the state and those laws are muddy and not very clear.” 

The original proposal that Mr. Petkus brought to the board included a limit of 10 events per year with only one event every three weeks. Each event would have to be approved by the select board and board of health. 

The planning board submitted a letter supporting Mr. Petkus’s proposal, though some members of the select board had reservations. 

Select board member Matthew Poole was concerned about the number of events, saying that there was little case law to back the number up. He wanted more clarification on where that number came from. 

“The horse clearly knows where the barn door is when you start with 10, and that old horse is one step away from the door,” he added. “I fully recognize that there are certain number events that are allowed by right. I think three is absolute. I’ve heard the number five, but I’ve never heard a number bigger than five, and I’ve never heard 10.” 

Rebecca Haag, the retired executive director at Island Grown Initiative, urged the town to back the farms.  

“With all due respect, government has failed the citizens who, by and large, do want to promote something like this,” she said. “We want our farms to be successful.”

She also offered to work together with Mr. Poole and resident Anne Mayhew to develop guidelines to clear up the gray area that has been a problem in the town for a few years. 

Chilmark planning board chair Richard Osnoss noted that this solution would be temporary while the planning board would possibly explore a bylaw again. 

“The benefit of having guidelines in front of us today, to enable the farmers to do what they’d like to do to stay afloat, is great for the planning board, because then it’ll be a temporary set of guidelines,” he said. “We see what has occurred. Things need to be corrected. We’ll learn about it, and then we can start new public hearings.” 

The planning board presented a zoning bylaw amendment in November 2023 addressing events at farms. The select board at the time did not present it back to the planning board for town meeting consideration, according to Mr. Osnoss. 

Rebecca Miller, owner of North Tabor Farm, has been working on a pilot program for a few years, she said. Her proposal included hosting 10 farm events with restrictions on capacity, timing and parking.  

“We want to be seen and appreciated, but we also are town members,” she said. “We care about our town. We care about the integrity, so give us a chance to try it.”