Farming plans for Dublin General Store rejected by zoning board

On Thursday June 11, the Dublin Zoning Board of Adjustment denied a variance to the new owners of the Dublin General Store to farm on the fields behind the store.

In partnership with Blue Finch Partners LLC, Tyler and Jenna Rich bought the Dublin General Store in May and plan to use the field behind the store to grow produce for the store. This goes against the land use regulations in the town, which states no agricultural use in the Village District downtown.

After the meeting, everyone was disappointed with the decision.

Site visit

With around 3.75 acres of land behind the Dublin General Store, the Riches plan to farm produce and cut flowers to sell directly in their store or in a farm stand on the property in the future.

The site visit took place on Thursday evening before the public hearing.

“The whole idea is to get as much local food into this community as we possibly can. I believe wholeheartedly in local food. I believe wholeheartedly that there’s not enough of it,” Tyler Rich said.

Jenna Rich said they have already reorganized the general store to create a farmers market vibe.

With four gardens planned for the field, the Riches plan to hire local help and use cover cropping tactics to grow organic produce. While they would have to till in the beginning due to the livestock that lived on the land before, Tyler said, “It’s small-scale, no till agriculture.”

Before buying the Dublin General Store last month, the Riches were originally from Nelson and operated Partners’ Garden in Nelson.

Blue Finch is an investment group, with Ed and Ann Kania of Peterborough and Todd and Kerri Enright of Dublin at the helm. The group has previously purchased several buildings in downtown Peterborough and the Twelve Pines business.

To access the farm, the couple plans to use the opening behind the store as well as Monument Road. Tyler argued that this is close to the main street and not near the residential area. Once a year, they would receive large drop-offs of woodchips or compost.

The Riches also plan to donate a garden’s worth of produce to local people dealing with food insecurity.

“Think potatoes, winter squash, squashes, things like that. Things that we know are going to be used in a kitchen,” Tyler said.

In addition to farming for the store, the couple wants to provide educational programs for Dublin students to learn about small-scale farming.

Town support

At the public hearing following the site visit, multiple Dublin residents shared their support for the farm project.

Phil and Ruthie Gammons, stewards of The Dublin Inn located next to the general store, questioned what farm practices would be used at the site visit and approved of the project during the public hearing.

“I think it’s a great use of property,” Phil Gammons said.

Neil Stanford, former Dublin planning board member, agreed.

“This is exactly the kind of thing that Dublin wants to and should be promoting,” he said.

Finally, Chris Raymond, a former Dublin select board member, showed his support. He noted in the past, the field was home to livestock owned by the previous Dublin General Store owners.

No one opposed the farming plans.

The decision

Despite overall support for the project from members on the zoning board, after deliberating on each point in the variance, three of the five members present denied the application.

With general confusion around the wording of all five points, the majority believed the variance application did not observe the spirit of the ordinance by fitting in with the other property uses in the Village District.

Additionally, the majority found there is no unnecessary hardship because the success of the business does not rely on the approval of the variance.

Margot Sprague, a member of the zoning board, questioned whether there was a way to approve, given the overwhelming support of the project.

“We have so many comments and people on the record … a lot of wisdom and a lot of only positive remarks from the community,” Sprague said.

In the end, two of the points in the variance failed, and three out of five members voted to deny.

“The whole board joins me in wishing you the very best in your next step, and it’s a great project,” William Gurney, chair of the zoning board, said.

Next steps

The fight is not over yet.

Now, the Riches will have to file a motion for a rehearing before heading to the state level.

At the beginning of the public hearing, Nick Mason, attorney representing the Blue Finch and the Riches, referenced state statute 674:32c, which restricts zoning laws from prohibiting agricultural use in any districts.

Originally, he disregarded it because the zoning board had not contacted their town attorney, but now Mason said this is their next argument.