In a move to boost attendance and spur business activity at the seasonal Farmers Market at Fairfield Hills, the market is seeking a zoning rule change that would allow prepared foods to be sold at the weekly market sessions.Market at Fairfield Hills began as an all-organic market in Sandy Hook Center. The market began in a parking lot behind St John's Episcopal Church on Washington Avenue, and was also temporarily located at the former Lexington Gardens site on Church Hill Road, for part of one summer. Then it was back to St John's, before the market requested permission to hold the market at Fairfield Hills.

For the past several years, the farmers market has been held on the northern lawn of Shelton House, a vacant building that was used for patient care at the former state psychiatric hospital. The market does business on Tuesdays from June to October.

Economic Development Commission member Wes Thompson, representing the farmers market, told Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) members on March 3 that zoning rules governing the market prohibit prepared food sales to the public.

Market participants have said that business at the market has been declining, Mr Thompson noted.

P&Z Chairman Robert Mulholland said that in a past review of allowing a farmers market at Fairfield Hills, the P&Z decided against allowing prepared foods to be sold to customers. Mr Thompson said that other farmers markets in the area offer a broader variety of products for sale, including prepared foods.

In a February 25 letter to the P&Z, Mr Thompson asked that the P&Z revise its zoning regulations to allow "temporary food establishments for a one-year trial, to be reviewed by the commission each year."

George Benson, town director of planning, suggested that the P&Z consider allowing the farmers market to sell prepared foods on a one-year trial basis.

P&Z member Roy Meadows spoke in favor of allowing such prepared food sales.

Mr Mulholland said that such a rule change would need to be the subject of a public hearing.

The chairman told Mr Thompson that the EDC should file a formal application for a zoning rule change, after which a hearing would be held and the P&Z would act on the matter.

The Farmers

For one year, the market was located near the former entrance to Fairfield Hills. For two years following that, it was set up near Danbury Hall, a building which has since has been demolished. The market has been near Shelton House for the past several years.

The town-owned Fairfield Hills core campus lies in the Fairfield Hills Adaptive Reuse (FHAR) zone. The P&Z allowed a farmers market in the FHAR zone provided that complies with the state Department of Agriculture definition of a "certified farmers market."

Local zoning rules state that such a market is "a seasonal outdoor event where items are offered for sale to the general public, [such as] fruits, vegetables, herbs, plants, flowers, eggs, honey, maple syrup, dairy products, jams, jellies and baked foods and seasonal items, including Christmas trees, cemetery baskets."

Items offered for sale must be Connecticut-grown or made from Connecticut-grown produce. The farmers market is the only for-profit group regularly allowed at Fairfield Hills.