P&Z Approves Rules For Fairfield Hills Nonprofit Activities

By Andrew Gorosko

To regulate community activities, such as fairs, held within the Fairfield Hills Adaptive Reuse (FHAR) zone at Fairfield Hills, the Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) has created a set of zoning regulations.

P&Z members approved the new rules following a public hearing at an August 2 session. The new regulations go into effect on August 13.

P&Z Chairman Lilla Dean said that the town has allowed certain nonprofit groups to conduct events at the town-owned Fairfield Hills core campus.

For example, in June, Relay For Life, a nonprofit cancer fundraising event sponsored by the American Cancer Society, was held at Fairfield Hills.

The new regulations allow a community activity such as a fair, concert, or similar event to be held by local nonprofit organizations or national charities which have local affiliations. Such events would be held at off-street areas. Permanent structures would not be allowed.

The permitted events can include sporting events, amusements, and the nonprofit sales of merchandise and food.

Also allowed would be for-profit vendors which are affiliated with the nonprofit sponsoring organization and which donate all or a portion of their profits to the sponsoring nonprofit group. Such a donation may be in the form of a space rental fee paid by the for-profit vendor to the sponsoring nonprofit group.

To conduct an event, the nonprofit applicant would need to obtain a permit from the town land use agency. The applicant must show the zoning enforcement officer that adequate vehicle parking is available for the event.

The event permit would not be issued until it is shown that the applicant complies with all other applicable local rules governing such an activity.

Ms Dean said that one reason for creating the regulations is to prevent independent vendors from simply showing up at Fairfield Hills and selling merchandise to people who happen to be there.

The event permit would require that the applicant for a nonprofit event remove any signs and remove any garbage from the site after the event, Ms Dean said.

The new regulations would not necessarily prohibit circuses from being held by a nonprofit group, Ms Dean said, adding, however, that circuses have not been held locally in more than 30 years.

At the public hearing which preceded the P&Z’s approval of the new regulations, resident Mary Wilson of 12 Whippoorwill Hill Road expressed concerns about the potential for vehicular turf damage posed by having events at Fairfield Hills.

George Benson, director of planning and land use, said that the new zoning regulations would effectively provide the town Land Use Agency with the overall local authority to issue permits for nonprofit activities at Fairfield Hills.

In July 2010, the P&Z approved zoning regulations that allow a for-profit farmers’ market as a permitted land use at Fairfield Hills. That market is now held near Wasserman Way on Tuesday afternoons in season. Those regulations allow a “certified farmers’ market” as defined by the state Department of Agriculture to do business at Fairfield Hills.