<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto">Frank and Byron,<div>I was the community development director 4 years ago. The town is a right to farm community. Check out the towns General laws. The town allows on site earth movement but also allows a farmer to truck in various manures and composts without special permit. </div><div><br></div><div>Given the low impact of farming on a community, the towns stance was to greatly encourage farming. I worked with the CPA and the Agricultural Commission and, during my tenure in Dracut, bought and managed a lot of farmland. Within reason, it makes sense to encourage farming and to lessen controls to keep farming viable.</div><div><br></div><div>Best,</div><div>Betsy Ware</div><div>Consulting Planner</div><div>Town of Rockport, Ma<br id="lineBreakAtBeginningOfSignature"><div dir="ltr">Sent from my iPhone</div><div dir="ltr"><br><blockquote type="cite">On Jun 15, 2025, at 9:29\u202fAM, Bryon Clemence via MassPlanners <massplanners@masscptc.org> wrote:<br><br></blockquote></div><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr">\ufeff<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style>@font-face { font-family: "Cambria Math"; }
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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--><div class="WordSection1"><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">An interesting question, Frank. Hopefully someone has specific experience with this. Here are my initial thoughts.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Generally, I would say reconditioning soil is a standard farming practice and is exempt. Also, your bylaw specifically covers on-farm relocation of soil, and what you describe seems similar. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">However, I would want to know more about what they're doing. You say that truckloads of soil have entered and exited the farm. Reconditioning soil typically involves adding soil amendments, but not soil itself. It would not involve removing soil from the property. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal">If they are, in fact, removing soil, or other materials, from the property, I would look closely at that. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">I hope this helps. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Thanks, <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bryon <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Bryon Clemence, P.E. <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Farmer, environmental engineer, member Boxborough Agricultural Commission and Water Resources Committee <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Boxborough MA <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><p class="MsoNormal">On Sat, Jun 14, 2025, 3:27 PM Frank O'Connor via MassPlanners <<a href="mailto:massplanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">massplanners@masscptc.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><blockquote style="border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt"><div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Hello, Planners ~ hope all is well.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">If you were a Planner in a Right To Farm Community, past or present, would you please help us with a situation of Soil Export & Importation on a Farm?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Georgetown is working with a farming family that has 61-A status and more that 20 acres. There is produce being grown and some animal husbandry. It is a farm.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">The challenge is that Georgetown is a Right to Farm community and the farmers are working to recondition the soil for an organic farm. However, there are truck loads of soil that have entered and exited the farm, which would require a Special Permit. There is no local exemption for a farm from the bylaw that requires the Soil Export / Import permit. My reading of the State\u2019s Right to Farm law leads me to think that the farmers can condition the soil as they see best.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">I am sharing with you the links to the Right to Farm State Law: <a href="https://mfbf.net/file/14/RIGHT-TO-FARM-LAWS11.pdf" target="_blank">https://mfbf.net/file/14/RIGHT-TO-FARM-LAWS11.pdf</a> as well as the Local Georgetown Right to Farm bylaw: <a href="https://ecode360.com/GE1475/laws/LF2145803.pdf" target="_blank">https://ecode360.com/GE1475/laws/LF2145803.pdf</a> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Have any of you come across a similar scenario where the Farmers believe they do not need the Local Special Permit because the State Law does not require it?<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto">Any help (or sharing a decision) would be appreciated.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">All the best,</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Frank O\u2019Connor, Jr.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">Planning Dept.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">One <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/Library+St.+%0D%0A+Georgetown,+MA++01833-2052?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">Library St.</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"><a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/Library+St.+%0D%0A+Georgetown,+MA++01833-2052?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">Georgetown, MA </a> <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/search/Library+St.+%0D%0A+Georgetown,+MA++01833-2052?entry=gmail&source=g" target="_blank">01833-2052</a></span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif">978-352-5713 Economic Development Hotline</span></b><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"><span style="font-family:"Arial",sans-serif"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto"> <o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class="MsoNormal">-- <br>MassPlanners mailing list<br><a href="mailto:MassPlanners@masscptc.org" target="_blank">MassPlanners@masscptc.org</a><br><a href="http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org" target="_blank">http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org</a><o:p></o:p></p></blockquote></div></div></div></div><span>-- </span><br><span>MassPlanners mailing list</span><br><span>MassPlanners@masscptc.org</span><br><span>http://masscptc.org/mailman/listinfo/massplanners_masscptc.org</span><br></div></blockquote></div></body></html>