Sec. 5.5-6. - Farm-based service businesses.

Farm-based service businesses on any intermediate or large farm as defined herein shall be allowed by issuance of a special use permit in accordance with the requirements of Section 10 of Appendix A, Zoning. The applicant for a special use permit to conduct a farm-based service business shall be the principal party who will operate the farm-based service business. When the applicant is different from the individual, partnership or corporation that has filed the required U.S. Internal Revenue Form 1040 (Schedule F) with the Internal Revenue Service, has the State of Rhode Island farm tax number, and has earned at least two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00) gross income on farm products in either of the two (2) preceding years, then both the applicant and the qualifying party as noted herein shall be present or represented at the hearing. (1)

Farm conference center. A farm conference center shall meet the following requirements:

a.

All buildings used for the conference center shall be located at least one hundred (100) feet from all property lines.

b.

The zoning board may authorize the provision of temporary accommodations in conjunction with the Farm Conference Center. However, no permanent or continuing residential occupancy shall be authorized under this section.

(2)

Farm-based contracting business. A farm-based contracting business shall meet the following requirements:

a.

The contracting business shall be carried on pursuant to a valid business certificate issued by the town clerk, through other registration with a state agency, as appropriate, and be assessed for personal property valuation by the municipal tax assessor.

b.

There shall be no more than four (4) contracting business employees on the premises who are not resident thereon and no more than four (4) non-resident contracting business employee vehicles.

c.

The external appearance and general aspect of the building so used shall be in conformity with the residential character of the neighborhood.

d.

The contracting business shall be compatible with any potentially affected residential premises.

e.

Machinery and materials used in the conduct of the contracting business, if stored outside, shall be hidden from public view, either by existing topography and/or vegetation or by provision of new screening. Such screening shall, as a minimum, comply with the standards for screening of parking and loading areas from adjacent residential areas in Appendix A, Section 28, Off-street parking.

f.

No vehicles used for the contracting business with gross vehicle weight greater than thirty thousand (30,000) pounds shall be stored or used on the property unless otherwise stipulated by special use permit.

g.

Hours of contracting business activity shall be restricted to 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. unless otherwise stipulated as part of the special use permit.

(3)

Riding academy tack shop. A riding academy tack shop shall meet the following requirements:

a.

The external appearance and general aspect of the tack shop shall be in conformity with the rural and residential character of the neighborhood.

b.

Hours of tack shop activity shall be restricted to 6:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. unless otherwise stipulated by special use permit.

c.

All tack shop buildings shall meet the minimum yard setback distances for the zoning district in which the building is located.

(Ch. 173, § VI, 9-2-03)