Henniker Board OK's Weddings at Forster's Tree Farm - Granite Grok

Henniker Board OK’s Weddings at Forster’s Tree Farm

forstersWell then,

Weddings are back on at Stephen Forster’s Christmas tree farm on Mount Hunger Road after the Henniker planning board voted, 6-1, to approve his site plan.

The board decided Forster’s plan was within the zoning regulations, including the town’s definition of agritourism, approved by voters in March.

“It meant something or we wouldn’t have done it,” said planning board member Rick Patenaude of the decision by voters to redefine agritourism to include weddings and other functions.

This has been a long time coming. I’ve been writing about the various bits of this story since 2012. Steve has been living it as long or longer. And I suspect it will continue to resurface as an issue, even though Steve has won this round.

The problem is that the owners/developers of the open land across from the farm are concerned that letting Forster hold weddings on his land to keep his business up and running is detrimental to their efforts. Those efforts would be the business of making money off of their land, part of which–in my opinion–involves making sure Steve Forster can’t afford to live on his.

The developers want to play Monopoly, and build some houses or some-such, but they argue that they will make less if built across the way from a Christmas Tree Farm that has weddings on the property. (Or maybe they just hate love?)

The Planning board (1st time ever, I suspect) sided with Steve Forster, based on recent changes following a local election. The locals think Stephen should be able to hold weddings on his farm and that’s that. He submitted a plan, the plan meets the requirements, and they said go, even if that only means that they couldn’t say no.

And now the developers don’t feel loved.

Maybe they could develop a better tree farm with better weddings across the street? That would be a lot of work, though.

They could just sell to builders or build houses, purchased by people (unlike them) who see the charm in having a Christmas Tree Farm across the way (see also, undeveloped open space). A place within walking distance to send their kids to learn about tree farming, or the value of a day’s work, or even (Lord Help Us) to get married.

Rustic weddings are increasing in popularity and a lot of states allow farms to hold them. Steve Forster’s will provide an additional source of summer revenue to some of the other merchants in town, attracting people and money that might otherwise never set foot in the uptight little hamlet. Who knows, maybe they’ll decide to buy a house there!

The developers, for their part, can still make a bunch of money playing Monopoly because unless you are a complete idiot adding useful buildings to property of the right sort at the right time always increases its value.

Whatever the outcome for now Steve can hold weddings on his farm. We’ll see if that’s till the deal after next year’s election.

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