Appeal Hearing On Four Town Fairgrounds Usage Again Continued

SOMERS, CT — For the second time in less than two weeks, a public hearing by the Somers Zoning Board of Appeals concerning off-season use of the Four Town Fairgrounds property on Egypt Rd. was continued after more than three hours of testimony and debate.

The board met Tuesday night via Zoom teleconference to hear from attorneys representing the Union Agricultural Society of Somers, Enfield, Ellington & East Windsor, Inc. (UAS), owners of the property at 56 Egypt Road since 1960, and more than a dozen residents of Sunshine Farms Drive, Little Sorrel Lane and Country Fair Drive, a subdivision built in the late 1980s which abuts the fairgrounds.

At issue is a ruling last summer by Zoning Enforcement Officer (ZEO) Jennifer Roy, enabling the UAS to continue renting the property to outside organizations during "off-season" periods, other than the annual Four Town Fair and Hartford County 4-H Fair. Roy said based on more than 60 years of precedence, a special use permit was not required for such events, deeming them to be legal non-conforming usage.

Attorney John Parks filed an appeal on behalf of the homeowners, and after several delays, the hearing originally commenced Feb. 18, with Parks and attorney Dorian Famiglietti, representing the UAS, offering lengthy presentations on behalf of their clients. That meeting lasted more than three hours before being continued without audience members having had a chance to offer their input.

That chance came Tuesday, as five neighborhood residents spoke in favor of the appeal.

Both Angela Koehler of Sunshine Farms Drive and Diane Lopes of Little Sorrel Lane testified that Jim Taylor, zoning enforcement officer at the time of the subdivision's construction in the late 1980s, told them "only two events were held per year" at the fairgrounds. They also said Taylor was guilty of "a conflict of interest" in acting as an agent selling properties while working as ZEO.

Steven Rancourt of Sunshine Farms Drive said he fears for the safety of his three young children, stating, "Traffic is already pretty crazy on our street, which people use as a shortcut. I worry about my kids."

David Minney of Country Fair Drive, an abutter to the fair property for27 years, showed a decibel meter he owns, which he said indicates unacceptable noise levels during events on the grounds. However, he admitted he "never documented" his readings, saying he did not think he would ever have to do so.

Minney talked at length about a past event in which helicopter rides were offered, claiming, "Helicopter use vibrated my home." Janice Steinmetz, Four Town Fair secretary for over 40 years, countered the helicopters "will never be seen again."

Steinmetz and two other residents spoke against granting the appeal. Roy entered 41 emails received by her office into the record, with 37 opposed to the appeal and four in favor, including two neighbors who spoke during the hearing.

Society members contend the revenue from off-season property rentals is essential to continuation of the Four Town Fair, and stopping those rentals after so many years would likely mean an end to the fair.

Just before 10:15 p.m., after more than three hours, a motion to continue the meeting was unanimously approved. A special meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, March 16 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

Hundreds of pages of documents have been entered as exhibits from both sides. They may be found here.

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