🔒Instead of 25 homes, longtime Cheshire property to remain farm, gain indoor event center

It took a public outcry, more than $5 million and a text amendment to town zoning regulations, but the longtime Norton Brothers Fruit Farm in Cheshire will remain a farm — with the addition of a building for indoor events. Last week, the Cheshire Planning and Zoning Commission approved applications for a special permit and site plan to construct an indoor event venue at 466 Academy Road. The site is part of the Norton family farm, which had operated for nearly 270 years before abruptly closing in May last year. The applications were filed by Kelly’s Farm LLC, which is owned by Cheshire residents William E. Cunningham Jr. and his wife, Sandy. Kelly’s Farm is the new name for the LLC, which was changed in June from DEWC LLC, according to state business listings. DEWC LLC is the entity that acquired the Norton farm’s more than 43 acres on Academy Road on May 8 for $5.05 million, according to town land records. At that time, the principals of DEWC LLC were Cunningham and Dr. David Esposito, a vascular surgeon who resides in Milford. Esposito is no longer a principal in Kelly’s Farm LLC and is no longer an owner of the farm, Cunningham said Monday. That sale of the farm came just a week after Birdsey Development LLC, owned by Phillip Bowman, had acquired the property for $3.05 million from Norton Family Partnership LLP. Birdsey Development was granted approval in February by the Planning and Zoning Commission to develop 25 residential homes on the farm property, over the objections of Cheshire residents, who mobilized to fight the project. In a recent telephone interview, Cunningham, CEO of Cheshire-based IAT Insurance Group, said he and his wife have each lived in the town for more than five decades and raised their children there. “So when we heard that (Norton’s Farm) was sold to a developer, that's where I got involved,” he said. “We wanted to make sure that it was going to stay a farm forever and not be developed.” After attempts to convince others to buy the property, Cunningham worked with the town, Cheshire Land Trust and the developer and eventually agreed to buy it. Cunningham said he is now negotiating an easement “so that it will remain agricultural, and we're working on that with the town and land trust.” The easement is now a requirement before the event venue can be constructed. It is part of a text amendment to town zoning regulations that was proposed by Kelly’s Farm LLC and approved earlier this year. Previously, town zoning regulations allowed only outdoor event venues in the R-40 residential zone, which includes farms, Cunningham said. The regulations also limited such events to being held between May and October, restricted attendance to a maximum of 400 people and required events to end by 10 p.m. Cunningham, however, wanted to host events year ‘round and believed holding them indoors would be preferred by the farm’s neighbors. Creating the indoor event venue, he added, will help support the farm’s operations because the prohibitive cost of operating a farm is why the Norton family decided to close. “We wanted to … create an environment where we could keep people employed and keep the farm thriving financially,” he said. “The primary business is the farm, and the farm is going to continue to be a fruit orchard.” The text amendment not only allows for indoor venues that can seat up to 275 people, it also requires farms to set aside at least 60% of its land in “a restricted use-type easement,” Cunningham said. According to the site plan application, the event building, to be called The Barn Yard, will be constructed on the southern portion of the 43.25-acre parcel and will include a new 106-vehicle parking area, sidewalks and “all associated site infrastructure.” The site plans do not disclose the square footage of the building, which is designed to look like a barn. Cunningham declined to discuss specifics of the building until the easement with the town is finalized, which he said he expects will happen in September. He did say the intent is to provide a site for weddings and similar gatherings, including business conferences. The building also can provide shelter for farm visitors when it rains and offer them a place to relax and enjoy a cup of coffee. Because Cunningham and his wife have no experience running a farm, that part of the business will be handled by Tim Perry, a member of the extended Norton family. “Tim's been farming the land for for 32 years and he is going to continue to farm it for us,” Cunningham said.