Doe Run Farm hearing

On Jan. 5, at long last, Dick Hayne appeared before the West Marlborough Township supervisors to explain what's been going on in the creamery at his Doe Run Farm since August 2009.
Even though he's been making cheese and selling it at his Terrain stores and at local farmers' markets, Mr. Hayne (the billionaire founder of the Urban Outfitters chain) only recently applied for the township permission he needs to do so.
Speaking at a township meeting for the first time ever, he admitted that "this is technically a commercial use, but we look at it as an accessory use" to the site's main agricultural zoning. He explained to the board that although making cheese is "vaguely a business," he sees it as "largely a hobby" -- and a money-losing one at that.
The dairy manager at Doe Run Farm, Kristian Holbrook, provided an interesting overview of the cheese-making process and said they are currently making almost as much cheese as they have room for.
"I'd say we're using 80% of our abilities," he told the supervisors. "The cheese aging caves are very close to being maximized."
Cheese is made every two or three days, whenever enough milk is obtained from the farm's animals (27 sheep, 17 cows, 22 goats). Each gallon of milk makes one pound of cheese, he said.
He said there are only four employees, including himself, and truck traffic is minimal: a UPS pickup once a week, UPS deliveries to the creamery maybe once a month and every-other-month feed deliveries for the animals, which are mostly grass-fed. He said the cheese is made using only the farm's own milk, with no milk shipped in.
The creamery creates no odor, noise, glare or vibration, he said, and the state department of agriculture regularly tests the cheese, milk and water for bacteria. He said he tries to minimize his water use and tries to re-use as much whey as possible.
Michael J. Gladnick, a land planner for Mr. Hayne, explained what happens to the wastewater from the creamery. He said it has a permit to handle 350 gallons of water a day. This meets county requirements, which are calculated based on the number of "facilities generating effluent" (meaning sinks, toilets and drains) and the square footage of the processing facility. He said the only chemicals used to clean the equipment and tanks are detergent and a very dilute chlorine solution.
When asked how manure in the milking area was handled, Mr. Gladnick said the floors are hosed down, the manure is kept in agricultural tanks and then hauled away when the tanks are full.
Both Mr. Holbrook and Mr. Gladnick said the parking and loading area and the driveway are adequate for minimal truck traffic and deliveries, although the township's solicitor suggested that perhaps the zoning code would require a wider driveway off Hicks Road for a commercial use rather than an agricultural use.
Dave Ziel, another of Mr. Hayne's reps, argued that the driveway should remain 12 feet in width.
Al Giannantonio, the township engineer, told Mr. Hayne's reps that under the Uniform Commercial Code, the creamery is no longer considered an agricultural building because it is now being used for a commercial purpose. He said that means that the buildings would require permits from the township, along with "the appropriate fees."
At the end of the hearing the supervisors said they wanted to reflect on what they had heard and are expected to discuss the matter at their Feb. 7 meeting.