Fitchburg Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee Meeting - April 21, 2026

The Fitchburg Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee met on April 21, 2026, to consider two zoning ordinances tied to farmland preservation and agricultural zoning. Present were interim chair Amy Johan and alders Micah Ladoza, Adam Gyle, Shelly Mulasky, and George Broman; Chair Mark Jones and Vice Chair Roger Cohe were excused. The committee approved the prior meeting minutes, heard no public comments, amended and approved both ordinances, and received an update on next steps.

Consent Calendar

• Approved, by voice vote with no opposition, the minutes of the March 17, 2026 Agricultural and Rural Affairs Committee meeting.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public appeared in person or on Zoom for public appearances on non-agenda items.

Discussion Items

• Ordinance 2026-O-07 - Farmland preservation rezoning: Staff described a packet of 13 parcels and said the ordinance would rezone a small number of properties to bring the city's AX exclusive agricultural zoning into line with the adopted farmland preservation area map. The largest group is proposed for RL low-density residential, with staff noting those parcels are in the greenfield Future Urban Development Area; some larger lots are proposed for rural residential; and about six parcels are proposed to move from exclusive agricultural to transitional agricultural (AT). Staff explained that AT has the same dimensional standards as AX but is not a certified farmland preservation zoning district, so it does not provide the farmland preservation tax credit eligibility associated with AX. Staff also said the change would not affect how the property could be used.

• Bowman Farms request: Staff reported receiving a letter from Andy Bowman asking that his four parcels in the Magaw Neighborhood Plan remain in or return to AX zoning. The two northern Bowman parcels were removed from the farmland preservation program in 2023 in anticipation of development, but Bowman now wants to continue farming and prefers no foreseeable future development. Several committee members questioned whether the city should oppose the landowner's request since keeping the parcels in AX would have little practical impact on the city. A committee member moved to amend Ordinance 2026-O-07 to keep the Bowman property in AX zoning, as requested by the landowner; the amendment was seconded and passed by voice vote with no opposition.

• Ordinance 2026-O-08 - AX and AS agricultural zoning updates: Staff said the ordinance updates the exclusive agricultural (AX) and small-lot agricultural (AS) districts and related definitions as part of preparing the AX district for state recertification. Changes include simplifying fireworks and open-fire rules to require fire department approval, replacing a list of specific livestock with a general livestock definition, making new farm residences conditional uses instead of permitted uses, removing the 50% income category from the farm-residence definition, and adding AS conditional uses for horse boarding, breeding, training, and other equestrian facilities. The state Department of Agriculture provided a preliminary review indicating the ordinance appeared to comply with state statutes and DATCP rules.

• Committee discussion on Ordinance 2026-O-08: Members asked about farm-residence criteria, storage in existing farm buildings, and the proposed caretaker residence for equestrian facilities. Staff said the storage allowance was intended to help preserve older farm buildings and provide limited income, not to facilitate another major commercial business. The committee agreed to change the caretaker-residence language so the attached residence is occupied by a caretaker rather than an operator.

Department Update

• Staff reported that both ordinances were scheduled to go to the Plan Commission later that evening and to the City Council the following week. If approved, the city would amend its farmland preservation plan map before the county's requested September update, then apply to the state to recertify the AX zoning district. For the comprehensive plan and zoning code update, the city received nine proposals for the comprehensive plan and eight for the zoning code, interviewed four consultant teams, and selected a preferred consultant; a contract is expected to be brought to the Plan Commission and City Council next month.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the March 17, 2026 meeting minutes by voice vote with no opposition.
• Amended Ordinance 2026-O-07 to keep the Bowman parcels in AX zoning, then approved Ordinance 2026-O-07 as amended by voice vote with no opposition.
• Approved Ordinance 2026-O-08 with the caretaker-language amendment by voice vote with no opposition.
• Next steps: Plan Commission review later that evening; City Council action the following week; farmland preservation map amendment before September; state AX recertification application; and a consultant contract for the comprehensive plan and zoning code update next month.