Cheshire Planning and Zoning Approves Text Amendment Paving Way for Farm Wedding Venue

Planning and Zoning · Meeting of June 8, 2026

Cheshire Planning and Zoning votes unanimously to allow farm wedding venues under amended zoning text. The commission approved a petition by DEWC LLC — now operating as Kelly Farms LLC — to amend Sections 3.4 and 3.8 of the town's zoning regulations at its June 8 meeting, opening a regulatory pathway for indoor event venues on farms of 25 or more contiguous acres located on a state highway, provided at least 60 percent of the acreage is placed under a permanent development restriction. Applicant William Cunningham, who purchased the former Norton Brothers Fruit Farm on Academy Road for $5,050,000, described plans for a timber-frame indoor venue capped at 275 attendees — a limit the commission negotiated and added to the amendment on the floor — with a $2.5 million conservation easement to be funded by the town, the state, and potentially the Cheshire Land Trust.

Attorney Christopher Russo of Pullman and Comley represented the applicant. Neighbors near the property raised pointed objections to the application's original language, noting it would have expanded the outdoor event calendar from 78 days a year to 365 and eliminated the existing three-events-per-week cap; the commission reverted the outdoor regulations to their current parameters as a condition of approval. The amendment as passed applies to only two eligible Cheshire properties: Kelly Farms and Hickory Orchards.

In the full story:

• The complete report — 981 words

Source: the Planning and Zoning meeting of June 8, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.

CHESHIRE — June 8, 2026 — The Cheshire Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously Monday to approve a zoning text amendment that creates a regulatory pathway for indoor event venues on qualifying farm properties, opening the door for a planned wedding barn at the former Norton Brothers Fruit Farm on Academy Road.

The vote, which came after more than two hours of public testimony and commission deliberation, amends Sections 3.4 and 3.8 of the town's zoning regulations governing large outdoor events and activities. The amendment as approved limits indoor event capacity to 275 attendees and leaves existing outdoor event regulations unchanged, with indoor events permitted year-round.

The Full Story

Attorney Christopher Russo of Pullman and Comley, representing applicant DEWC LLC, now operating as Kelly Farms LLC, opened the hearing by presenting the petition to amend the town's zoning text. William Cunningham, a principal of the applicant, then delivered an extended address explaining the history and financial structure of the project.

Cunningham said he and business partner Dave Esposito purchased the property — formerly Norton Brothers Fruit Farm — for $5,050,000 from a developer who had paid $3 million for it and received approval for a 25-lot subdivision. Cunningham said he intends to place a conservation easement on at least 60 percent of the acreage, restricting development in perpetuity, in exchange for $2.5 million in easement funding from the town of Cheshire, the state of Connecticut, and potentially the Cheshire Land Trust. He said the property also requires roughly $500,000 to $600,000 in repairs to the farmhouse, $300,000 in farm equipment, and several hundred thousand dollars to restore the retail store — totaling approximately $3.7 million in additional investment after easement proceeds are returned.

"I wouldn't have spent a dollar on this if I wasn't doing it to prevent it forever," Cunningham said. "I took that risk going in." [No timestamp index supplied]

The proposed indoor venue, Cunningham said, would be a timber-frame structure with structural insulated panels capable of muting approximately 80 percent of interior sound. He said typical events would host between 120 and 200 guests, with a standing maximum of 275. He read a letter from Tim and Tara Perry, the family that operated Norton Brothers Fruit Farm for more than 30 years, expressing full support and noting that historical farm operations generated more noise and traffic than the proposed venue would.

Public comment drew roughly 20 speakers, the majority expressing support. Several residents, including Mike Cecharulli, president of the Cheshire Land Trust and a land use attorney, cited the town's Plan of Conservation and Development, which identifies adaptive reuse of agricultural properties as a goal.

"Your plan of conservation and development specifically identifies adaptive reuse as a goal for agricultural property," Cecharulli said. "If Drazen Orchard were to become available, I would do everything in my power to conserve that property."

Neighbors closest to the property raised pointed concerns about the gap between Cunningham's stated vision and the language of the submitted application. Peter Grant, of 30 Judson Court, told the commission the application as written would expand the outdoor event calendar from 78 days a year to 365 days a year, eliminate the existing cap of three weekly events, and impose no restriction on simultaneous events. Larissa Lenihan, also of 30 Judson Court, noted the limit on indoor attendees was tied only to building size and that the submitted text eliminated the requirement for a list of scheduled events.

In response to those concerns, the commission worked with Russo and Cunningham to negotiate amendments before voting. Cunningham agreed to cap indoor attendance at 275, to leave outdoor regulations at their current parameters rather than expanding them, and to pursue further conditions — including potential simultaneous-event restrictions and building size limits — through a subsequent special permit process. The commission also discussed, but deferred to the special permit stage, questions about a building footprint ceiling, with Cunningham stating the structure would likely be between 7,000 and 9,000 square feet.

"I think it's a great idea. I think it'd be a great addition to the town," said one commission member after the deliberation, adding that the questions raised about zone text scope — and how changes could affect other eligible farms — had been important to address.

The text amendment, as approved, applies to any farm of 25 or more contiguous acres located on a state highway that places at least 60 percent of its acreage under a restriction prohibiting development. Commission members noted that currently only two properties in Cheshire would qualify: Kelly Farms and Hickory Orchards.

Why It Matters

The vote is the first of two required steps before any construction can begin at Kelly Farms. The Cunninghams must return to the commission with a full special permit application including a detailed site plan before the barn venue can be approved or built. Neighbors, including those who raised concerns about noise, traffic, light pollution, and wastewater capacity, will have another formal opportunity to comment at that stage. The commission urged nearby residents to attend the special permit hearing.

The conservation easement arrangement — which conditions the project on placing at least 60 percent of the property under a permanent development restriction — still requires agreement between the applicant and the town council, the body that controls the $1.5 million open-space referendum fund. That agreement has not been finalized. Cunningham acknowledged publicly that the project could not proceed if the easement terms cannot be resolved.

Key Motions & Votes

- Vote: Approve petition for zone text amendment by DEWC LLC, amending Sections 3.4 and 3.8 for large outdoor events and activities, with outdoor regulations reverted to current existing parameters and indoor events capped at 275 attendees Tally: Approved unanimously

- Vote: Approve minutes of the May 11 public hearing and regular meeting Tally: Approved unanimously

Source Cheshire's community access TV: Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, June 8, 2026