The Town of Seward Planning Board, neighbors, and a young Amish farmer with a sawmill on Jersey Lane are hoping to find a way to make everyone happy.
Christopher Schwartz is seeking a special use permit for a sawmill at 187 Jersey Lane, a narrow, dirt, dead end road off Route 10 near the Sharon town line, on land he purchased in April.
The sawmill is already operating and neighbors have a long list of concerns that include noise, traffic, diesel fumes, and the possibility of fire.
A public hearing on the SUP held last Tuesday will remain open until the Planning Board meets again on August 11, when Chairman Richard Bates promised the issue would finally be put to rest.
“I’m glad you’re all talking about this, because it’s the only way we’re going to work through this,” Mr. Bates told Mr. Schwartz and about a dozen neighbors.
“It’s clear the neighbors aren’t happy…but I want to see things work out for Chris too.”
Mr. Schwartz said he grew up on a dairy farm and would like to milk cows on his own, but needs to establish his livelihood first.
Even then, he said, he doesn’t envision the sawmill shutting down entirely.
“I’m young and just starting up,” he said, “and I’m trying to work the farm the best I can.”
Mr. Schwartz uses a portable sawmill to do contract work on delivered logs and advertises his mill both at the site and at the end of the road.
He said he’d be willing to move the operation farther back off the road if neighbors would help with the expense, but got no takers.
Mr. Schwartz said he tries to keep his hours of operation reasonable so the noise doesn’t disturb neighbors, and Mr. Bates said that’s something that could be attached to the SUP if it’s granted—hours of operation.
“What would it take for you to accept this?” he asked the neighbors, and not for the last time. “I know it’s a big change…”
Neighbors said they bought land on Jersey Lane because it was quiet and rural and Mr. Schwartz’s operation is changing that.
Neighbor John Scott questioned whether the sawmill was agriculture or manufacturing and said he’s afraid a fire there would quickly spread.
There’s no water at the site, Mr. Scott said.
“I like Chris,” added Mr. Scott’s wife, Katie, “but a sawmill isn’t farming.”
Linda Sheets, another neighbor, said she’s already been told by two realtors that the mill will decrease her property value.
“I live on the road for peace and quiet,” she added.
The road is posted with an eight-ton limit, but enforcement is difficult, and Mr. Schwartz admitted he’s unsure how heavy the loads coming in are--though he did say there have been no tractor-trailers there.
Neighbors also pointed out that the road is steep and difficulty to negotiate in the best of times—not to mention the winter—and with much more traffic, will likely need to be rebuilt, an expensive proposition for the town.
Trying to find some common ground, Mr. Bates, pointed out that if Mr. Schwartz hadn’t purchased the land, someone else could have bought it and developed it.
“It’s clear the neighbors aren’t happy,” he said. “But Chris is our neighbor too.”
Mr. Schwartz said he’s not opposed to considering other options for his farm.
“But I’m not married to it either,” he said. “If anyone here wants to buy it…”