Carlson Orchards will be allowed to continue serving hard cider at its Cider Barn for another year. The Select Board approved a one-year renewal of a Farmer Series Pouring Permit by a unanimous vote, with member Lucy Wallace absent. However, at the urging of Select Board member Rich Maiore, the board agreed to discuss new traffic control measures in May of 2021 if the COVID-19 rules that appeared to intensify bottlenecks on Oak Hill Road this fall are still in effect.
The pouring license was first granted to Carlson Orchards in early 2020 and was tied to conditions governing parking, maximum seating capacity, and hours of operation. The license allows the orchard to serve hard cider in its 2,520-square-foot taproom. Without the pouring license, the orchard would be allowed to sell the cider only in its farm store but would not be able to serve it by the glass in the taproom.
At the hearing preceding the favorable vote, three of the Cider Barn’s neighbors described traffic jams and unacceptable behavior by orchard visitors that included removing traffic cones meant to bar entry to private property, trespassing in the neighbors’ driveways and yards, and on several occasions, using the yards “as bathrooms.”
Select Board member Stu Sklar confirmed that traffic in and out of the orchard was heavy starting in September this year and lasting through apple-picking season. Prompted by a question from member Kara Minar, Franklyn Carlson said the vehicle count in the parking lot was restricted to 150, lower than the 350 that would have been allowed if not for COVID-19. Minar speculated that absent COVID restrictions, the parking lot could have absorbed the cars and avoided the backups. Chair Alice von Loesecke noted the possibility that a crush of out-of-towners, eager for an outdoor adventure, could have factored into the problem. “If there are the same limits next year, then we step in … to alleviate the problem,” she said.
Select Board member Rich Maiore insisted on addressing neighborhood complaints before the next renewal hearing. “This is beyond a nuisance. I’m in favor of the license … but I’m not in favor of waiting another year to address [the problems],” he said.
Prompted by an abutter’s allegation that Carlson Orchards’ septic system might be insufficient, the board also agreed to “gain a better understanding” of that issue, though it acknowledged this was the job of the Harvard Board of Health and Nashoba Associated Boards of Health. Conditions in the permit set occupancy in the taproom, covered porch, and outdoor patio at no more than 239 people, based on the size of those areas, but they do not refer to septic system limits.
