Commission presses Sherwood Farm applicant to define nursery scope and storage practices after sitewalk

Tom Hegny, representing Sherwood Farm LLC, described a long‑running nursery operation on a ~3‑acre site that supplies specialized materials for rain‑garden installations and provides plant and soil mixes to contractors on request. Hegny said the operation is not open to the general public and that most material passes through the site quickly, but commissioners and conservation staff flagged recent changes visible from aerial photos and a sitewalk.

Commission concerns: Staff and commissioners asked the applicant to confirm the business model and provide a breakdown of activity (percentage of business devoted to wetlands/rain‑garden propagation vs broader wholesale landscaping material). Commissioners noted gravel drive expansions and areas used to store plant material and asked whether material is stockpiled under the drip line of mature trees, which could harm root systems. They also asked the applicant to remove roadside signage for firewood sales and to confirm compliance with 2022 permit conditions (limits on storage heights, distance from wetlands and limits on on‑site retail).

Applicant response: Hegny characterized non‑rain‑garden sales (hand tools, seed, fertilizer) as ancillary accommodations to contractor customers and said the operation’s primary focus remains rain‑garden and wetland plant material. He told the commission that inventory is typically moved quickly (material arrives and is dispatched to contractors) and that on the sitewalk commissioners saw a limited amount of staged material on the day of visit. He agreed to provide a clearer written description of the intended business scope, inventory turnover practices and to coordinate another site visit if requested.

Next steps: The commission asked the applicant to return with a precise scope statement, inventory/turnover metrics, confirmation of stockpile locations and bin heights, and any corrected or clarifying plans. Conservation and staff will re‑review once those materials arrive; the commission indicated it may hold another sitewalk during planting season.