By Thane Grauel

WESTPORT — Asking for permission to expand a barn at Wakeman Town Farm was not a tough row to hoe Monday night.

The Planning and Zoning Commission’s members unanimously gave a positive recommendation for an 8-24 request.

The request, required for a significant re-use of a municipally owned property, was filed by Peter Romano of LandTech on behalf of the town of Westport. The nonprofit farm at 134 Cross Highway for generations was owned by the Wakeman family but is now a town property.

The barn update is a years-long effort. According to application materials, “The project is being funded by private donations to Wakeman Town Farm, ARPA funds and a town loan allocated to the farm by First Selectwoman Jennifer Tooker.”

“It’s useful, but at this point with the robust programs they have there on the farm, they’re looking to improve and the services this will eventually be able to provide for the students and the guests,” Romano said of the structure.

Phil Cerrone, an architect, said a large portion of the barn, the left side looking at it from Wakeman Farm Drive, would be knocked down and rebuilt from the ground up.

The revamped barn will have a store to sell farm-produced products including honey and maple syrup, a large activity room, a storage area, a sprout house and other spaces.

“We’re trying to keep the character as close to what was there and yet improve it,” Cerrone said.

“This is a very exciting project that we’ve been working on for years three years,” said Liz Milwe, co-chair of the farm committee.

“With all our classes and camps, we really need and started to focus on was expanding where we could have some program areas,” she said.

Commission members all had positive remarks about the farm and its value to the community.

Member Michael Cammeyer began a discussion about expanding parking along Wakeman Farm Drive, noting that during events spaces fill up fast. Neil Cohn had questions about the kitchen at the farm, which is rented out for special events, and wondered if some safeguards should be in place.

The Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval was unanimous, but Planning and Zoning Director Mary Young pointed out that it was just the start of a long bureaucratic process. And, she said, some earlier approvals — including that of the Historic District Commission — have been plowed under by significant tweaks to the plans.

“Apparently the plans have evolved, and the certificate of appropriateness granted by the local Historic District Commission, as this property is a local historic property, does not match the current proposal,” Young said. “Therefore, they will need to return to get a new certificate of appropriateness, and if there isn’t enough architects in the room they will then go the Architectural Review Board and get their advisory opinion.”

“They will also need to get a sign-off from the Conservation Department, as I assess this they will need variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and then if they haven’t exhausted that, they will be back before the Planning and Zoning Commission to be seeking special permit/site plan approval,” she said.

“So, this will not be the last time you see this project,” Young said. “You’ll see a more refined version of it at that last step of the process.”

Thane Grauel grew up in Westport and has been a journalist in Fairfield County and beyond for 36 years. Reach him at editor@westportjournal.com. Learn more about us here.