LEES WOODC
ArboristSite Operative
Another thread Cambium's been talking about getting a DBA and taking out a state tax permit.
That kind of blows the whole "it's only wood I use to heat my house" argument out of the water.
Zoning in Connecticut is well established. I don't think there are any towns left without it (two of the last three were near me in northeast Connecticut). It would be tough to find un-enforceable zoning provisions today.
Most of my town is zoned R-A -- Rural Agricultural. Minimum 2 acre lots, and the town's zoning regulations specifically include forestry as an agricultural activity. (As opposed to the state tax laws that specifically say it isn't ) I'd be good to go here on that alone.
Our more densely zoned areas -- R-10 (1/4 acre) and R-30 (3/4 acre), which look like the neighborhoods Cambium posted pics of his house from but photos can be deceiving -- wouldn't allow it.
Those two zones are "home office" only, basically it can't look or generate traffic any different from normal residential use.
In RA, you can get a special permit for "home business" or "home enterprise" which include non-agricultural things like excavation contractors who want to store their equipment at home, etc.
Most of the towns up in this corner have similar rules, but as Swamp Yankee points out we're way more laid back then the opposite corner of the state. My town a couple years back rejected -- shot down in flames is a better description -- a handful of proposals including a "blight ordinance" and similar stuff to give the town stronger ordinances regulating how property was maintained and looked.
Hehehehe , if you knew what I went through with my towns zoning which ended up involving an attorney it wood blow your mind. Needless to say I ended up doing what I wanted on my property after the attorney got involved. Just because the town put a law on paper don't mean it's enforcable.
Small town officers usually let power go to their head and this time it backfired.
Sounds like this lady and her kids are real dooches. I woodn't worry about it for a handfull of cords/year.