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Hadley – A farmer who applied to the selection board for an entertainment license so the band could perform at his ice cream stand again in the warmer weather months has argued that Hadley’s staff and council were intentionally in his path set up barriers.
At the March 15 special committee meeting, the agenda included 100 Mill Valley Road as a discussion item, and Bruce Jenks, who runs Maple Valley’s Scoops in Silos at the site, criticized officials for including his property on the agenda but was not invited discuss.
The expanded agenda states that “the special committee will discuss the impact of the property’s APR status and permits,” referring to the Agricultural Conservation Restriction Program that protects farmland. One question that needs to be answered is whether entertainment licenses are prohibited because of the site’s APR status.
Jenks says what he does is no different than many of Hadley’s other farms.
“It’s almost an offense for us to do business in this town at this time,” Jenks said.
Select board member Randy Izer said he wanted to make it clear that everything that happened on the Jenks farm was permitted by the APR before the board made a decision on the recreational license at its April 5 meeting.
“We’re trying to figure out how to make things work for you,” Izer said.
The planning committee has recently recommended an entertainment permit for the Jenks business so that the site can have speakers and music every week and parking for up to 60 cars Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11.30am to 8pm :30.
Jenks said that in addition to being excluded from special committee meetings, he felt that he and the operators of the El Durango Taco Trucks he invited to the site every week for installation were generally mistreated.
He claims the food truck owner was accosted by a town employee who threatened that the town would not allow the operation. The interaction led to chatter that Jenks would not get his driver’s license, or that it would be suspended.
“The level of incest by this group of people at City Hall is very concerning,” Jenks said.
Jenks said he did some good in Hadley, bringing people into town and educating them about farm life.
“It’s not a dump, it’s not a cow full of shit, it’s a showcase for people to understand what farming is,” Jenks said.
Town Mayor Carolyn Brennan disputed Jenks’ allegations against town staff, including Jenks’ claim that an employee tried to stop the food truck from showing up.
But town zoning does not allow food trucks to operate seasonally, but allows them to be used for special events, such as the annual asparagus festival, Izer said.
“We’re doing the best we can,” Izer said. “We can’t let it magically happen.”
Still, Jenks said the ice cream stand on Lawrence Plains Road was a permanent food truck, while Izer said his understanding was that it was outdated.
“I just don’t understand how we can be the sole focus of every meeting,” Jenks said.
Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.
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