Community starts petition for beloved business in Chalfont
CHALFONT, Pa. (FOX 29) - A beloved Bucks County family-operated farm says they are in trouble. For years, hundreds of families have come out to Tabora Farm for community events and orchard picking.
Co-owner Patricia Torrice says with the help of her husband and four children, they are proud to call themselves a community business.
"We've made it our wonderful home for 10 years now so we love it," she says. "We consider this to be a family-oriented place with good quality food."
Torrice says their whole operation, which includes more than 50 employees is now at risk.
Last year, the Hiltown Township's zoning board cited them for a number of violations. Torrice says they appealed, spent $50,000 in legal fees, and it took most of the year to come to a decision.
Finally, in December, Torrice says they agreed to make a number of changes, which included eliminating certain outdoor activities and only holding events that are agriculture-based. They thought the whole debacle was over until January, when the Board of Supervisors decided to appeal the zoning board's decision.
She says they have issues with their deli and all outdoor events.
"They are appealing their own hand-selected boarding zone's decision," says Torrice. "It's baffling to anyone who hears of the situation because what we've been to the community is a place that's welcomed the community."
The concerns were first brought up to the township by a few neighbors.
A next-door neighbor who asked to remain anonymous says they never had any issues until the events grew in size and involved late hours, loud music, and guests wandering and driving onto their property.
"We have absolutely no interest in putting them out of business," she says. "It's the number of events they have, how big they are and I'm worried that agricultural label doesn't define it so much."
Torrice says they will attend Monday's Board of Supervisors meeting to present the petition and call on them to accept the zoning board's decision.