Some San Luis Obispo County residents, like Mellissa Clark, have long cherished local farm stands.
“It's really nice to just have that direct contact with the person and also it just supports people in our community and that's really important to me," Clark said.
However, five farm stands are now facing uncertainty after the San Luis Obispo County Department of Public Health says one person has been filing a series of complaints.
“This is her pride and joy you know, [to] produce things that she could sell to the community," said Mark Coleman, whose wife, Julie, operates Marmalade Mornings in Arroyo Grande off Village Glen Drive.
Following a complaint about the products she was selling, Coleman says Public Health visited the stand and asked his wife to obtain a $161 per year permit that allows food to be prepared in someone’s home.
“Foods other than fruits, vegetables and eggs we want to make sure that they are coming from an approved source, and we also want to make sure that they're being stored safely," explained Leslie Terry, SLO County Supervising Environmental Health Specialist.
After complying with the request, Coleman says their stand faced another anonymous complaint weeks later regarding its area permitting, which led to a halt in sales as they navigate the permitting process and added costs.
“We make $50 a weekend on these stands. You know, when the county is asking us to, you know, pay $2,800 to have a plan check, you lose hope!” Coleman said.
Farm stand owners including Coleman are wondering how the county's Department of Planning and Building handles the permits, why processing takes so long, and why it's so costly.
“I know what the community is just looking for.... [is] equal treatment for everybody. It's consistency in messaging. It's consistency in process. It's making full disclosure as far as what we're supposed to do before we do it,” Coleman said.
KSBY News reached out to the Department of Planning and Building for that information but has yet to receive a response.
The Public Health Department suggests farm stand owners check with their city to make sure stands are allowed. If the stand falls under county jurisdiction, owners are advised to confirm, based on zoning, what's allowed on their property.
