sugar house building permit

I was recently told by an equipment dealer that a building permit is not required when building or modifying a sugar house because making maple syrup is considered to be "agricultural" It sounded like he had a bit of trouble convincing his local people, but the higher-ups at the state level said it was so. Do any of you guys have any insight on that as it pertains here in N.Y.? I was just wondering how big the battle would be and is it even worth the effort( Uh oh,I must be gettin old!)If it is sort of "common knowledge" it may be a road worth going down, but if it's one of those "What I think they meant" deals it may be best to just drop it. We've talked to the permit people a couple times now on different ideas we had and didn't want to get them rolling their eyes before we even got started. You guys have plenty of reasons for rolling your eyes, but we never even sense it. Thanks

It would be just great if you were to finish filling in your profile so that everyone knows where you are from. the best place to ask that ? is with the dept of Ag & Markets( Albany) In a recent (I think) maple news there was an article that said that if anyone build a new SH they could get a 10 year tax break on it.

You should not need to obtain a building permit for a sugar house under an AG umbrella in NYS. If you are in a town with close neighbors the local laws may require a certain setback from property lines etc. Your local building inspector should be able to answer any questions that you may have, thats what they get paid for.( Talk to the local guy first) Be sure to let them know that the buildings only use will be Ag ( Do not mention any retail that you may or may not be doing at the sugarhouse) I deal with building inspectors from different townships (Urban and Rural) all the time. They all like maple syrup, They are alwayse right. They will be your best friend for a little free syrup.What fred said about taxes is true.(Thanks Sen Joe Bruno) :D Super sappy

Even here in Ohio, If it is Ag. related you don't need a building permit. As long as your property is zoned Ag. Although you should get a zoneing permit.

I was told that was the law here in Michigan.....after I had my building framed in I received a visit from our local building Inspector and was told making maple syrup was not an agricultural venture? I tried to fight the Twp. with no avail. Rather than get an attourney and go to court I just paid the permit fee. Then got my new tax assesment, now the new property tax assesment on the building cost more than the syrup I produce in the building is worth! Only in America! Mark

I sure wish I had known that before i started mine IN NYS. I got a permit and had no problems but would have rather not let them even know what I was building. I WAS however forced to get a special approval (do not remember the details) because I was building the sugarhouse on a property with no primary structure (no house etc). This special approval delayed me for 3 months back in the late summer of 03. I applied in mid Aug (turns out it was the day after a cut off date to get such matters on the agenda for the meeting to discuss such things). Then in Sept it was on the agenda, but they require that it be discussed one month and voted on the next. Then when Oct came around they did not have a quarem to vote and in Nov it finally came up to vote. The chairman of this comittee then said they had no say because it was agri. and they rubber stamped it. Then I called the excavator man who did the digging in 3 or 4 days. I wondered why this chairman hadn't said they had no vote when it was put before the committee and I could have began in Sept instead of Nov, or even why the codes officer had told me i needed to go before this committee, everything was stacked against me. I just get irritated with these permit guys throwing their weight around when they have no authority to do so.

I had a property assesor who was working for the town come snooping around on my property a couple years ago when I had some logging done. Most of my property is in "Current use" which means that the part that is in current use is taxed at a lower rate because it is only used as wood or pasture land. He saw all of the logging equipment and thought it was mine and a violation of the current use laws.

That happened in January and in late November , just before Christmas, I got a bill for $2,500 for a current use penalty and that they had taken a 2 acre field out of current use because of the so called violations. The thing that the assesor didn't know was that !/2 of the field belongs to my daughter and is already out of current use and all of the logging equipment was gone. After going to the state to get a copy of the current use laws I found that I wasn't in violation anyway. I stated the facts of the matter to the town and to the assesor and the penalty was dropped.

If the assesor had talked to me first we could have cleared the matter up without him going to the town and them sending me a bill for his mistake.

Russ

Well, it sounds like there's a shot anyway. It does sound a little fuzzy though. I guess it all depends on the person your dealing with, and the only way to find out is to ask them. At least there's some merit to the ag umbrella aspect.

We have a new town assesor here. He jacked my taxes this year for the sugar house. A phone call took care of that. I did think that it was interesting that he has an addition going on at his house and he has no building permit posted. This guy drove all over town this past year breaking balls then pulls that. * small town politics,I ll enjoy them wile they last.6 new building lots on my road this month.-Super sappy

I am not sure on the ins and out of build a sugarhouse in our town, but I do now there is alot of trouble coming from (city slickers). Th move to town to get away from the city life they had lived and want to change everything. They need the biggest motion light in there yard. They want all the roads paved so they can drive there $60,000.00 BMW 100 mph on the back roads. They want all the farmers to stop hauling sh--. They complain when sugarmakers hual sap on muddy roads.
And the list goes on. I do know there are a few of us that are watching our local planning comission and zoning board to make sure it doesn't get fillled with all city folks. I hope we can do it. Cause if they get the majority it will be really hard for anyone to do anything.
Good luck with your permit.
Pete