Planners back farmworker housing in Lyndonville to support potato operation

ALBION – The Orleans County Planning Board is recommending the Town of Yates approve a special use permit for Call Farms in Batavia for farmworker housing at 2162 Lyndonville Rd.

Call Farms has already built two barns near the property as part of a new seed potato operation. They would use an existing house for about 10 farmworkers who would be in the H2A guest worker program. The house is south of the Village of Lyndonville on Route 63 ina residential-agricultural district.

The house for farmworkers is not expected to result in a significant increase in traffic to the area, the County Planning Board said during its meeting on Thursday in Albion.

“It’s a positive thing for the community,” said Planning Board member Gary Daum of Lyndonville. “Call Farms is a first-class operation. They’re very conscientious.”

Call Farms isn’t planning any exterior work on the house, but will do a small amount of interior work and may need to enlarge the septic system if required by the Orleans County Health Department.

The Planning Board also acted on another referral from the Town of Yates. The board supported a special use permit for Kervin Stauffer to run a home business repairing hydraulic cylinders and heavy equipment, and could include part sales at 11916 Roosevelt Highway, which is in a residential-agricultural district.

Stauffer wants to build a 10-by-12-foot storage shed and 50-by-70-foot accessory structure for the business.