Summit County grants permanent status to Copper Moose farm stand

Copper Moose Farm Photo: TownLift

PARK CITY, Utah— The Snyderville Basin Planning Commission on Tuesday unanimously approved a conditional-use permit that allows Copper Moose Farms to keep its Old Ranch Road farm stand open year-round without reapplying for a temporary permit each spring.

The 5-0 vote replaces the seasonal stand’s annual temporary-use permits with a permanent conditional-use permit tied to new county rules adopted earlier this year.

“This is not a new use in this location — it’s been around for at least 10 years,” principal planner Ray Miliner told the commission. “What this would do is, rather than be a temporary use where they come in and reapply every year, it would become permanent.”

Under the permit, at least 50 percent of goods sold must be grown or produced on-site, and sales are limited to local agricultural products and pre-packaged foods. Hot-food service, food trucks and large gatherings such as weddings will require separate special-event permits, Miliner said.

Copper Moose owner Kristi Cumming welcomed the certainty the decision provides. “Having been in operation for  almost 20 years, I feel like we’re a really important part of our community on Old Ranch Road,” she told commissioners. “This whole process is about giving us some certainty about our future. A temporary use permit, it just doesn’t give us that.”

Planner Jason Boal, representing Cumming, noted that the county and commissioners vetted the new farm-stand ordinance last fall and the County Council approved it in March. “When you’re reviewing this conditional-use permit, it is unique in that it’s been vetted recently, and the standards have been reviewed recently,” he said.

Copper Moose’s 1,500-square-foot farm stand sits on a 1.09-acre parcel at 1285 W. Old Ranch Road, adjacent to approximately three acres of vegetable, flower and herb fields and a 2,400-square-foot greenhouse. The stand currently operates three to four days a week from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, with limited winter hours based on product availability.

Public comments were largely supportive. One county resident told commissioners she hoped “everyone that’s here has been to Copper Moose so they can see what a great job they do.” Former Snyderville Basin planning commissioner Debi Scoggan urged strict adherence to the new conditions to prevent mission creep. “We cannot afford to have any of that – serving hot food, having food trucks,” she said, adding that the ordinance “is going to go county-wide, so we need more protection, not less.”

Commissioner Heather Peteroy praised the model. “As someone who gets my CSA from the farm stand, I’m excited to see you continuing to be part of our community,” she said before joining the unanimous vote.

With the permit in place, Copper Moose can invest in rebuilding hoop houses and other infrastructure without fearing that changing rules could shutter the stand. “I believe that in this area, on Old Ranch Road, it is the right location for a farm stand, and it is the right location for agriculture,” Cumming said.