Southington PZC OK's New Baking Business

SOUTHINGTON, CT — The town's local baking scene is getting a bit larger after the local zoning board granted one Southington resident a permit to open a baking business in her home.

While Karen Veilleaux's home on Beal Drive will not be a retail operation, it will be home base for her cookie/scone mix/shortbread baking operation that will sell products at area farmers markets.

On July 18, the Southington Planning and Zoning Commission unanomously voted to approve a so-called "cottage food license" for Veilleaux, with her application drawing no comments at a public hearing that evening.

In addition to farmers market sales, Veilleaux is expected to do her own deliveries for any orders she might receive. "I'm not expecting lots of people driving to the home and things like that," she said at the PZC meeting.

No sales or outside signage at Beal Drive will be part of her business.

"I'm planning on making cookies, scone mixes and shortbread and things like that to sell at the farmers market," Veilleaux said. "I do have a full-time job so this would totally be a side business."

The motion easily passed 7-0 after a quick public hearing.

That was followed by a brief discussion by the PZC chairman indicating support for future applications being decided at Southington Town Hall rather than having them go before the PZC.

"I hope that we can move in that direction in the future, just because these are really, sort of, an administrative approval," Southington PZC Chairman Robert Hammersley said, alluding to ongoing talks with local officials on the procedures.

For the minutes of the July 18 Southington Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, click on this link.

For all documents related to the Beal Drive cottage food license application, click on this link.