Published: March 29, 2009 07:14 pm      

Couple wants to open apple orchard

Zoning panel to discuss request Tuesday

DANVILLE — A former Danville landscape business owner now working in Florida plans to come back upon retirement to operate an apple orchard with his wife.

The Danville Area Planning and Zoning Commission will consider rezoning 136 W. Lake Boulevard from R-2 single-family residential medium density to AG agriculture zoning for the purpose of operating an apple orchard.

The property is bounded by West Lake Boulevard to the north, Tuttle Street to the west, Evans Street on the east and Crestwood Circle and Randy Lane to the south.

The site is not in the city, but within the city’s 1.5 mile zoning jurisdiction outside the city’s limits.

The request is from Lindsay and Marie Varner.

The Varners plan to open Marie’s Apple Trees at the location adjacent to their home.

The orchard will not be open to the public, Lindsay said.

There will be no employees, just the Varners operating the orchard. They will sell the apples off site, such as at a fruit stand or flea market.

Lindsay said he and his wife live in Danville off and on right now. They built a new log cabin home.

The Varners plan on retiring here — spending summers in Danville, but winters in Florida.

The Varners bought the property, 136 W. Lake Blvd., about three years ago.

It had about 100 apple trees on it that were planted some 25 to 30 years ago, Lindsay said.

“(Some had) gotten diseased and overgrown. We took some of them out,” he said.

The Varners saved about 65 trees to prune and revive.

They also planted 20 new trees a few weeks ago.

Lindsay said they wanted to try to get the orchard going to have something to do in retirement “besides sitting on the couch.”

He’s been in the horticulture business for about 35 years.

“This is nothing new to me. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

Lindsay has been in the landscape business in St. Augustine, Fla., for about 10 years. He’s also built golf courses for about 12 years.

Previously he owned Lindsay Varner Landscape in Danville. He left in 1986.

He said West Lake Boulevard has a lot of family history.

His grandfather built houses there and in 1948 moved into the first house along there off Vermilion Street.

His parents still live along there.

Lindsay said the orchard will be all organic, with no pesticides sprayed.

He’s called state officials to make sure they follow all procedures.

He expects it will take them a year or two to break even or make a profit.

Chris Milliken, Danville planning and zoning manager, said there are some back yards abutting the 6.2 acres.

It is primarily a wooded area, with the planted apple trees by the Varners and the previous owner.

“It’s rural and picturesque,” Milliken said.

The orchard will have many varieties of apples, he added. More trees are expected to be planted every few years.

Milliken considers the rezoning down-zoning because it will be more restrictive.

He said one neighbor has asked about water running down the site toward Tuttle Street property and about drainage, in addition to any paving on the property and pesticides to be used.

Milliken reiterated that the Varners plan to have an organic orchard, and the gravel driveway will remain because no customers are expected for on-site sales. The apples could be shipped to distributors.

Milliken said city officials also want to make sure there will be no runoff, what type of irrigation system will be used and if a buffer will be provided between the neighboring properties.



COMING UP

The Danville Area Planning and Zoning Commission will meet at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at the Robert E. Jones Municipal Building, 17 W. Main St.