SOUTH KINGSTOWN — The outgoing Town Council eased zoning regulations governing farm stands as one of its final acts in a bid to preserve a slice of the town’s agricultural past.

The council unanimously approved zoning changes at its meeting Monday night that allow farmers to build larger farm stands that are equipped with electricity. The revisions are intended to encourage farmers to keep farming, thus maintaining fields as open space.

Under the ordinance, a small farm of at least five acres could feature a retail shop of 1,200 square feet. A medium-sized farm, with at least 15 contiguous acres, would be entitled to a 2,000-square-foot stand. Farms of 25 contiguous acres or more could build 5,000-square-foot structures.

Farmers would have to seek a special-use permit from the Planning and Zoning Boards to construct a 2,000-square-foot building or larger.

Previous zoning regulations limited farm stands to 1,200 square feet and did not permit electricity.

At a meeting late last month, the council stopped short of approving the measure because of questions raised about whether a large farm should be classified as 25 or 30 acres, and whether the land should be contiguous.

Planning Director L. Vincent Murray told the council that there are 37 parcels of 30 acres or more that could be classified as a large farm. Two more would be added if that land mass was reduced to 25 acres or more.

Defining a large farm as 30 acres would have excluded Highland Farm from the advantages extended to “large” farms – a concern raised by Councilwoman Cynthia Gleason. Highland has an 1,823-square-foot shop today. Two other farm stands operate in town as well: a 1,632-square-foot store at Carpenter Farm and a 420-square-foot shop at The Farmer’s Daughter.

Gleason urged the council Monday to stick with 25 acres so as to not exclude Highland Farm.

Council Vice President Kathleen Fogarty agreed to support that suggestion, but expressed hesitation about 5,000-square-foot farm stands being placed in predominately residential areas.

“That’s a big, big building,” she said.

Some farmers lobbied the council to consider noncontiguous parcels to account for those who own separate properties or lease land.

Allowing nonadjacent properties to be counted toward a farm might have allowed a sizable farm stand to be built on a property that was not correspondingly large, Murray said. In addition, it could have cleared the way for commercial activities in an area not zoned as such, he said.

The council opted to specify that the farmlands be contiguous, though members recognized that the regulations are a work in progress that are likely to change as the agricultural industry evolves.

In other matters, the council bid farewell to Gleason, who did not seek reelection to the council after serving one term, and Paul Tasich, who was defeated last Tuesday.

President Mary “Polly” Eddy, the top vote getter on Election Day, thanked them for their time and effort over the past two years.

“It takes an awful lot more hours that people see on TV,” Town Manager Stephen Alfred said in expressing his appreciation for their work.

Incoming Councilors Ella Whaley and William Flatley attended Monday’s meeting, but from the audience.