ZoningLand UseConnecticutRoxburyForest Management
Roxbury Couple Seeks Permission to Charge $10/Hour for Private Forest Trails
Published: October 1, 2026
Charles and Eli Copley are fighting Roxbury town officials over their 50‑acre property in Connecticut, after a 2025 letter threatened a zoning violation for renting private forest trails at $10 an hour. They have hired the Institute for Justice and are demanding the town either allow the rentals or explain the zoning breach, with a court hearing scheduled for September.
When Charles and Eli Copley bought 50 acres in Roxbury in 2022, they planned to restore a derelict cottage and launch a 1.3‑mile trail network for forest stewardship.
In 2024 the couple listed the property on Sniffspot, charging $10 per hour for dog walks and hiking, and received two to three bookings weekly, helping fund trail maintenance.
A letter from the Roxbury Land Use Department in April 2025 warned of a zoning violation, labeling the land a “dog park” and demanding the Copleys cease rentals until they combine the two parcels into a single lot and meet home‑enterprise rules. Maya Patel, a local dog owner, told the town council that the trails were a safe space for her pet.
The couple’s lawyers at the Institute for Justice have filed a demand letter, arguing that the town’s interpretation is arbitrary and that low‑impact recreation falls within agricultural use; a hearing is slated for September, and the Copleys say they will fight the ruling.