Mason County commissioners on Aug. 19 opened a public hearing on amendments to Mason County Code Title 5, Chapter 5.18 (Temporary Outdoor Public Events, or TOPE), heard extensive public testimony about repeated late‑night events on Windwood Drive and then voted to table the code changes until Sept. 30 so commissioners and staff can hold a workshop and seek more public input.

The proposed amendments would lower the current attendance threshold (the existing code requires events to have at least 3,000 attendees to qualify) and add standards and guidance for smaller public events in rural residential zones, county staff said. Ian Tracey, a staff member presenting the proposal, said the changes add public‑health and safety controls for sewage, potable water, fire and crowd management and would limit events on a single property to a total of 14 days in any 12‑month period.

The amendments are aimed at creating a legal pathway for smaller commercial public events that currently have no explicit zoning approval in rural residential areas, Tracey told the commissioners: “This regulation would allow those events to happen.” He also told the board that agricultural resource lands are treated differently under county rules and that those properties are generally not covered by the TOPE changes under discussion.

Residents from Windwood Drive and nearby neighborhoods gave multiple accounts of events they said have run into the early morning hours, created heavy traffic and left litter and damage to a privately maintained gravel road. “They’re tearing up the dirt road that we maintain, we pay for,” said resident Brett Simpson. Nick Garrison said parties had continued until 4 a.m. and described drivers passing at high speeds on narrow stretches of road. Several other residents said their children could not sleep because of loud music and that some drivers had behaved aggressively.

A landowner and event host, Chad Schweitzer, testified in favor of protecting property‑use rights and said many event operators work with neighbors to reduce impacts. “This ordinance is not about public safety. It is about power,” Schweitzer said, urging commissioners not to unduly restrict gatherings that he said bring community benefits.

Commissioners and staff repeatedly distinguished two separate problems: (1) the ongoing enforcement case tied to a specific site on Windwood Drive — which staff said they will continue to investigate and which residents said already violates existing noise and nuisance ordinances — and (2) the broader policy question of whether and how the county should allow and regulate temporary outdoor public events in rural residential zones. Several commissioners said the proposed TOPE changes would not, on their own, resolve alleged violations at Windwood Drive and that enforcement capacity is a separate concern.

Commissioner discussion emphasized balancing property‑use rights with neighbors’ right to quiet enjoyment. Commissioners praised staff work on standards but also expressed concerns about enforcement, the county’s limited resources and the risk of the county exceeding the appropriate reach into private property decisions. One commissioner suggested adding discretionary exceptions or a permit pathway for events that need more than the 14 cumulative days allowed in the draft language.

After extended deliberation and public comment, the board voted by voice to table the ordinance until Sept. 30 and directed staff to schedule a workshop with the community before that date. The motion passed without a recorded roll‑call tally by name; the clerk recorded a voice vote of “aye” and the chair declared the motion passed. Staff said the workshop will be scheduled during a briefing session and the matter will return for public testimony at the Sept. 30 meeting.

What remains unresolved is how the county will increase enforcement capacity to address nuisance complaints, including repeated late‑night noise, speeding on private gravel roads, trash and alleged unsafe driving at event gatherings. Commissioners said they plan to include law enforcement and affected residents in the upcoming workshop and to continue the specific enforcement work the county code enforcement office is pursuing at the Windwood Drive address.

The revision process will continue with additional public outreach and a dedicated workshop; the BOCC will take final action after the Sept. 30 hearing, unless the board elects to postpone further.

Ending: The county’s next step is the workshop and return hearing on Sept. 30. Residents who testified urged quicker enforcement at the specific Windwood Drive site; staff and commissioners said they will pursue that enforcement in parallel with the code revision process.