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Board denies Oak Lawn event-venue permit after sustained neighbor complaints about noise and traffic
Summary
After months of community meetings and written complaints, Hanover supervisors voted to deny a conditional-use permit that would have expanded Hometown Realty’s Oak Lawn property use to an event venue. Neighbors cited amplified music, late hours and parking impacts; supporters cited community uses and holiday events at the property.
HANOVER COUNTY, Va. — The Hanover County Board of Supervisors on March 26 denied an application that would have authorized an event venue at Oak Lawn (the Hometown Realty property) after neighbors described repeated noise, late-night amplified music and traffic problems.
The conditional-use permit (CUP) would have allowed the owner to host business, charitable and community events on the 13-acre property and rent portions of the site for private gatherings. The applicant amended the request during the review process: weddings and receptions were removed from the permitted uses, the applicant reduced a previously requested 40 outdoor events per year to 25, and proposed buffers and limits on lighting and tent placement. Staff recommended a more restrictive set of conditions, including a cap of 16 outdoor events per year, tighter amplified-sound hours and a requirement that the CUP be revisited in 2028.
Opponents — residents of adjacent subdivisions such as Garrison Manor and Quail Creek — said the property’s events already generated excessive noise, in some cases at volume levels that “shake the walls.” Several neighbors showed the board short video and audio excerpts of amplified music and described parking and horn-blowing during past events. Neighbors also argued that repeated enforcement visits and civil complaints had not solved recurring problems.
Applicant Mike Chenault and Hometown representatives urged the board to preserve Oak Lawn as a community landmark. They said most events had been well-managed and that the company had added landscaping, moved event parking away from the rear property line and agreed to limit weddings and receptions. The applicant also offered to limit live amplified bands to a small number per year.
After extensive public comment, the board voted to deny the CUP. The roll-call read by the clerk showed five votes in favor of denial (Supervisors Pritchard, Stoneman, Dibble, Hudson and Chair Herzberg) and one opposed (Supervisor Floyd). The county attorney noted a prior notice of violation had been issued for earlier unpermitted events and said staff would resume enforcement of zoning and noise rules.
What this means: The property retains the previously approved professional-office use under the county’s zoning; event activity that exceeds those permissions may subject the owner to zoning enforcement and civil penalties. The applicant may revise and re-file the request, or pursue site changes consistent with office use and noise rules.
Provenance: staff CUP presentation (Mar. 26 workshop), applicant's presentation and public comment record (Mar. 26 public hearing).
