Planning commission approves text amendment to add 'retreat center' use to Lancaster County UDO

The Lancaster County Planning Commission approved a text amendment Feb. 18 to add a new "retreat center" use to the Lancaster County Unified Development Ordinance (UDO), adopting staff-recommended definitions, buffers and parking standards after a continuation of the application and questions from commissioners.

Staff presented a revised draft that defines primary and accessory facilities for retreat centers, lists types of overnight accommodations (main building rooms, "lodges," tiny homes built to International Code Council standards, and cabin-style bunks) and sets limits on the number and density of each lodging type. The commission and staff said the changes respond to the applicant's earlier submission and prior planning-commission feedback.

Key provisions the commission adopted as part of the approval: staff'recommended parking for assembly halls at 1 space per 80 square feet (the applicant had proposed 1 per 500 square feet more consistent with civic uses); a Type B landscape/buffering standard between retreat centers and adjacent residential parcels; accessory retail limited to goods and services aimed at retreat attendees; and accommodation caps expressed as per-acre or per-acreage-unit limits (staff recommended no more than 1 cabin or tiny house per usable acre, 1 lodge per 5 acres, and 1 main building per 10 acres as example ratios used in the staff report). Staff gave an example that on a fully usable 20-acre site the draft would cap out at about 20 cabins/tiny homes, 4 lodges and 2 main buildings.

The applicant, Adam Thomas, who described his proposal as a spiritually focused retreat with minimal infrastructure impact and confined, fenced operations, said the use was intended for low-impact, rural settings and noted requests about buffering and parking. Commissioners discussed buffer types, parking formulas and language clarity. Commissioner questions led the maker of the motion to explicitly adopt the staff recommendations as part of the motion.

Roll call on the motion to approve the text amendment as amended recorded: Lynette Henson (approve), Judiana Tinklenberg (approve), Frances Lou (recused), Sheila Henson (approve), Shelley Richards (approve) and Jason Cavalier (approve). The motion passed 5-0 with one recusal. The amendment now proceeds to county council as the commission's recommendation.