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Planning commission denies Sweet Leaf Farm short-term rental special permit after neighbor complaints and prior violations
Summary
The commission denied a category 3 special permit for a short-term rental at Sweet Leaf Farm, citing repeated zoning violations, large event/traffic complaints and concerns that the owner does not reside on the property; neighbors told the commission of frequent noise, ATVs and gunfire and an April 2025 event that drew about 160 vehicles.
On Sept. 18 the Fauquier County Planning Commission denied a category 3 special permit that would have authorized a short-term rental at Sweet Leaf Farm, a 52-acre property in Warrenton. The denial follows staff records of multiple zoning violations and sustained public complaints from a nearby resident.
Staff described the request as a short-term rental application for an existing two-bedroom dwelling with a maximum of four guests. The property is zoned agriculture. Because the owner does not live on the property for at least 183 days of the year, the use does not qualify for an administrative short-term rental permit and the applicant sought a special permit. Staff told the commission that the applicant identified a caretaker within two miles as required by the ordinance and that the online short-term rental listing had been updated to reflect a four-guest limit and no events.
Staff also reported prior enforcement actions: a notice of violation and corrective order in June 2022 for a tourist operation; a notice in May 2023 for Class C events, a firing range and occupancy of recreational vehicles; and the special-permit application and subsequent submittals in 2024–2025. Staff presented standard conditions the commission might attach if it were to approve the permit, including a four-guest maximum, no events, a designated caretaker within two miles, no provision of meals, no firing range, certification of water well testing and building code compliance, proof of registration with the commissioner of revenue and one-year permits subject to administrative renewal.
Meredith Matini (who asked to be called “Matt Matini” in the hearing) said she bought the property in February 2018 and described the dwelling as a renovated two-bedroom house on roughly 50 acres that she had listed for short-term rental after the COVID period.
Joseph Allen, an adjacent resident, told the commission he has repeatedly reported problems at the property since 2021, including ATVs on the road, late-night noise and frequent gunfire. Allen said he filed complaints with county zoning and dispatch and briefly met with the sheriff’s office about the issues. He said he had documented repeated high-volume gunfire incidents in late 2024 and early 2025 and that an April 6, 2025 event drew about 160 vehicles; he told commissioners, “I don't wanna live in Fauquier County any more.” Allen asked the commission to deny the special permit.
A commissioner moved to deny the category 3 special permit, citing multiple violations on the property and the fact the owner does not reside on the parcel; a second was made. The commission voted to deny the permit.
If the commission had approved the special permit, staff said it would have required the listed conditions (caretaker within two miles, four-guest limit, no events, water testing and building-code sign-off before use). With the denial, the short-term rental remains unauthorized and enforcement options can continue based on the county’s zoning code and any outstanding violations.
