Carroll County hearing on Academy of the Lost Arts daycare and retreat continues to Aug. 27 after combined presentation

The Carroll County Board of Zoning Appeals combined two related conditional‑use applications for the Academy of the Lost Arts at 2840 Cox Ridge Road and accepted the jointly submitted record, then continued the hearing with testimony and evidence taken on July 30.

Applicant Gabrielle ("Gabby") Balassone, founder of the nonprofit Academy of the Lost Arts Inc., asked the board for conditional‑use approval to operate a nature‑based preschool during weekdays and an adult retreat/wood‑shop program on evenings and weekends. Balassone said the nonprofit will use the 37.83‑acre parcel for outdoor classrooms, greenhouses, small animal enclosures and occasional overnight camping for pre‑registered groups and that the proposal emphasizes low‑impact, nature‑based instruction. "I come before you today as a mother, a member of the Westminster community, with a dream of building a nature based preschool and retreat center in the heart of Carroll County," Balassone said in testimony.

County staff memos in the record show multiple support letters from residents and organizations, and planning staff told the board the project was "consistent with the Carroll County Master Plan as amended in 2019" for the uses proposed. County Environmental Health commented the proposed use "may not be acceptable unless it is demonstrated that there is an adequate water supply and adequate area for the installation of an initial and 2 replacement septic systems for the proposed use and any existing uses of this property." Zoning and development‑review staff noted a site plan may be required; permits and inspections staff said permitting and building review items will be addressed during the site‑plan and permit process.

Opponents, represented by attorney Clark Schaefer, focused on site‑specific questions and asked for a combined hearing because two cases (case numbers 6570 and 6571) concern the same property and common evidence. The board voted to combine the two dockets and adopt the evidence for both cases. After testimony from the applicant and staff, the board paused the hearing and set a continuation for Aug. 27 at 9:00 a.m. to take additional evidence and to allow time for engineering and site‑plan details requested by the board and agencies.

At the July 30 session Balassone described the academy’s plans in detail, including three classrooms with an estimated licensed capacity (based on Maryland State Board of Education ratios) for as many as 63 children across the three rooms, requiring a staff complement the applicant said would fit licensing ratios; she also said the site plan shows 25 parking spaces that would exceed licensing and staff requirements. Balassone said the retreat operations will run small, preregistered adult classes and weekend workshops and would maintain quiet, low‑impact programming.

Board members and the applicant agreed the application needs further engineering and site‑plan detail in several technical areas (septic/perk testing timing, water supply, sight‑distance and access, stormwater and the scope of parking and traffic). The applicant acknowledged some project items — including a potential driveway‑widening alternative — would be refined in the site‑plan process. The board accepted written exhibits and letters and instructed that the record remain open pending the next hearing date.

The board did not make a decision on the merits at the July 30 meeting. The record shows the board accepted applicant exhibits, agency comments and public letters and set a site visit and a continuation for August 27. The applicant and opponents may file additional materials requested by staff in advance of the continued hearing.