Weber County board approves variance to allow compacted gravel parking for retreat center

The Weber County Board of Adjustment on a roll-call vote approved a variance allowing a compacted gravel/road‑base parking surface instead of the hard surface (asphalt or concrete) normally required by county parking standards for a proposed retreat and conference center near Beaver Creek.

County planning staff presented the item as BOA-2025-O6 and said the applicant seeks the waiver because the compacted surface would better match the project’s low‑impact aesthetic and minimize disturbance to the lot. Tammy, a county planning staff member, told the board that Weber Fire District reviewed the proposal and said “as long as it will support a 75,000 pound fire apparatus, fire is okay with it.”

The project is a conditional‑use‑approved retreat/education center in the F‑5 (forest) zone. The applicant, Mark Overdurst, described the site and landscaping plans and said the intent is to preserve native grasses and a quiet environment for silent and meditation retreats. “We’re really excited about this center,” Overdurst said,…