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Council approves annexation, zoning and conditional-use permit for Rivers Edge event site
Summary
The Star City Council voted unanimously to annex and rezone 2.02 acres at 6926 Highway 44 to commercial (C‑2) and approved a conditional‑use permit allowing a private events and entertainment facility, with conditions including noise limits and phased review of design details.
Star City Council on Tuesday approved the annexation, rezoning and a conditional‑use permit for a private events facility at 6926 Highway 44, a 2.02‑acre parcel east of Blessinger Road.
City planning staff told the council the application met submittal and noticing requirements and is consistent with the city’s comprehensive plan, which designates the site as a commercial/industrial corridor. Staff recommended approval with conditions tied to phasing, hours of operation, compliance with the city noise ordinance (10 p.m. curfew), parking and a future design review and zoning certificate.
Scott Smith, who identified himself as the property owner and applicant, described a phased plan: renovate an existing 1921 house for a wine tasting room, convert a three‑car garage into a small reservation‑only speakeasy (21+), and later build a 3,600‑square‑foot event center on the north end of the property. Smith said the operation would reserve the speakeasy and tasting areas for guests 21 and older and that the project team would preserve and enhance existing mature trees and landscaping.
Planning staff said the applicant is coordinating with the city engineer and fire district and will return with a zoning certificate and design review application that will address final site details including parking, lighting, fencing and food‑truck locations. The staff report attached a condition requiring adherence to the city’s noise ordinance, and council added a recorded commitment for privacy fencing adjacent to neighboring properties.
Council deliberations focused on neighboring impacts and appropriate conditions. Council members asked the applicant to place fencing on the east and west property lines where neighbors requested privacy screens and to preserve the existing blackberry bushes some neighbors asked to keep. The council also confirmed that the conditional‑use permit was limited to the event center and that the tasting room and bar uses are permitted under the requested C‑2 zoning and will be subject to design review.
A motion to approve the annexation, development agreement and conditional‑use permit passed on a roll call vote with all members voting aye. The council’s approval includes the staff‑recommended conditions and the applicant‑stated commitments to privacy fencing and tree preservation; the applicant must complete required design‑review approvals and any intergovernmental reviews before final building permits are issued.
The council chair welcomed the project as an economic and community amenity and closed the public hearing after several residents spoke in favor and one neutral commenter requested clearer privacy standards for neighboring yards.
