Planning Commission recommends approval for Stonewall bed-and-breakfast and events use with conditions

The Elbert County Planning Commission on May 6 recommended that the Board of County Commissioners approve a special-use-by-review for a bed-and-breakfast and event venue at 7211 County Road 98 (case SUR2024‑7211), voting 6–1 in favor of the recommendation with conditions.

Planning staff presented the Stonewall proposal as a special-use request for a 1.48-acre property containing a historic church building, a two‑story house and accessory structures. The application would allow a year‑round bed-and-breakfast plus wedding events; applicants described an average wedding size of about 75 people and a stated maximum of 120 guests. Staff said access is from County Road 98 and that the applicant has a private agreement for use of an adjacent property for event parking. Danny Klebanner, county land‑use planner, summarized referrals and concluded the proposal meets the eight criteria in the county zoning regulations for special‑use review, subject to conditions.

The commission’s recommended conditions, as set out in the staff report, include: removal of public hearing signs within seven days of BOCC decision; payment of all fees and recording of the special‑use exhibit within 180 days of BOCC approval; compliance with Colorado Division of Water Resources Rule 11 for cistern installation; retention of receipts for bulk water purchases; construction of an access and parking area meeting county public‑works standards; and delivery of portable restroom receipts to public health for each event until a permanent wastewater system is installed.

Applicants told the commission the site historically served as a church and later an auto‑repair shop; they live on the property at the address proposed for the bed‑and‑breakfast. The applicants said they expect to operate two rentable guest rooms (two guest rooms total), to host roughly two event days per month as a planning estimate (more likely concentrated in the May–October season), to end events by 10 p.m., and to use portable restrooms until a permanent wastewater system can be installed. The applicants said they also plan to pursue a commercial water connection from a nearby water provider and that a long‑term septic upgrade has engineering interest but that costs are still being defined.

Commissioners asked whether the special‑use approval would cap the number of events; staff clarified a special‑use approval grants the use itself (bed‑and‑breakfast and events) and that any annual or numeric limit must be included as an explicit condition. Several commissioners said the packet language that listed “two days per month” appeared to present an expectation rather than a binding limit and asked staff and the applicant to clarify that point with any final conditions.

Public comment included one speaker who expressed concerns about conditional language and enforcement; two residents who spoke in support described local interest in more visitor accommodations. After discussion, the commission voted 6–1 to recommend approval. Commissioner Diana Edstrom cast the lone no vote, citing concerns about whether an accessory structure (the cottage) had been installed through the proper permitting process and raising questions about compliance and enforcement; commissioners otherwise said the project’s conditions addressed infrastructure and health concerns.

The Planning Commission’s recommendation forwards the application and staff conditions to the Board of County Commissioners for final decision.