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Planning commission recommends approval of Haven Road wedding‑venue special‑use permit with conditions
Summary
The planning commission voted unanimously to recommend that county commissioners approve a special‑use permit for a proposed wedding venue at 950 Haven Road, subject to conditions addressing water, septic, guest limits, lighting, fencing and neighbor communication.
The Custer County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners approve a special‑use permit for a wedding venue proposed for 950 Haven Road, but attached a set of conditions intended to address neighbors’ concerns about road access, water, septic capacity, noise and safety.
The applicants described a wedding‑venue operation that would host up to 100 guests for site events (they said they planned a mid‑range to luxury offering, intended to be tightly managed), provide on‑site staging and a small commercial kitchen for warming or preparation tied to local caterers, and seek a liquor license to control alcohol service. They said they plan to provide parking, a gated entry, a golf cart for disabled access and a dedicated smoking area with a gas fire pit to reduce wildfire risk.
Neighbors raised concerns about multiple issues: road quality and maintenance for Haven Road and connecting two‑track roads, several soft spots that become impassible when wet, limited well water and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s rules that generally prohibit using domestic wells for commercial purposes, septic sizing for gatherings, nighttime light and noise impacting nearby houses, nearby informal shooting on private land and the safety implications, and cattle and ATV traffic in the area. Several neighbors and adjacent property owners urged strong conditions or denial until road access and water/septic questions were resolved.
Commission deliberations focused on those topics. Planning staff said only one written letter of support had been received but that several nearby owners had communicated directly with staff; staff and neighbors described that portions of Haven Road are not county‑maintained. Commissioners discussed requiring proof of compliance with state and county regulations, adequate septic sizing and water supply, liability insurance, and a plan for parking and lighting to reduce off‑site impacts.
Recommended conditions: The commission moved to recommend approval subject to multiple conditions, including compliance with all federal, state and county regulations (septic, electrical, building where applicable), appropriate liability insurance, provision of a commercial water supply or cistern (applicants indicated they would not use a domestic well for commercial water), a guest limit of 100, installation of a privacy fence and lighting controls to mitigate nuisance light, maintaining a neighbor communication and emergency contact procedure, commitments on road maintenance arrangements with neighbors, and that final construction be consistent with the images submitted to the commission. Commissioners noted the county commissioners could add further conditions at the BOCC hearing.
Vote and next steps: The motion to recommend approval with conditions passed unanimously. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision; planning staff said they will notify neighbors when the item is scheduled before the commissioners.
