Indigo Acres LLC requested a special‑use permit to construct and operate a retreat and wellness center and associated event venue on three adjacent parcels near 1048 Rock Island Road. The properties total roughly 195 acres and the applicant initially requested a broad set of uses including guest cottages, a lodge, bathhouses, vendor markets, workshops, farm tours, weddings, and up to 2,500 attendees with up to 250 temporary campsites.

Planning staff summarized the application and provided a sample calendar and event frequencies the applicant submitted. Applicant representatives said they plan to “start slow,” that the property is their home and that many proposed operations would be phased in over several years. They confirmed VDOT had given a preliminary approval for a small commercial entrance (staff stated VDOT inspected the site and sent a letter to the applicant and staff). The applicant described composting toilets, gray‑water recycling and a mix of tent campsites and small cabins.

Commissioners pressed staff and the applicant on traffic and access, public‑safety coordination, sanitation, and noise. Key concerns included sight distance on the approach road, the number and type of overnight sites (tent vs. RV), how events would be staged to avoid traffic surges, and health‑department review of bathhouses and septic/well systems. The applicant agreed that event staging would spread arrivals and departures across time and said the first events would likely be modest retreats or workshops in spring, with campground and lodging build‑out occurring over several years.

After extended discussion, the planning commission adopted a motion to forward case 25SUP363 to a public hearing on Nov. 24 with the following conditions recorded in the motion (summary of conditions as stated at the meeting):
- Campsites reduced from the originally requested 250 to 125 to start; campsites were described by the applicant as largely tent sites (RV use was discouraged by the applicant).
- Maximum attendees for an event reduced from 2,500 to 1,200 for the application that will go to public hearing; commissioners discussed interim operational caps (500 or 750) for early years but recorded 1,200 as the public‑hearing cap while reserving the board’s discretion.
- Limit event frequency initially to two events per month (regular farm activities such as U‑Pick or Christmas tree sales were not counted as special events under the condition language discussed).
- Require VDOT review and, if necessary, commercial‑entrance improvements; the applicant was told to coordinate with VDOT and provide documentation for the public hearing.
- Require notification to emergency services for any event that triggers increased traffic or attendance and coordination with sheriff/EMS for traffic/safety plans.
- Require health‑department approval for any permanent restroom/bathhouse facilities (wells and septic), and allow temporary portable sanitary facilities to be used for large events in the interim.
- Adopt an ending time for events consistent with the county noise ordinance (11:00 p.m.), rather than the 10:00 p.m. initially discussed.

The commission also asked staff to add event‑center precedent information to the record so commissioners can check prior cases and remain consistent across approvals. The applicant confirmed willingness to accept the conditions to move to public hearing and said they would consult further with advisers and neighbors as they refine plans.

The motion carried and staff confirmed the public hearing will be scheduled for the November 24 planning commission meeting at 6 p.m. (the Board of Supervisors hearing will follow as required by county procedure).