Blowing Rock council approves Memorial Park ordinance, event permit and minor CUP parking amendment

Blowing Rock — The Blowing Rock Town Council on April 8 approved routine meeting business and several items of local consequence: a Memorial Park ordinance on the consent agenda, a special‑event permit for this year’s Tour of Homes and a requested minor amendment to a 2006 conditional use permit that will allow payment into the town parking fund in lieu of reserving three residential parking spaces.

Minutes and agenda: The council moved and seconded adoption of the March 11, 2025 minutes (regular and closed sessions) and approved the evening’s regular agenda by roll call.

Memorial Park ordinance: The consent agenda included the "Blue Ridge Conservancy 5K / Memorial Park Project Ordinance 2025‑02," which the council approved without discussion as part of the consent agenda.

Tour of Homes permit: John Jordan, co‑chair of the Tour of Homes, requested use of the lower parking deck at Brahm for set‑up starting July 14 with the party on July 15 and reopening by noon July 16. Organizers said Rumple Memorial Church had offered its parking lot as overflow, they would hire off‑duty Blowing Rock police for the event and carry liability insurance listing the town as additional insured; organizers also said they plan low‑volume music and portable toilets to limit impacts. A councilmember moved and the council voted to approve the request with the expectation organizers will minimize the closure window and coordinate signage and logistics with staff.

CUP 2006 minor amendment (Hannah Family Trust): The council considered a request from Dr. John Hannah to amend a 2006 conditional use permit so the applicant may pay for three residential parking spaces into the town parking fund at the current in‑lieu rate of $15,000 per space (total $45,000) rather than reserving three off‑site spaces. Chelsea Garrett, representing Dr. Hannah, told council that current ordinance standards would have required fewer spaces if the building were constructed under today’s code and that the three residential spaces are seldom used by tenants. A motion to approve the minor amendment and permit the in‑lieu payment was moved and seconded and the council voted in favor.

Votes at a glance: The meeting record shows motions moved, seconded and carried for adoption of minutes and agenda, approval of the consent ordinance, approval of the Tour of Homes permit, and approval of the Hannah Family Trust CUP minor amendment. The council recorded affirmative responses in roll‑call exchanges for each vote; explicit individual vote names were called and answered in sequence during each item.

Next procedural step: No ordinance text changes were adopted for workforce housing at this meeting; staff will return to the planning board and council with further recommendations on workforce‑housing policy options.