Blacksburg council approves conditional use permit for camp at historic Lincoln Kipps House amid neighbor concerns

The Blacksburg Town Council approved Resolution 9B25 on a roll call vote to grant a conditional use permit for a camp and limited overnight lodging at 2190 Merrimack Road, the historic Lincoln Kipps House.

Planning staff presented the application as a camp use under the zoning ordinance and told council the property — more than 15 acres in an RR‑1 zone — would host educational programming, historic tours, arts and crafts workshops, counseling and tutoring, small community events and occasional overnight lodging. Staff noted the planning commission recommended approval with conditions, including that camp activities substantially conform to the application, no more than three camp events per week, and an activity curfew of 10 p.m.

Applicant Geoff Graham and Fiona Allen, executive director of Merry Mac Farm, described a preservation-driven plan to open the restored 1799 house for small gatherings and limited overnight stays. Geoff Graham said the owners had posted 20‑mph driveway signs and were “focused on community recreation and gatherings, particularly focused on the youth and the retired people” and that overnight stays would be limited to “90 days a year” and “10 people at a time.” Allen emphasized educational and therapeutic uses, including equine therapy and partnerships with area schools and university departments.

Public comment split sharply. Megan Fitter, a Kipps Farm neighbor, criticized the council’s process and objected to what she described as inconsistent enforcement of land-use rules: “It feels less like public input and more like a box checked on the way to an approval that was already decided,” she said, and urged additional safeguards such as a fence and clearer permit expiration language. Fitter also argued the applicant’s reliance on the Virginia agritourism statute was being used in a way that, she said, runs counter to a legislative rejection of broader event uses.

Several neighbors and service users urged approval. Gwen Ogle, a nearby parent, praised the owners’ restoration work and the local access to equine therapy, saying the property offered “a unique opportunity to gain public access to a very rare historical gem.” Dr. Wendy Eckenrod Green, a licensed counselor, described clinical observations of benefit from equine therapy at the site and urged the council to support the applicants.

In discussion, council members acknowledged neighborhood anxiety about traffic and the driveway but said the numeric limits in the CUP — 10 overnight guests, a 50‑person event cap, and the limit on overnight stays — were intended to reduce impact. One councilmember noted that limiting overnight nights to a set portion of the year and the event caps “pretty effectively kind of defangs” larger uses.

The motion to approve passed by roll call with recorded ayes from Mattingly, Sutton, Watson, Anderson, Oliver, Ford and Edgar Smith. The resolution includes the use and design standards and the planning‑commission‑recommended conditions; staff noted the permit would be enforced under existing zoning regulations. The council closed the public‑comment period after several follow‑on remarks from neighbors critical of the process.

The applicants said they would continue outreach with neighbors and coordinate on wastewater and emergency access concerns; staff will incorporate the conditions discussed at the hearing into the final permit document and follow standard enforcement procedures.

The council moved on to other business after the vote.