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Planning commission recommends denial of Brookside special‑use permit for recovery facility
Summary
After public comment and staff review, the Page County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of a special‑use permit to convert the Brookside restaurant into a recovery/treatment facility, citing community concerns and unresolved questions about the project and its 50‑year permit term.
The Page County Planning Commission on Oct. 3 heard hours of public comment and a staff presentation on a proposal to convert the Brookside restaurant property into a recovery and treatment facility and voted to recommend denial of the property's special‑use permit to the Board of Supervisors.
Residents voiced mixed reactions during the meeting’s public comment period. Susan Zorn Phillips, who said she lives on Wingate Drive in Luray, told commissioners she supports the property owners and the buyer: “I will miss Brookside as much as everyone else, but I'm in full support of the castles.” Neighbors, led in comments by Patricia Long, said the proposed use and the proposed 50‑year special‑use permit raise long‑term concerns about assignment, leasing and future changes in use without additional review; Long told the commission the SUP “is intended for 50 years” and argued the duration leaves too much flexibility for future assignments or sales.
Other residents pressed operational questions. Bernie Miller asked about maximum patient capacity, whether county EMS or police resources would be needed more frequently, and where patients would go after leaving the facility; he urged the commission to “Please reduce the SUP to 3 years” so the operator could demonstrate it is a good neighbor before receiving a longer permit. CC Castle, representing the property owners, thanked the commission for its review and asked the body to consider the applicants’ work over the past year.
Planning staff reviewed a memorandum in the meeting packet and proposed permit conditions intended to address some concerns. Staff said the application meets the local definition of a group home and described security requirements, including outward‑facing cameras that record to a locally stored hard drive or cloud system and retain footage for a minimum of 72 hours; staff made clear the operator, not zoning staff, would be responsible for monitoring recordings. Staff also proposed limiting the facility’s services so it would not provide ASAM level 3.7 or level 4 medically managed inpatient treatment, citing the applicable sections of the Virginia Administrative Code.
A motion to recommend approval of the special‑use permit was made but received no second and therefore did not proceed. An alternate motion to deny the permit was made, seconded and approved by roll call. During the vote the commission recorded Miss Greck voting No and Miss Kyle, Mister Turner, Mister Adams and Chairman Burnham voting Yes. Planning staff said the commission’s recommendation of denial will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors for final action.
The next procedural step is for the Board of Supervisors to consider the recommendation; staff has not provided a hearing date at the meeting. The commission’s packet includes the proposed permit conditions and citizen comment records for the Board’s review.
