Commission approves Maldboro Springs event‑venue CUP with conditions on hours and capacity

The Planning Commission voted Sept. 4 to recommend approval of Conditional Use Permit 424 for Marlboro Springs LLC, forwarding the matter to the Board of Supervisors for final action on Sept. 25.

Staff described the proposal as a special‑event facility on a 102‑acre farm at 1147 North Piper Road with primary farm operations continuing. The applicant proposed operating hours that would allow outdoor music to end by 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and by 10 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, with one additional hour allowed for guest egress and vendor cleanup after music ends. The applicant proposed a maximum of 250 guests per event; the ordinance requires gravel for parking and travelways and sketch-plan approval addressing event‑specific conditions prior to establishment.

Applicant Sam Smith said the farm is first and foremost agricultural and that the barn and farm character would be preserved; he described modest past use under festival permits and the goal of supplementing farm income while maintaining the rural character. Neighbors were split: several immediate neighbors who had worked with the applicant in prior years supported the CUP and said prior events resolved key issues, while others raised concerns that outdoor amplified music carried into valleys and that repeated events could disturb residents who rise early for work.

Commissioners discussed noise, hours and economic benefits to local businesses. The applicant and neighbors said they had already worked to limit bass/woofers and agreed to decibel testing; the applicant said an initial approach would use porta‑lets and, if events increased, install permanent restroom facilities and expand drain-field capacity subject to Health Department approval.

A motion to approve CUP 424 passed on roll-call vote with one recusal; staff will forward the approved recommendation to the Board of Supervisors on Sept. 25 for final action.