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Council approves conditional use for Ansell Road farm events despite fire‑safety and road‑width concerns
Summary
Council voted 5–3 to permit Dwellings Farms to operate a private event venue on a 143‑acre parcel off Ansell Road, with stipulations including limits on event counts and traffic‑control measures; neighbors and staff cited narrow one‑lane access, flooding, and enforcement concerns.
Chesapeake City Council approved a conditional‑use permit allowing Dwellings Farms to operate a meeting and banquet facility on a 143‑acre property accessed from narrow Ansell Road, adopting amended stipulations by a 5–3 vote.
The hearing drew more than 20 speakers and sustained debate. Planning staff and the fire department had recommended denial because Ansell Road is a substandard rural access (approximately 14 feet wide and about 935 feet long), raising concerns about safe two‑way traffic, emergency vehicle access, and recurring flooding along the route. Several neighbors and public‑safety speakers reiterated those technical concerns and noted a pattern of past permit violations at…
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