Douglas County planning panel approves Brooks’ special‑occasion permit with limits on events and music

The Douglas County Planning Commission voted 4–3 to approve a special‑use permit for Fay Canyon (Brooks) Ranch, 445 Foothill Road, after a contentious hearing in which neighbors, ranching advocates and planners weighed competing claims about agricultural preservation, traffic safety and amplified‑music noise. The permit allows agritourism events on the 77‑acre parcel under tightened rules intended to limit neighborhood impacts.

During the public hearing dozens of residents described the site’s unusual acoustic conditions and warned that amplified music and concentrated traffic on Foothill Road (a 55‑mph state highway) would degrade the area’s rural character and create safety hazards. ‘‘This venue would be an affront to that lifestyle and an absolute violation of the integrity of the surrounding areas,’’ said Chuck Paya, a nearby property owner. Multiple neighbors also pointed to the popular Faye Luther trailhead opposite the ranch as a source of weekend conflict with event traffic.

Tom Brooks, the applicant, said the family’s intent is to preserve the ranch’s historic buildings and keep the land in agricultural use while generating modest…