Boone County BZA approves modified commitments for Haven Hills wedding venue but rejects commercial rezoning

The Boone County Board of Zoning Appeals on Jan. 28 approved a modification of commitments for a wedding venue known in the petition as Haven Hills Estate, allowing the outdoor recreational wedding venue to be designated the property's primary use while striking staff's recommendation that the parcel be rezoned commercial.

Lindsay Harrison, representing petitioner Alexander Mashburn, told the board the request is limited: "the owner no longer lives on-site," she said, and the barn used as the wedding venue will continue to have no overnight accommodations. Harrison said the owners had already begun discussions with health and sanitation officials and received cost estimates of about $3,500 to tie the house into the sanitary sewer to address septic concerns.

Staff had recommended several conditions tied to bed-and-breakfast standards if the property were to be treated as lodging, including on-site management (someone available within three hours for on-site concerns), refuse-storage screening (a six-foot solid decorative fence or wall where outdoor refuse storage is present), compliance with Boone County Health Department requirements, and that accommodations meet minimum sizing standards. Nicole Sheldon, the county's executive director of planning, emphasized there is no separate 'Airbnb' use in the zoning code and that bed-and-breakfast rules are the closest match for short-term lodging.

Board members questioned whether a commercial zoning classification was necessary and whether it would change county enforcement authority. Counsel observed that changing the property's character from residential to commercial could justify a rezoning recommendation, but several members said they preferred to retain the special-exception framework and enforce through commitments. The board ultimately moved to approve the petition "as presented, with the exception of recommendation number 2," striking the staff suggestion to pursue a zone map change to commercial. VC Henson moved the motion, which was seconded and adopted by voice vote.

The approved modification recognizes the wedding venue as the primary use on the 10-acre parcel that contains the house and barn and treats the residence as a secondary use where overnight lodging may be regulated under bed-and-breakfast-style commitments. The board and petitioner discussed adding precise language tying commitments to the 10-acre parcel (rather than to adjacent tillable acreage) so obligations would not spread across the larger holding.

The petitioner and staff acknowledged remaining conditions that must be satisfied (technical/TAC comments, health-department approvals, and any required deed restrictions), and the board retained authority to set specific commitments the petitioner must meet. The decision allows the venue to continue operating under the special-exception framework while clarifying ownership and short-term lodging expectations.

What happens next: the board's approval amended the commitments but removed the staff suggestion to rezone the property commercial; outstanding technical comments and health-department requirements remain to be addressed before building or operational permits, where applicable.