Commission delays decision on Riverbend barn event venue, requests site visit

The Page County Planning Commission delayed moving to public hearing on a special‑use permit (SUP) for a proposed banquet/event venue at 625 Riverbend Road, saying members need a site visit and additional analysis of parking, septic feasibility and conditions limiting future intensified uses.

Planning staff told the commission the application from Randy Whiteside and Dawn Pence was filed July 1, 2025, and is grandfathered under the prior ordinance. The parcel (tax map 69A126) is 2.5 acres, contains an historic oak barn the applicants intend to adaptively reuse, and sits in the agricultural protection tier of the county comprehensive plan. Staff noted VDOT will require relocation of the entrance and that the health department will need to approve a sewage disposal solution for the number of guests proposed.

Why it matters: The proposal seeks to preserve a historic structure by enabling commercial events, but commissioners were concerned that the parcel’s small size (2.5 acres), parking layout and septic requirements could create impacts on adjacent properties; SUPs run with the land and may bind future owners, so commissioners sought protective conditions and clarity before setting a public hearing.

Applicant presentation and capacity request Applicant Randy Whiteside described the barn’s historic value and the adaptive‑reuse plan, proposing a 150‑person limit though the building‑code occupant load calculation produced a 186 figure. Whiteside said proposed parking of 75 spaces (with a calculation of two people per vehicle historically used by staff) and a proposed septic layout were included in the packet. "We're not doing this to get rich — we're doing it to maintain the property," Whiteside said, describing plans for wine tastings, small weddings and partnership with neighboring agricultural producers.

Commission concerns and requests - Septic and parking feasibility: Commissioners asked whether perk tests and potential off‑site leach‑field easements would be required and cautioned that a drain‑field location could conflict with proposed parking, requiring rework of the site plan. - Capacity and SUP scope: Commissioners observed that an SUP attaches to the parcel, not the current owner, and asked whether the commission should set occupancy limits tied to the SUP (150 persons requested) rather than only to the barn’s square footage; staff said the SUP’s occupancy limit can be set to 150 if the commission chooses. - Neighbor impacts and lighting: Commissioners were concerned about car maneuvering, lights shining into neighboring homes and the small acreage that limits flexibility for parking layout; applicants volunteered to consider landscaping/buffer plantings if neighbors request them. - Outdoor events and noise: Staff noted that if any outdoor music were proposed, current rules would require a separate festival permit under chapter 55, which gives the commission a mechanism to limit outdoor amplified events.

Decision and next steps Commissioners agreed they were not ready to schedule a public hearing at this meeting. Several members said they must visit the property once snow and ice melt and asked staff to compare the proposal to a recent wedding‑venue SUP (Whitlock application) and provide a side‑by‑side comparison of capacity, acreage and parking. Staff will coordinate a site visit and return with additional analyses and recommended permit conditions before a public hearing is set.

Ending The planning commission deferred action and will revisit the Whiteside/Pence SUP after a site visit and additional staff follow‑up addressing septic feasibility, parking plan verification and recommended conditions to mitigate neighbor impacts.