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Board denies variance for Hill Branch Road event venue; special exception left unconsidered
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Summary
The Dorchester County Board of Zoning Appeals denied a variance request from applicant Kristen Sasser that would have allowed an outdoor special-event venue on Hill Branch Road to be considered despite lacking direct access to a collector or arterial roadway. Staff recommended denial; the board agreed the property does not meet the ordinance’s direct-access requirement.
The Dorchester County Board of Zoning Appeals denied a variance Feb. 25 requested by Kristen Sasser that would have allowed her to pursue a special-exception approval for an outdoor event (wedding) venue on a 28.7-acre parcel along Hill Branch Road.
Staff told the board the county’s ordinance (Section 10.4.0.23) requires group-C outdoor special-event venues to have direct access to a collector or arterial roadway. Staff reported that Hill Branch Road is designated as a local road in the county’s functional-classification map and recommended denying the variance because the property does not meet the ordinance’s direct-access requirement. Staff also noted there is no mechanism within the ordinance to deviate from that particular criterion via administrative exception.
Sasser testified that the site has multiple internal drives, a circular entrance and exit to separate arrivals and departures, space for on-site parking and vendor circulation, partnerships for mobile restroom services, and plans to encourage shuttle transportation to reduce through-traffic. She emphasized proximity to open space and a future state park and said she did not plan festival-size events.
Board members probed distances to Old Beach Hill Road (about 0.79 miles) and Highway 61 (about 2.62 miles) and discussed how functional classification and trip counts factor into road designations; staff explained those designations are set by traffic and connection criteria and can be used for funding but are not easily changed at the board level. After discussion, Committee member (S4) moved to deny the variance on the basis that the property did not have direct access to a collector or arterial; the board voted to deny. Staff clarified that denial of the variance means the board would not proceed to consider the related special-exception application while the variance requirement remains unmet.
The applicant was told of the denial and that options such as temporary special-event permits (limited to three per year) or pursuing broader roadway designation/engineering changes would be separate avenues outside this variance proceeding.
