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Supervisors approve Saddle Creek "glamping" camp with 40‑guest limit, no RVs and seasonal operations
Summary
The board approved SUP 257 for a seasonal boutique camp on Saddle Creek Road with conditions capping guests at 40, prohibiting motorized RVs, allowing up to three staff park‑model units, and restricting organized camp activities November–March (maintenance allowed).
Fluvanna County supervisors approved SUP 257 to allow a seasonal, boutique "glamping" summer camp on a 23.71± acre parcel, subject to conditions limiting guest counts and defining allowable on‑site accommodation types.
Staff described the project as a phased operation with up to 10 tents in year one (10 additional in year two as needed), accessory structures (dining hall, wellness hut, small staff housing), and a season of weekend and week‑long programs (weeklong camps in June–August; weekends in shoulder seasons). The applicants said the camp would host focused programming for women (including some weeks aimed at military spouses) but acknowledged it cannot legally bar men from attending; the board treated the project as a commercial seasonal lodging use requiring conditions to protect neighbors.
Key conditions added by motion: a strict cap of 40 guests on the property at any time (day‑guests counted toward the cap), no motorized recreational vehicles (RVs) allowed on site, no more than three park‑model staff units (stationary, wheels removed and plumbed in), and no organized camp activities November–March except for maintenance. The board also discussed but did not adopt a multi‑year sunset; staff noted the board can pursue revocation if conditions are breached and that state law limits some residential time‑limits.
An applicant representative told the board that three staff would live on site year‑round (the two co‑founders and a camp manager); other seasonal staff would be hired for operating weeks. Supervisors said the limits on guest numbers and on RVs address neighborhood concerns about change of use or eventual resale allowing a very different operation. The board voted to approve SUP 257 with the enumerated conditions.
What happens next: the applicant must meet technical review comments, submit required site plans and operate under the approved conditions. If owners seek changes to capacity or allowed accommodation types they must return to the board for approval.
