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Neighbors file petition and dozens of objections to Eden Ridge event-venue special permit
Summary
More than a dozen written objections and a petition from Novum Church Road-area neighbors opposed a special-use permit for Eden Ridge, citing one-lane gravel road safety, flooding, amplified noise, trespass risks and impacts to farming and property values.
A cluster of written objections and a petition opposing the Eden Ridge special-use permit (SU-12-25-2) at 868 Novum Church Road appeared in the Board packet for the Jan. 28 meeting, with neighbors urging the county to deny the permit on safety, noise and agricultural-impact grounds.
Multiple submissions from residents who live on Novum Church Road and nearby roads described the physical limitations of the gravel road (narrow single-lane sections, ditches and gullies that can make passing difficult), flooding at the property driveway and hazards for farm equipment. In a letter included in the packet, Margaret and William Byrne wrote that temporary tent enclosures and buffering would not adequately mitigate amplified sound traveling across open farmland. Several submissions stressed that farmland equipment and harvest schedules cannot easily adjust to weekend event traffic, creating safety and economic concerns for working farms.
Neighbors also raised public-safety concerns tied to alcohol consumption at events, potential trespass onto adjacent properties, and dust, trash and lighting that would alter the rural character of the area. Physician Samuel Konkol submitted a note on behalf of patient Stephen Kilpatrick, stating that Mr. Kilpatrick’s severe bronchiectasis increases his sensitivity to airborne particulates and that increased traffic and dust could worsen his condition.
A circulated petition opposing the venue contained numerous signatures from residents on Novum Church Road, Ridgeview Road, Hoover Road and Novum Road, and several neighbors included photos showing narrow road conditions and vehicle conflicts. Submittals asked the county to consider the A-1 zoning intent and argued agritourism as defined in county code does not encompass a commercial wedding/event venue without farm-related activity. Several neighbors said they plan to attend the Feb. 4 public hearing to reiterate their objections.
What county staff and Board said: The Planning & Zoning Administrator’s packet materials (in the public record) identified the permit application and included neighbor submissions; the Board did not take a final vote on the special-use permit at this meeting. Chairman Carty Yowell and Board members suggested the Planning Commission’s workshop and upcoming public hearing will be the forum for testimony and any decision.
What’s next: The special-use permit remains subject to the Planning Commission and a scheduled Feb. 4 public hearing; the Board packet includes the written objections and petition for official record.
