Planning commission recommends denial of proposed Elkton event center, cites traffic and neighbor concerns

The Rockingham County Planning Commission on April 7 recommended denial of a special use permit for White Barn Group LLC to operate an event center at 18018 Naked Creek Road in the county’s Election District 5.

On a roll-call vote of 3–1, commissioners voted to recommend denial of SUP25-1876. Commissioners David Curfman, Jordan Rohrer and Keith Sheets voted to recommend denial; Commissioner Kevin Flint voted No. The Board of Supervisors previously held a public hearing on the request on March 11 and referred the application to the Planning Commission for additional review.

The proposal would allow an event venue in land zoned A-1 (Prime Agricultural District). Deputy Zoning Administrator Daniel Barnett summarized both applicant-proposed and staff conditions. The applicants offered several restrictions including that music associated with events conclude by 10 p.m.; quiet hours be observed between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.; amplified sound be limited to Friday through Sunday; typical attendance be limited to 100 guests per event with up to six events per calendar year allowed to host up to 200 guests; a prohibition on fireworks and similar pyrotechnics; and no events between Nov. 1 and Feb. 28. Staff recommended an additional condition requiring vegetative screening along Naked Creek Road and a portion of the eastern property line consisting of two staggered rows of Green Giant Arborvitae, a minimum of five feet tall at planting and spaced about 10 feet on center.

Attorney Matt Von Schuch, representing the applicants, said the venue is intended for micro-weddings and small musical events that would provide supplemental income to keep the farm in the family and that the project is consistent with the county’s Comprehensive Plan. Von Schuch opposed the staff screening condition, saying the area across Naked Creek Road is owned by the applicants and is bordered by orchard trees; he recommended the screening condition apply only if the applicants no longer own the adjacent northern parcel.

Public comment was split. Supporters, including Eddie Bumbaugh and Greg Lunsford, said the gatherings they had attended on the property were small and "well planned and organized." Neighbors opposing the permit cited safety and quality‑of‑life concerns: Cindy Lam cited sharp curves near the property entrance and potential traffic hazards; Rebekah and Dillon Shifflett said event noise, guests using the wrong private driveway and alcohol near a home with small children were concerns; Melissa Clark said Naked Creek Road has safety issues that could be exacerbated by events. The Shiffletts also asked who would move mobile restrooms from the floodplain during high water and about insurance and occupancy of the barn.

Kim Sandum of the Alliance for the Shenandoah Valley questioned the unusual referral from the Board to the Planning Commission and said the zoning ordinance does not define "quiet hours." She argued that the proposed event center may function as a primary commercial use rather than a supplemental agricultural use and suggested reducing the number of allowed events.

During deliberations, Rohrer noted that special use permits remain with the land and that event centers in rural areas can generate conflicts with neighbors. Curfman said each event venue is different and requested a traffic analysis for Naked Creek Road and Blose Road. Flint said he was uncomfortable deciding because of the atypical referral process and suggested establishing a standard procedure for future Board-to-Commission referrals.

Commissioner Keith Sheets moved to recommend denial, listing needed mitigating measures including limits on total events, screening to reduce headlight and noise impacts, improvements to sight distance at the Lam driveway, a requirement that owners or employees be on site during events, and earlier music curfews; Curfman amended the motion to add a recommendation that the applicants complete a traffic analysis. The amendment carried 3–1, and the final recommendation to deny the permit carried 3–1 (Curfman Aye; Flint No; Rohrer Aye; Sheets Aye).

The commission recessed briefly and then took up non-substantive business. Commissioner Kevin Flint later noted that he and others are serving on an ad hoc committee to support Rockingham County Public Schools' upcoming maintenance capital projects. The meeting adjourned at 7:12 p.m. Minutes were approved by the commission on May 5, 2026.

What happens next: The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of Supervisors, which may accept, modify or reject the recommendation at a future meeting.