Village of Four Seasons trustees deny special-use permit for Shepherd's Canyon Retreat

Trustees for the Village of Four Seasons voted to deny a special-use permit sought by Shepherd's Canyon Retreat for a single-family home at 270 Veronica Lane, after a lengthy public-comment period and a Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation not to approve the request.

The applicant, represented in the meeting by Kevin and attorney Butch Miller, asked the village to approve use of the home as a parsonage/rectory and to permit up to six week-long, small counseling retreats annually for pastors, missionaries and other church leaders. Kevin described the operation as a nonprofit, year-round parsonage with only limited, closely supervised events and told the board, “Shepherd's Canyon wants to be a respectful neighbor, a quiet presence and a blessing to this community.”

The Planning & Zoning Commission, which held a public hearing Jan. 12, 2026, prepared findings and recommended conditions including a six-event annual limit and a prohibition on acquiring additional property. Mr. Barber, the planning and zoning chair, told trustees: “A motion and second was made to recommend approval of the requested special use permit … The vote to recommend approval … failed with two commissioners voting in favor and three commissioners voting in opposition.” The commission therefore did not recommend approval.

Dozens of residents spoke at the trustees meeting, including neighbors living near the property who raised two consistent concerns: that hosting retreat attendees would amount to a commercial or business-like use in an R-1 single-family residential district, and that approving the permit would create a precedent eroding the residential character and protections provided by zoning. Opponents also questioned whether the village's home-occupation rules (section 32-113) would instead apply, and whether attendees' use of POA amenities would amount to commercialization of private facilities.

Supporters — including Reverend Dr. Christopher Morris, who identified himself as a long-time property owner in the village — urged trustees to apply the ordinance’s special-use language for rectories and similar religious institutions. Morris argued the village’s governing documents already list rectories and similar institutions as potential special uses and urged the trustees to judge the application on its merits.

Applicant counsel Butch Miller told the board the proposal did not amount to a typical home-based business. He said the pastoral couple would live in the home full time, retreats would be limited to small groups, and counselors would not be resident staff. “This is going to be the full-time home of a semi-retired pastor,” Miller said, stressing that the organization had agreed to the staff-proposed limiting conditions and an added pledge not to purchase adjacent property to expand the site.

Trustees framed their decision around compatibility with the village comprehensive plan and the practical limits of special-use discretionary authority. Multiple trustees said their votes reflected a judgment that the proposed counseling retreats and guest usage would move the property beyond the village’s residential intent. After discussion, a trustee moved to accept the Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation and deny the special-use permit; the motion carried and the application was denied.

What happens next: the decision rejects the current application as presented. Trustees and staff noted that special-use decisions are discretionary and that applicants may revise proposals and return, or seek judicial review; the village’s code references (including section 32-37 and section 32-113) were cited repeatedly during the meeting.

The trustees meeting also included several other agenda items — budget and police reports, infrastructure updates, and items discussed below — and adjourned after approving a schedule change and some landscape work at the village welcome sign.

Sources: Trustee meeting proceedings and the Planning & Zoning Commission report read into the record at the Village of Four Seasons Board of Trustees meeting.