Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Land Use Conditional Use topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Neighbors warn of noise and safety risks as St. Charles County considers outdoor wedding venue
Summary
Council considered Bill 5,506 to grant a conditional use permit for a proposed outdoor event venue near Lauderdale Estates. Planning staff recommended denial because of proximity to residences; supporters and the applicant emphasized buffers and noise-mitigation plans. The public hearing closed with no immediate council vote recorded in the transcript.
The St. Charles County Council heard public testimony July 13 on Bill 5,506, a conditional use permit request to operate an outdoor event venue, primarily for weddings, on roughly 7.1 acres near Lauderdale Estates.
Robert Myers, Planning and Zoning Division director, told the council the site fronts a roughly 3-acre pond and that county staff recommended denial because the venue would be an outdoor use with the nearest residents about 300 feet away across open water. Myers said the Planning and Zoning Commission had nonetheless recommended approval with conditions. "My name is Robert Myers. I'm the Planning Zoning Division Director for St. Charles County," he told the council during his presentation.
Nearby residents told the council they can already hear existing events and fear a nighttime wedding venue would increase noise and light at their homes. "Our home is approximately 500 feet from the venue," resident Bill Florence said, adding that the bedrooms of his house face the proposed venue and that he and his wife could see and hear activities there. Resident John Vogel flagged safety concerns at the site entrances, saying the north and south approaches are at the top and bottom of a dip on Highway BB, creating a blind spot for drivers.
The applicant, Dan Lauderdale, described the concept plan and said he owns additional land that creates what he called a 12-acre buffer between the venue and Lauderdale Estates. He said the venue will use gated one-way entry and exit points and that amplified music would be turned off by 10 p.m. Lauderdale also described the tent as a removable structure and said he plans contract terms requiring earlier cutoff of amplified sound where feasible.
Supporters at the hearing, including the engineer Charles Wardle, answered technical questions about parking and access. County public advocate Arnie C. Dienoff urged approval with conditions and argued the applicant has complied with county requirements, while staff reminded the council that the conditions circulated by speakers were suggestions for the commission’s review and differ from the conditions in the bill before the council.
The council chair closed the public hearing and moved on to the next agenda item; the transcript does not record a final council decision on Bill 5,506 during the portion provided. If the council takes further action, it will need to reconcile any conditions recommended by the Planning and Zoning Commission with staff recommendations and the concerns raised by nearby residents.
