Planning commission votes to approve Firefly Point event facility CUP

The Cumberland County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 26‑02 for Firefly Point, an event facility proposed for a 14.053‑acre parcel off Columbia Road. A commissioner moved approval and the commission recorded unanimous support in a roll‑call vote.

Staff presented maps, aerial photos and a site plan showing the existing barn and driveway, and told commissioners the parcel was rezoned and subdivided in 2024 so the barn sits on its own 14.053‑acre tract. "Therefore, staff recommends approval of this conditional use permit with the following conditions," staff said while reading required conditions that include compliance with the submitted site plan, maintenance of a natural vegetative buffer, and conformance with the Cops Creek Reservoir Watershed Protection Ordinance.

The approved conditions set operational limits: events may operate between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m.; noise is restricted between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. and 8 a.m. on weekends; refuse must be contained, screened from public view and emptied no less frequently than 48 hours after events. Staff also required evidence of required health‑department permits, DOT confirmation for the existing entrance, and noted that final site‑plan review and reviews by the fire marshal and chief of fire/EMS will occur before events may proceed.

The CUP contains enforcement language that allows Board of Supervisors review and potential revocation if confirmed violations requiring law‑enforcement response occur more than twice within 30 days; the permit holder is to receive notice and a reasonable opportunity to correct violations, typically a 30‑day cure period. Staff described a renewal schedule (initial renewal after one year, then renewals at two and five year intervals and upon ownership or management changes).

Applicant Andrew Freeman addressed the commission during the public hearing and said he supports the conditions and expects to operate only occasional events that would help defray property costs. The commission’s recommendation moves the CUP forward to the Board of Supervisors with staff’s conditions and the expectation that a final site plan and required agency signoffs be obtained before regular operations begin.