Board approves special-exception permit for assembly hall at 1590 15 Fork Road with conditions

The Amelia County Board of Supervisors approved a special-exception permit (SEP2024-07) to allow an assembly-hall use on a rural residential parcel identified as tax map 42-84 (address given in the staff report). Planning staff recommended approval with six conditions; the planning commission suggested increasing the guest limit from 75 to 100 and removing a 24-events-per-year limit. The board approved the special-exception permit with those planning-commission changes.

The staff report (speaker 16) laid out required conditions including a parking plan to avoid on-right-of-way parking, VDOT review of ingress/egress, Department of Health review for operational requirements, administrative inspection provisions, and necessary zoning/building permits before operation. Applicant/commenter (speaker 6) identified himself as Weston Hinton and described existing on-site features (a timber-frame pavilion, tent sites, three ingress/egress points) and said he intended to host small, open-air events and comply with recommended parking and safety conditions. The board's motion set the guest limit at 100 and removed the numerical cap on events per year; remaining planning conditions were left in place.

Board members asked about parking capacity, setbacks and enforcement; the applicant said he could park roughly 20–35 vehicles in the primary areas and more if needed in other cleared spots. The approval requires the applicant to obtain the required zoning and building permits and to submit a parking plan consistent with staff recommendations before commencement of the assembly use.