JAMES CITY COUNTY — The James City County (JCC) Board of Supervisors (BOS) narrowly approved a special use permit (SUP) for Niceland Farm Event Venue and Tourist Home after lengthy public comment and board discussion during its regular November meeting.
The proposal presented to the BOS was modified from the plan originally submitted to the JCC Planning Commission after neighboring citizens expressed concerns over noise, safety and traffic.
According to documentation presented in the BOS agenda packet, “the 14.81 acres dedicated to the Event Venue and Tourist Home includes a new farm pond, an orchard, adequate parking, flexible open space, a formal drop off, and a series of walkways connecting spaces throughout the site. The current barn structure will be repurposed to accommodate hosting events and includes a small stage for musicians to perform outdoors. The existing farmhouse will function as the Tourist Home.”
“The proposed special use permit for the event venue is envisioned to include wedding and corporate events with a frequency of one event per day and no more than three events per week,” Morgan Risinger, Senior Planner for JCC stated during the meeting. “Prior to tonight’s meeting, the applicant has amended their application including reducing the maximum number of attendees from 360 to 250 the applicant has also confirmed their intention of planning landscaping along Fire Tower Road.”
The amendment also included that a 30-foot vegetative buffer will also be established along a portion of the front property — an increase of 45% up from the original plan of 35% coverage — as well as a restriction stating noise shall not cross property lines between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. and requiring amplified music to be oriented toward the interior of the property.
Each board member said they had spent time prior to the meeting speaking with David Nice, owner of the venue, in addition to a group of concerned community neighbors to help facilitate regulations in the SUP that would benefit all parties.
During the almost two-hour public comment period, many spoke about how they were not against the event space but wanted regulations and limitations placed in the SUP to protect them against late-night noise and to reduce their safety concerns.
Additionally, several spoke in favor of the venue.
Prior to the vote, Vice-Chair Jim Icenhour stated, “I want to talk about the word compromise. I learned one thing about negotiating contracts — a good contract has something in it that both sides hate. Think about that. You got to give the other side something to win and then, you got to get something to win. So, you never get all that you want, but you have to compromise.”
The proposal passed with a vote of 3-2.
The entire meeting is available to watch online.
