HomeMy WebLinkAboutSP201400020 Correspondence Special Use Permit 2015-04-18 Ann Craddock and Albert Albano
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April 18, 2015
Mr.Scott Clark,Senior Planner
County of Albemarle
Charlottesville,VA
By email: sclark@albemarle.org
Dear Mr. Clark:
This letter is written in objection to the Special Permit SP-2014-00020 request of Katherine Kane for a
wedding center at Waterperry Farm with 16 yearly events of up to 150 people each.We own the
adjoining property to the east of the Kane/West's farm,which extends to Blufton Mill Road,and hold a
right-of-way to our property over the southern side of Waterperry(Tax Map 028, Parcels 18& 17A1).
am writing you, as our county's senior planner,to recommend against this permit request.
Through Ann's family and our own property ownership we have been committed members of this
neighborhood since the mid-1970s. Because we are genuinely"conservation-minded"and value the
uniqueness, beauty,and irreplaceable, intrinsic significance of the Virginia countryside,we placed our
149 acres in a conservation easement with the Virginia Department of Forestry so that it could never be
used for non-rural purposes or turned into housing developments.The property is valuable for its
location in an area with so many other properties that are also in easements, its preservation of
precious,contiguous open Virginia land, its soils particularly suited to hardwood timber, and the number
of clear streams that feed the Rivanna River.We are maintaining it for timber production and for
Virginia wildlife preservation and improvement following the most current Virginia Department of Game
and Inland Fisheries guidelines.We will be moving permanently to our property within the next few
years.
We object to SP02014-00020 because of the non-rural, agricultural,or forestal nature of the proposed
business and its significantly adverse impact on its immediate neighbors and entire neighborhood. It will
generate large amounts of traffic on a small,gravel road,will create sound and light pollution on many
weekends,will be an eyesore with its parking lot and drive, may bring trespassers onto our property,
and most importantly will make it possible for other businesses not within the zoning regulations to be
placed in the middle of this rural area in perpetuity.
A wedding center is immediately inappropriate because of the amount of traffic that will be generated
on Ballards Mill Road, a public thoroughfare that is now used in an appropriately rural, egalitarian
manner for walking, bicycling, riding, carriage driving,and vehicular access.We estimate that each event
will require a minimum of 3 days of traffic, much by trucks and large vans, by rental providers of tents,
furniture, dance floor,torches,sound system,and catering equipment,caterers and their support staff,
florists, hairdressers, photographers,and videographers. Each wedding, most on weekends when
neighbors are most often at home,enjoying quiet time on their properties or using Ballards Mill Road
for recreational activities,will have the vehicles of many of the aforementioned service providers,
musicians, ministry,the wedding party,the guests not using the busses,and 34 ft. long busses,all on a
road too narrow and with too many blind corners for such traffic volume and vehicular size.These
people,a good number having consumed alcohol,will be leaving Waterperry Farm late at night,
increasing the danger of the road.
The noise pollution is a strongly negative aspect of the proposed wedding center. In addition to the
vehicular noise,the weddings themselves will include large crowds of up to 150 people, music, amplified
speeches,and general merriment. Most of this will be happening from early evening well into the night.
Sound carries very far in a quiet, rural setting and will travel well beyond the boundaries of Waterperry
Farm.We have both worked for major art museums that encourage space rentals; none, however,
permit weddings because too often they spin out of the control and become rowdy, noisy,
uncontrollable events.A garden wedding would be no different.To whom could the neighbors turn to
stop such behavior and noise without having to file a lawsuit?This noise will also disrupt the sensitive
ecosystem for a wide range of wildlife species that we are endeavoring to protect and preserve on our
adjacent property.
Each wedding will be accompanied by light pollution that will be easily seen from anywhere on our
property from the required lighting of the event and particularly of the parking lot.The parking lot,
which will need to be approx.5000 square feet and lit,with its accompanying turn around drive that will
be 30 feet wide and 60 feet wide at Ballards Mill Road,will be placed close to our property line where it
will be a perpetual eyesore, empty and full.All the people involved with a wedding will be close to our
property and could trespass.Who will be preventing and insuring against trespassing,the commitment
of a criminal act,or damage to our property?
Most importantly,in the big picture,we object to this special permit because Albemarle County would
be going against its own master plan,zoning,and statements of intent to encourage the preservation of
the rural nature of the county by allowing a commercial business to be placed in a part of Albemarle
County that is zoned rural and for agricultural and forestal activities only.These rural uses are further
encouraged and emphasized as of high value to the people of Albemarle County by tax abatements for
farm activities(from which the Kane/Wests are benefiting)and for inclusion in the Moormans River
Agricultural and Forestal District(The Kane/Wests opted out of this some years ago.),clearly indicating
that Albemarle County values the historic and present character of our R1 district.
While Katherine Kane envisions a well managed business,once the"special permit"designation is
granted to Waterperry Farm she or subsequent owners, in perpetuity,can change the type of for-profit
business to all manner of other activities and can apply to augment these commercial activities. It is
against Albemarle County's laws and zoning to allow a commercial,public business here.The neighbors
have shown their strong commitment to preserving open land and rural, agricultural, and forestal
activities through the amount of land that has been placed in conservation easements and the rural
activities in which so many of us engage such as hay and cattle,timber, horses,organic produce,
livestock,and poultry,wildlife management, and the like.
As our senior country planner,thank you for recommending against the request of a special use permit
by Katherine Kane.
Sincerely yours,
, tw, i o` `b xC'� C t t C� r /er
Ann Craddock and Albert Albano
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TO: Scott Clark, Community Development Department
RE: WATERPERRY FARM SP201400020
We are writing to express our concerns regarding the "Special Use" permit application of
Olin West and Katherine Kane... SP201400020, Waterperry Farm.
It allowed for attendance at each event for up to 150 attendees,and to be allowed to hold
these events up to 24 times per year... and 250 attendees 4 times per year.
It is our understanding that the proposal has now been modified to limit the number of
events to 14, use only buses to shuttle up to 150 attendees,and to allow only "acoustical
sound" (not amplified).
Our concern remains that this proposal would continue to have adverse impacts on:
-The safety of our children and those traveling Ballards Mill Rd by creating hazardous
driving situations from increased traffic on our tiny road, noise as our property is adjacent
to Waterperry Farm, and the adversely affect property our value.
We have bought property and built our home here because we value the predominately
residential character of the Ballards Mill neighborhood being that of a rural open-space,
natural scenic beauty,and tranquility.
We have placed our property in conservation easements and a forestry easement in order
to preserve these special qualities for future generations. We cooperate with the Virginia
Outdoors Foundation easements that promotes to "preserve open-space land and prohibit
commercial activities other than farms, silvicultures,or horticulture."
Sound carries a long way in the country due to the nature of the country. Sound does not
have to rise to the level of amplified sound to carry a long distance. We are next door to
the property and value the sounds of nature and the country setting.
As adversely impacted neighbors we cannot support approval of this Special Use Permit.
Respectfully:
i% scatI(.0 , 414
Matt and Hallie Hegemier
Bmc ilw iyy
[)!
TO: TroyVDOT
Austin, MAR 1 6 2015 �C
RE: WATERPERRY FARM SP201400020 RESIDENCY OFFICE
CHARLOTTESVILLE VA
We are writing to express our concerns regarding the "Special Use" permit application of
Olin West and Katherine Kane... SP201400020, Waterperry Farm.
It allowed for attendance at each event for up to 150 attendees,and to be allowed to hold
these events up to 24 times per year... and 250 attendees 4 times per year.
It is our understanding that the proposal has now been modified to limit the number of
events to 14, use only buses to shuttle up to 150 attendees,and to allow only "acoustical
sound" (not amplified).
Our concern remains that this proposal would continue to have adverse impacts on:
-The safety of our children and those traveling Ballards Mill Rd by creating hazardous
driving situations from increased traffic on our tiny road, noise as our property is adjacent
to Waterperry Farm,and the adversely affect property our value.
We have bought property and built our home here because we value the predominately
residential character of the Ballards Mill neighborhood being that of a rural open-space,
natural scenic beauty,and tranquility.
We have placed our property in conservation easements and a forestry easement in order
to preserve these special qualities for future generations. We cooperate with the Virginia
Outdoors Foundation easements that promotes to "preserve open-space land and prohibit
commercial activities other than farms, silvicultures, or horticulture."
Sound carries a long way in the country due to the nature of the country. Sound does not
have to rise to the level of amplified sound to carry a long distance. We are next door to
the property and value the sounds of nature and the country setting.
As adversely impacted neighbors we cannot support approval of this Special Use Permit.
Respectfully:
1-6,11 r
,
Matt and Hallie Hegemier
Elizabeth Neff
Bradford Hall
PO Box$2
Free Union,VA 22940
Dear Katherine and Olin
I am sorry not to be at your house today but I shall be out of town. In lieu of
that this letter.
I think your gardens are magnificent. It certainly reflects the twenty plus
years you have worked on creating them. Just breath taking. I am with you
in believing gardens should be shared and definitely great ones, as is yours. I
also realize the great expenses you have just to maintain wheat you have
done. Using the land to offset expenses is understandable.
George and I bought our property 22 years ago. For the price we paid we
could have bought a lovely home in Farmington. We knew the distance from
Charlottesville would entail extra driving hours. We knew the dirt road would
be rough on the cars and would be perpetually dirty. We knew being rural
would mean a lack of services. This is reflected when it snows and we are
one of the last roads in the county to be plowed and when the electricity
goes out one of the last to be restored, and waiting for years to have
internet connection which was not dial up. The bucolic lifestyle was one we
wished to have and to bring up our sons. George especially enjoyed hearing
the sound of the tree frogs at dusk.
I have three main concerns:
1) Noise. Sound carries. There are days when we can hear the train
whistle at Ivy. There is a fine line to be drawn when one person's
enjoyment or benefit transgresses another party's. If you should
have evening events which create enough noise as to prohibit my
having friends over for an al fresco dinner on the patio, then that
crosses the line of your enjoyment vs. mine. If you should have
events with music which is loud enough to disturb my sleeping, then
to me that too is a transgression. As we discussed, I am not
convinced you will be able to contain sound to your property,
especially if it is amplified. Your dream then becomes everyone's
nightmare.
2) Safety. When we talked, I had thought the road you were going to
use was north of mine, your road which backs into Chapel Springs
Farm. I wasn't aware you were considering entrance south of my
drive. My driveway is at the crest of a blind hill. Most people who
are not used to driving on unmarked roads drive down the center and
too fast. When I leave my drive to the right there is not a lot of
distance nor time to see an oncoming car or truck that has not kept
to their side of the road.
3) Impact on a dirt road. With the amount of traffic you will be
creating it would be a shame for the scales to be tipped from
Ballard's Mill Road being dirt to tarmac. That would be all too sad.
To be honest, I don't know if permits can be drafted in such a way your
events would not jeopardize our peace and tranquility and be limited to
non amplified sound, or limited to quiet noninvasive garden parties and
weddings. I don't know if your road north of my drive could be used
instead. Thoughts to be considered.
Sorry I could not be there for your meeting. By the way, your stationary
is beautiful and elegant.
Warmest regards,
,, 0•2‘
0
yrs
Cc Troy Austin VDOT
Scott Clark, Community Development ------
Ann Mallek, Board of Supervisors