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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZTA201600003 Study 2016-09-13Summary of Rural Area Stakeholder Survey Findings In response to direction given to staff at the June 14 joint work session to seek additional feedback from Rural Area residents about event impacts, an online survey was created and circulated to stakeholders via the Rural Areas A -mail list and on social media. The purpose of the survey was to better understand event impacts experienced by residents living near farm wineries, breweries and distilleries (FWBDs) and to explore what types of measures residents thought should be undertaken to address those impacts. As of September 1, the survey received 258 responses. The first survey question asked whether or not respondents live near a FWBD. 85.5% responded yes, 12.4% responded no, and 2.1 % responded that they didn't know. The second survey question asked respondents to rank their level of concern about events at FWBDs on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 being not at all concerned and 5 being extremely concerned. A majority (51.8%) indicated that they are not at all concerned (1), while an aggregated 30.2% indicated that they are moderately to extremely concerned (4 or 5). For the subset of respondents who indicated that they live near a FWBD, responses to this question were nearly identical suggesting that there are mixed perspectives in the community on the topic of FWBD event impacts. The third survey question asked how frequently certain event impacts were experienced. A majority of respondents indicated that they never experience noise from outdoor amplified music, crowd noise, trash, drunk drivers, or light pollution; however, 5-10% of respondents indicated that they experience one or more of these impacts every weekend. Increased traffic associated with FWBD events was experienced most frequently with 19.5% of respondents saying that they occasionally experience it and 15.9% saying that they experience it every weekend. There was no significant difference in responses for the subset of individuals who indicated that they live near a FWBD. The fourth question asked what other concerns individuals had about the impact of events on Rural Area neighbors. Several respondents stated that they had no other concerns with some expressing that these events were a positive attribute of living in the Rural Area and an economic driver for Albemarle County. The most frequently cited concerns other than those addressed in question three were event frequency, impacts on rural character, parking along roadways, and speeding/ careless driving. Other concerns included decreased property values adjacent to FWBDs, trespassing, odors and noise from food trucks, large buses on roadways, visibility of parking areas, emergency access, fireworks, impacts on livestock, entrance and exit concerns, and water use. The fifth and sixth questions addressed what more the County could be doing beyond current regulations to ensure that FWBD events are not disruptive to neighbors or public safety. The most frequently cited suggestions were quiet hours for events (noise curfew), traffic control and security for large events, neighbor notification and an annual cap on the number events. Other suggestions included requiring a contact person for events, lowering the attendance threshold for a special use permit, providing screening for parking areas, prohibiting fireworks, sound monitoring, increasing setbacks for event spaces, requiring events to be indoors, improving roadway signage and requiring the use of shuttling. Others suggested that sites should have a minimum acreage and be located on paved roads in order to hold events. Other respondents felt that existing regulations were adequate and no further regulation of events was necessary. 258 responses View all responses Publish analytics Summary I live near a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery. Yes 206 85.5% No 30 12.4% Don't know 5 2.1% How would you rate your level of concern about events held at farm wineries, breweries & distilleries? 120 90 60 30 0 1 2 3 4 5 Not at all concerned: 1 132 51.8% 2 21 8.2% 3 25 9.8% 4 25 9.8% Extremely concerned: 5 52 20.4% Increased traffic [How often do you experience the following impacts from events held at a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery?] Never Rarely Occasionally Every weekend N/A 129 52% Rarely 0 19.4% 20 Never 85 33.9% Rarely 65 25.9% Occasionally 49 19.5% Every weekend 40 15.9% N/A 12 4.8% 40 60 Noise from outdoor amplified music [How often do you experience the following impacts from events held at a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery?] Never Rarely Occasionally Every weekend N/A 0 30 60 90 ill Never 129 52% Rarely 48 19.4% Occasionally 38 15.3% Every weekend 22 8.9% N/A 11 4.4% Crowd noise [How often do you experience the following impacts from events held at a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery?] Never Rarely Occasionally Every weekend N/A 0 40 80 120 Never 162 65.6% Rarely 36 14.6% Occasionally 25 10.1% Every weekend 13 5.3% N/A 11 4.5% Trash blown onto property or roadways [How often do you experience the following impacts from events held at a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery?] Never Rarely Occasionally Every weekend N/A 0 35 70 105 140 Never 157 64.1% Rarely 28 11.4% Occasionally 31 12.7% Every weekend 17 6.9% N/A 12 4.9% Drunk drivers [How often do you experience the following impacts from events held at a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery?] Never Rarely Occasionally Every weekend N/A 0 30 60 90 120 Never 130 53.1% Rarely 48 19.6% Occasionally 32 13.1% Every weekend 17 6.9% N/A 18 7.3% Light pollution [How often do you experience the following impacts from events held at a farm winery, farm brewery, or farm distillery?] Never Rarely Occasionally Every weekend N/A 0 35 70 105 140 Never 150 60.7% Rarely 34 13.8% Occasionally 30 12.1% Every weekend 15 6.1% N/A 18 7.3% What other concerns, if any, do you have about the impacts of events on Rural Area neighbors? None None. none These wineries Impact land values around them... it is really a nightmare. I live in the country for a reason - it is tranquil and peaceful and I don't like the noise and clamor of living in town - why should a neighbor be allowed to spoil that just to make a little more money People live in the country for peace and quiet. The wineries are taxsubsidized for the rich and there ego's, there is little benefit from the tourism except for the the wealthy wine owners! None, we love having events at local wineries, breweries, cideries and distilleries! None. The ones with which I am familiar (near my farm) are very close to access highways, so there isn't any traffic concern on my part. I haven't seen anything of concern. noise is biggest concern, but it seems outrageous to me that the County would propose anything that would certainly add to the instances of drunk drivers being on our narrow, rural roads..... shame on you for that. am most concerned about the increase of event "wineries" that produce no grapes or wine, and who compete with bona fide wineries. None; if we grow our agricultural production and celebrate the area's rural beauty while taking care to protect that which we love about the two we should be fine. moved to the county for quiet. I would be unhappy if I was not able to enjoy that anymore because a new establishment is created next door Traffic on Plank Road (SR 692) between Batesville and US 29 seems to have greatly increased in the last year. Is it construction? wineries and breweries? tourists? It does not let up until after 11 PM on week nights. Only Sunday AM is relatively quiet. Living in Sugar Hollow, we find increasing numbers of people parking along the road for apparent recreational purposes (illegally I believe, since the road is very narrow and cars are often parked partially on private property). Trash is also an issue. I believe events such as footraces that encourage large numbers of people to be in the roadway at the same time (even if the road is not officially closed) are also a problem, as they obstruct traffic and sometimes driveways. These policies have taken what was designated "rural area" and are transforming it into "commercial" areas. At your recent meeting, I saw most of the proponents were from commercial ventures feeding off the wedding/event business that has been created. Land owners are posing as "faux" wineries trying to tap into the wedding/event commercial operations business that has been created because what they were seeking to do was denied a Special Use Permit". Continued unrestricted, uncontrolled and unregulated use for commercial enterprises will kill the "Golden Goose". My two "never" answers should be "not yet"> I'm fortunate to be in proximity to a courteous winery today but I have friends who would respond "every weekend" and complain of machinery noise, etc during the week. I don't want that to happen here. Reign these parties in and keep it RURAL. Decrease of property values Wineries, breweries etc should continue to be respectful of neighbors. It all depends on how near the winery/destination/weddingvenue is to you. I think that if the winery doesn't have plenty of acreage for everything (parking, road access, bus access) then it should be disallowed. As for the music -- do not allow amplified music if it can be heard on a neighboring property. Or allow the neighboring property to set up their own loudspeakers with discordant music to compete. My main concern is drunk drivers. There is little enforcement in many of these areas and there have been several accidents involving drunk drivers. I'm sure all of them are not coming from a winery but it does increase the chances of that happening. None unless someone at an event came onto my property without permission. live less than three miles from a winery, but have not had any negative impact from their events, and have benefitted from having a winery so close for buying wine when I run out and having a fun place nearby for guests to visit. But I cannot gauge what the impact is for neighbors who live adjacent to the winery. Big tour buses, noise and odors from food trucks When Albemarle County finally decides to put Farmer's, urban farmers, small homesteading and public transportation coupled with true bike.walking. alternate transportation operations BEFORE urban sprawl AND ADDRESSES WATER, school and traffic issues THEN we can accommodate the half backs and city dwellers who think they are moving to the "countryside." Mostly noise. consider these events to be a net positive for the county and they should not be over- regulated. Traffic on small roads. None. It's just one day a week. Occasional large buses - doesn't impact our farm. Access to public safety providers. People wondering were they shouldn't be,. Trespassing Crowd parking on narrow rural roads Mostly trash, speeding and wreck less driving which goes beyond just events General disturbance to our beautiful rural countryside. We welcome the vineyard. And a small winery would be fine. It's the event venue with so many people, visible parking and exterior lighting that we don't welcome. In the past, our road had a problem with winery visitors parking along the right-of-way. The winery helped prevent that going forward but this is a general concern. people hang around their parked cars and are loud, consume whatever they brought in the car without control. can't tell when someone is driving drunk unless their behavior is egregious. My main concern is traffic and noise. The drunk drivers scare me a lot but I can't say I see drunk drivers all the time. Rural means quiet countryside without noise, traffic and lights keep your people in the city I live between two farm wineries and would not live in my house again if you paid me. The noise is incessant, glass bottles being thrown away, dull roar of people, amplified music, etc. I think road size and parking availability need to be considered. It seems some drivers really don't know how to drive on back country roads, and some roads to these wineries are really only designed for one car. I can't imagine if a ambulance had to get somewhere. Not to mention the impatience of drivers with farm machinery on theses rural roads. Many of their cars spill over into the road or what divers consider to be public lots. late noise at Grace Estate Winery, until 10 pm or later. Unfulfilled promises by winery owner of Grace Estate Winery to put in shrubbery landscaping to hide huge parking lot right in our face. think some venues need better signage before you get to them. Keswick Vineyards, for example, comes out of nowhere. People miss the turn of slam in the brakes when they see the driveway. Driving Under Influence is more frequent that 'weekends'! .... Distracted Driving, Aggressive Driving, and Dangerous Driving is daily! and surely alcohol is likely involved too. Fireworks are very loud and late and unexpected! I like the events, we attend them a lot and its nice to have stuff to do in our neck of the woods. quite enjoy these events nearby that I would otherwise have to drive a long distance to attend in town. Many people have chosen to live in the rural areas of Albemarle County because we value the peace and tranquility of our beautiful county. Increased traffic, more noise, the increased risk of impaired drivers on our crooked roads, and increased litter along the highway detracts from our safe and peaceable existence. I live near wineries and in fact very much enjoy their events, as do my children. I would not regulate them any more than they are as they add so much to the community. hoping that NIMBY (not in my backyard) attitude doesnt take hold, as growth is a good thing, when done properly. None! The more events the better! generally, traffic concerns, as many of the roads are not sufficient for normal traffic, let alone larger events held at these places None. NIMBYs keep gathering nearby and complaining about other people's gatherings. No concerns. It brings good business to a lot of local Crozet vendors. N/A None! The impact on my property is nothing but positive! It should happen more often Mainly traffic mainly traffic congestion and drunk drivers It provides a very nice entertainment alternate. The noise, light and traffic impact livestock and quiet enjoyment of rural life The increased traffic on narrow roads has changed our quiet, safe little road in White Hall. See below for more concerns. The wineries near me have a high level of concern for their neighbors, and work hard to minimize any impact on us. It will really have a negative impact on tourism in this area. Most people who have events like weddings and such are from out of town. These people are staying, eating and doing other activities while here which make our area flourish. This change would affect everyone. None! It's a wonderful addition to our county both financially and culturally. These events are part of our community and we all look forward to them. Please don't take them away. The "Crozetians" are very happy about them. Not many at all. It is great to see community events at local wineries Do away with the land use exemption The use of fireworks everyweekend and bonfires without a permit. They have become not a tasting room but more of a bar atomosphere with food trucks and music everyweekend. I have no concerns. I think events at farm wineries are a huge and positive impact on the economic environment in Ablemarle County. I know many people who are gainfully employed because of these events and the subsequent industry. My sense is we're reaching a "saturation point" with all these "events centers" with their concomitant impacts on traffic, light pollution, noise, rural quality of life, etc. What may have started as a good initiative by using wineries/events centers as a way to protect open land and farming has turned into large scale commercial activities that are truly impacting in a negative way the rural character of VA. The Planning Commission/Supervisors across the state/counties have got to develop an "end state" that recognizes a finite limit to the number of event centers. Clearly, we need to accommodate some event centers but preserving the rural character of VA must take priority. As you know the rural character is what attracts folks to visit wineries/hold events in Albemarle. Don't believe people will want to visit our wineries/event centers when our county roads look like "strip malls" of events centers with all the negatives of traffic congestion, light pollution, noise, etc. I would be concerned if there were less events and monies and taxes paid. I refuse to attempt to control others' use of their property, just like I want to be left alone on mine. do not have any concerns about the wineries. I have heard music from local homeowners private parties but have NEVER heard anything from the winery that is within walking distance from my home Traffic, light pollution, higher residential property taxes because the County and many of its residents are so adverse to businesses - both those that already exist, and those that want to come to Albemarle. None, it is fantastic for our economy and local tourism None Primarily impaired drivers on narrow curvy roads. I live right next door to a vineyard that schedules lots of events. While I hear them sometimes, it is not loud or objectionable. None. Zoning with enough space between residents and commercial use acceptable noise levels at certain distances away. Increased traffic that has little consideration for the well-being of neighborhood residents; but rather being in a hurry to arrive and depart the winery. Drunk drivers who pose safety concerns for pedestrians, bicycles, other cars. am a few miles down the road from the closest winery. So, i am not impacted by noise or light pollution. I personally enjoy having the glass -house winery nearby because it is situated off the road, and is managed well. But, I would not want one next to me. And, I know that is what my neighbor (who grows grapes) is thinking. That would be horrible to have that volume of traffic/noise/light next door. It would be catastrophic to the peace / quiet / rural nature of Free Union if there were weddings / music / parties there. I understand the occasional use, and that'd be fine with me. But every weekend would be terrible. Protect landowners' freedom to use their own property. I have concerns in each of the above areas. We are seeing "event factories" springing up in the RA. Events have become the basis for many of these operations, not the production and sale of wine/beer/spirits. don't live right next to a winery, but I drive past one regularly and am constantly worried about the cars pulling in and out of their driveway and surprised by the amount of noise. People often park on the road as well which seems dangerous. I did not move to the country to live next to a bar. Weddings, receptions, parties and even live music for tastings have a huge impact on neighbors. It would be one thing if I bought my house knowing I was next door to a restaurant or bar, but it's entirely another when a "farm" next door turns into an event venue. Why is this even allowed? It clearly changes the neighborhood and it seems that the other residents don't have any say. It appears that there are often more than 200 attendees, frequently more than 50 vehicles, which is what we were told is the limit. We live at least 1 mile away from the two wineries in White Hall. Grace Estate and Stinson. On multiple occasions We have been able to hear music from thier events. This isn't acceptable given have far away we live from them. Pollution to our ground water, air quality, and to the calming nature of rural life. Rural areas should not become recreational places by activities banned in urban areas. Rural areas should be what their name implies: ruralness and relief from the stresses of urban life. Traffic congestion and collisions on narrow rural roads, thus requiring more expenditure on road maintenance, ambulance services, etc. Human conflicts, especially by naive urban people unfamiliar with farm life, tractors, slow vehicles, and that add to collisions with wildlife and farming activities. Protection of water quality in stream, grounds, lakes, etc. needs vigilant care Our responses above relate to two wineries in our vicinity and they present no concerns to us. The ever increasing number of wineries, cider works, distillery, and brew houses on rt 151 is another matter. Although we seldom travel rt 151 we are concerned with the volume of traffic there and the high probability of DUI driving. In addition the intersection of 151 with 250 is generally clogged with traffic and in need of a traffic light to facilitate flow. Expanding events to farms in general do not live near a winery. But, my neighbor's property is used for a Stone Robinson Elementary School for a fund raising event. This has happened for the past two years. It is regular, it is limited in the hours it occurs and I know it will only happen once per year. I can not imagine the impact on my life and my horses if the traffic and noise generated from this activity happened on a daily basis. I live in the rural areas for the quiet, for the ability to have horses and chickens, and to not worry about the intensity of commercial uses surrounding me. I also am concerned about ground water usage and ground water contamination. I am concerned about the carrying capacity of these areas, there is a reason we choose to treat sewage in heavily populated commercial areas. I fear the septic systems in the rural areas will need to be increased in size to handle the effluent. The growing support of the wedding industry is surprising. I wonder what happens to the farms that have invested huge sums to support the wedding industry when and if this trend subsides. What will be expected of the county to help this industry if it does subside. regulations are working fine The principal issue is the traffic, especially at the intersection of Plank Rd. and Route 29. There is no light there, and the traffic to and from the winery just increases the congestion that is there already. There has already been at least one fatality at that intersection. I have an opinion about the events. Leave them alone! I believe "free enterprise" will cure any ills it may have itself if left alone by government. Albemarle Co. has grown oppressive with a negative attitude of government toward free enterprise (farmers, brewers, distillers and vintners) doing what is necessary to make a living in their business. This is an example of an ever increasing reach of government locally and nationally upon citizens and business owners liberties. Stand off ... leave businesses alone ... you oppress too much now. The public will in a free enterprising market do naturally what oppressive government will demand. Give them time... road traffic will cure itself. People who live in the RA have chosen to do so for a variety of reasons, including a quiet, pleasant, undeveloped environment. The proliferation of events and commercial activities in the RAs have the potential to change the character of Albemarle County's beautiful, scenic, unspoiled RAs forever. If we allow the RAs to be commercialized, they will lose their special appeal, and we will never be able to recapture it. We are not concerned about wineries as farming businesses; we are extremely concerned about the use of these properties for all types of unregulated events which create the additional noise, traffic, etc., effects of such events. Also, the persons attending the events may or may not be area residents; if not residents, they may not care about the impact their actions have on the environment and neighborhoods. My concern is that a townhouse development would pop up in its place if restrictions cause their closure do not live next door to a winery but I have friends who do. When I go to see them on a weekend the roads are crowded due to tastings or activities. It's also noises. We can no longer visit outside, but need to be indoors to be heard. It is not easy to visit anymore on weekends, nor as fun as it was prior to the winery. at what point does farm marketing switch to an entertainment venue . live near a "winery" that has a few grape vines so they can pretend to meet zoning requirements to hold weddings and events. (I has not opened yet, thus my N/A answers above.) am extremely concerned about amplified music and other noise is what is otherwise a quiet rural area. We are Rural because we love the quiet lifestyle. Leave the Fraternity Parties to the city! The county should think long and hard about granting special permissions to these events, as they are an avenue for other things to take place such as weddings and other events which are not just wine tastings or a lunch. It is rare for a person own more than 21 acres off Hydraulic Road (a urban area), but it has happened and grape vines are growing and a wedding factory in the mix along with music in the barn which borders our property. The right location for such a venue is of utmost importance. None. You do not need to over regulate. I live close to a very small fairly new winery that doesn't do big events... yet. I think it is important for the county to respect the people who invested in a country life and who live close to the larger wineries that host events regularly. Just those listed above. No concerns, I think they are a plus to the social life of our area as well as a plus to our local economy. I live in Free Union and have not yet been impacted by the existing large vineyard on Buck Mtn Rd. I am concerned that when that place opens as a winery to the public there will be increased traffic, noise, trash, and drunk drivers on Buck Mtn Road and Free Union Road. I am friends with the Palmgren's who live next door to the vineyard and have seen the disregard and disruption to the Palmgren's tranquility by the construction of all the buildings at that vineyard. They had to spend a lot of money to install a tree buffer which the vineyard owner said he would do but never did. The value of their property has substantially declined - who would want to live next to that? So much noise and disturbance already during the construction and ongoing now with the operations. And the winery has yet to open. Since it seems that many of the local vineyards and breweries make a large portion of their revenue from events (40%) versus product. It bears very close watching how this industry grows in our county. The busses on the roads are generally careful, but the tipsy individual drivers are a real hazard, especially with many many cyclists using these scenic byways.... not to mention hazards of deer! The beautiful rural area will no longer be beautiful and quiet. The community needs to allow these businesses to flourish to help support this economy! The increase of establishments serving alcohol has definitely led to more people driving in an intoxicated -appearing manner on Free Union Road. The county roads are challenging enough to drive sober. Add alcohol plus visitors who are unfamiliar with the roads and their hazards (bikers, deer, loose livestock, farm equipment, to name just a few) and it's a recipe for disaster, most likely for locals like me who are just trying to get home from the grocery. These businesses are important to regional development This question suggests that I should have "concerns" about "impacts." The designer of the question would seem to have his/her hand thumb on the scale. Disappointing. I find the quality of the companies and events nearby to be quite good and not a serious problem requiring further regulation. Noise & traffic are the main concerns! am concerned about all of these listed. That is why I would not like to have a winery on the property next to mine. The gps routes drivers to our private road which is a dead end, increasing traffic on a road we have to pay to maintains its a private road. Killing wildlife light pollution imact on nocturnal animals I'm concerned that the rural qualities that attract both residents, winery -distillery patrons and Farm winery owners are being compromised by farm winery owners who feel their own monetary priorities supersede their neighbors preexisting quality of live. Rural areas are just that, rural, narrow dirt roads, quiet farm land, less pollution from noise and pollution in the air from continual spraying of pesticides and pollution from more traffic. mostly noise from over amplified music People pull into my driveway to check GPS on where to drive , check emails, take cellphone calls..blocking access to my own property I worry more about the impacts on wildlife and about light pollution. Albemarle County currently requires a zoning clearance for outdoor amplified music or for farm winery, brewery or distillery events generating more than 50 vehicle trips or located on parcels under 21 acres. A special use permit is required for events with over 200 attendees. What else do you think the County should do to ensure that these events are not disruptive to neighbors or to public safety? Nothing Should be on a main highway, with at least 100 acres. N/A. nothing The country lifestyle is for low populations not tour buses running up and down the road. Unless you live of a major road the traffic is unbearable the growth is out of control and it is cost the county more then it can receive in revenue. Nothing. The present system seems to be working well. Establish quiet hours at night and prohibit any music with explicit lyrics. Current setup seems to be working fine. limit sound levels that travel off-site to rural background levels, thus ensuring that we preserve the quiet of our rural areas..... also, require that the special use permit applicants demonstrate that they have a plan to ensure no drunk drivers will be allow to leave their facilities (e.g., arrangements with alternative transportation contractors, mandatory breathalyzers. ....if the County acts in a manner to increase the opportunity for drunk drivers to be added to our rural roads and someone is killed as a result (and this will happen), then the County will be liable legally, and the BOS will have blood on its hands. Special use permits for events over 200 attendees should not be issued more than a limited number of times a year when neighbors are bothered by traffic, noise and light pollution. Current regulation is sufficient. Lighting after certain hours and all noise ( loud hooting or horn blowing) disrupts the peace and animals. Electric buses could easily be used for those traveling to and from big events at wineries, breweries, and distilleries. Charging stations might be located at these venues. This would generate much less pollution, noise, and traffic. Buses would eliminate the drunk driving problem and generate less light pollution than cars for the equivalent amount of people. I'm not sure what the answer is, but I'm glad the County is taking a look at the issue. I'm not sure that attendees at these events in rural areas always realize that adjacent properties are private property and people's homes, so maybe some kind of signage could help. even 200 is too many in some locations. Perhaps require the winery/brewery to have a traffic control person if the event expects a certain(large) number of attendees. King Family Winery does this on Polo Sundays and it works fine. Also, impose a reasonable ending time limit on music. police presence/surveillance on roads leading to event Make sure the are not just an event venue. Keep in mind the neighbors should have their peace and quite. The zoning clearance and special use permit are sufficient. How big is the zoning clearance? 21 acres is nothing. See my response to question above. seems adequate Current permits and restrictions are adequate Can't think of anything else. Current policy seems reasonable; overkill if anything. Permits should only be required if there has been a previous complaint. Monitor noise levels on a random basis and be responsive to complaints, do random road blocks to test for alcohol, lower permit guest number to 125 Increase funding for a joint Parks and Recreation department that INCLUDES NOISE AND PEACE OFFICERS. Do not grandfather in wineries like Grace from exemptions for amplified music. We can hear their music a mile and a half away. Also, make it easier for citizens to file complaints. Right now it is impossible to know who to call and complain to. Also when the music is occurring it is so frustrating that's you can't get anyone with any authority to 1) come verify its happening and 2) to stop it. If we complain, it's our word against the winery. So our quiet weekend night with friends on the deck is ruined . And it keeps happening!! We have been here 40 years and bought property in a rural area for the quiet. If I wanted to live near a bar scene I could move to town. think a time restriction would be reasonable: Midnight Sun -Thu, 2AM Fri -Sat Also an "event" is not something that should happen every day or even every weekend. Limiting the number of events would be a good idea but ONLY if a neighbor complains. The maximum number should be open for discussion but should be the SAME for all sites throughout the county. control traffic on small county roads. guess increasing police around 11pm to ensure there aren't any drunk drivers around certain venues (we are near Trump, Blenheim and Mt. Ida). Make sure they end at 11 pm. can be accommodating for infrequent events if I know they are happening. Any way to make sure neighbors are aware of upcoming events so we can work our schedules around them? Everyone should be able to make a living off their land. It would just be nice to be kept in the loop. That seems appropriate enough. Increase setbacks from neighbors, restrict on street parking, reduce the number of vehicles and attendees requiring a special use permit Carefully designed, hidden parking. Carefully designed exterior lighting. Completely banning outdoor amplified music that is heard beyond the IMMEDIATE event. Current system works well Limit the number of events per year per site. "Curfew" limits on amplified music/noise, if not already in place. Do not let them extend evening hours and announce them to the public via Facebook without getting input from neighbors and proper notice. believe the current requirements are adequate and that any more would put undo burden on the operation. an event with less people can generate more noise when no stipulations are given 100 not 200 should be required for a special permit think the 21 acer rule needs to be reviewed again. It should really be based on where the "event" space/tasting room is. Those are typically close to the road (ie other houses) and noise from catering trucks, food trucks, trash trucks, bands, people, etc, make it feel like the party is in your living room. I think farm wineries should not be allowed to exists at all in a rural neighborhoods. They are extremely disruptive to daily life and should be much more heavily regulated, allowed in parcels of land big enough to not to be heard by others, or harmful to others with their spray. Reach out to the industry to ask they be respectful of their neighbors. a hotline to you or mailbox to air concerns before calling the police would make sure venues don't build too close to property lines. Neighbors within some reasonable distance from event should be given affirmative, advance alert to events that include contact information for making complaints to the event organizer and/or to the County. Outlaw fireworks Unless guests are transported by bus (which they are most of the time due to parking challenges), require traffic assistance hire by client/venue at arrival time. Departure times are usually late at night and do not impact traffic. Nothing else, please leave them alone. As long as folks are abiding by existing law there is no problem Regularly monitor noise levels at events, especially evening parties. Patrol the highways more frequently to monitor impaired drivers on the highway. Enforce existing laws. No need for more. require carpooling/shuttle access, to eliminate immediate impacts of event. Already too many rules and regulations. I go to events weekly and have never experienced them to be disruptive to neighbors or public safety!!! loudness limits That's fine. Invite the NIMBYs to every event. Nothing they are generating income for the county. Nothing Sobriety checkpoints, special use permits for events over 50 people if alcohol is being served, require traffic control along with the zoning clearance, and restrict the hours for events to not coincide with school hours or after 9:00 pm. should not allow on non paved rural roads Ordinance has limitations on decibels, but what neighbor has a meter? Educate us about a layman's way to judge if too loud. Do we then call the police? - which I guarantee will result in retribution from the winery. Winery is supposed to measure noise. Require them to keep logs of noise at loudest point at each event. Randomly come by and check the noise level, compare it to the log, and high fines if they lied on the log. Note that one winery by me has their event room on the top of a tall hill, meaning the sound really travels. Note that number of events per year does nothing for those of us who live near small wineries. I live near two, one of which has both a tasting room and an event room. So, if max is 24, you are subjecting me to 48 events, and potentially to 72 noise -filled days - since winery with two rooms will likely split winery in two to get twice the number of events, if the financials say that is the right thing to do. I believe the the existing measures are sufficient but it is important to bring all the stakeholders to the table and ensure communication is free flowing between businesses, neighbors and the local government. feel these venues are great for the local economy and community. There should be a time in the evening past which amplified noise must be finished. music, noise and light should be discouraged unless indoor Where the winery is located in a community is important. If it is right on the main road in the middle of a tiny community more care is called for concerning traffic, parking, noise, and trash. The Stenson winery in White Hall changed the comfortable feel and look of our area. Privacy fences of some kind would help. I feel that Albemarle County is overly permissive to wineries with little care for what wineries are doing to our air and water quality. Increased ABC checks and controls, rural roads need to be widened or restricted (tour buses on Half Mile Branch?!?) additional police enforcement/sobriety check points at rte 250/151.. Why change what is already working? Perhaps require on site security for large events over 200 people and in terms of the concern of people driving drunk, perhaps having more transportation companies would be wise. Limit the amount of vehicles parking at the event. All measures are acceptable Nothing, these clearances are adequate Provide off duty officers at their cost to monitor the event Nothing. People chose to live near these these sites. stop only looking out for the 1 % and the very few people that complain. The rest of use love these events and our community. None - that seems to be enough Nothing. Nothing else. I don't think they are disruptive at all. You must have enforcement mechanisms to ensure compliance with existing laws/regulations. Just writing/promulgating additional "regulations"/rules may give the illusion of solutions/progress but in reality it is just that, an illusion. Event Center proprietors have got to be strongly on-board with the rules and sensitive to the neighbor's concerns, i.e. part of the solution. Perhaps a "hot line"/complaint mechanism that allows feedback from neighbors might help take away some of the feelings of frustration and impotence when event centers appear to be breaking the rules. That said, any complaint mechanism will need adequate staffing by the county and timely feedback to the complainant for obvious reasons. My sense is the "good" event centers have strong ties to the neighbors/communities adjacent to their events centers and work with them to be "good neighbors" and minimize and mitigate complaints. think the County already has good policies in place. That's enough don't like how things are going - with government overreach. The local winery has never disrupted me in any way, nor have I heard of any public safety issue concerning the winery No new wineries on unpaved County Roads.Shielded outdoor Iighting.No amplified music within 1000 feet of neighboring residences. The wine must be the heart of the operation and the events subsidiery to the wine making operation. think this is way, way, more than enough, and overbearing to many. Nothing, it is bringing jobs to this area think day drinking at vineyards is much more of a concern than weddings and events where most people are on buses Nothing. Nothing. Get out of their knickers! None Please do not over -regulate.. If there are issues, they should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, and not by penalizing all event venues. Nothing else The county should foster economic growth and tourism, not hinder it. You should trust that the business owners will do the right thing. Nothing else, even these regulations are excessive Facility should be buffered from nearest residence by more than 10 acres notification to neighbors paid for by the venue would require noise studies. I don't think the acreage is as important as the terrain/location. Noise carries differently based on the situation (trees, etc.). Second, i would consider limiting the number of events each month per winery. So, maybe 2 per month per location? But, not every night / every weekend. That is brutal. Maybe require that they have a police car present to discourage the drunk driving. They should cover the cost of that service. Monitoring approach/outlet by police Find a way to monitor the "zoning clearance" to make certain the operations don't exceed the numbers for which a special use permit is required. Require digital sound meters to assure that the noise ordinance is adhered to. Require police traffic control for events of over 200 people. Consider eliminating outdoor amplified music except where a special use permit is obtained. A higher standard than a simple zoning clearance request. These facilities are supposed to be agriculture in nature, not event venues. Events should be clearly defined and all should require a special use permit, as should amplified music. The county is letting capitalism run roughshod over the rights of those of us who enjoy our rural communities. The county should have some way of enforcing the limit. Clear laws/ordinances about acceptable noise levels of these events as well as time limits as well as penalties for violating them. They disrupt the peace and quiet of residents in rural Albemarle. Outdoor amplified music, or any loud music/noise, should be banned completely. Noise is a growing and a disturbing factor in our rural area. This disturbance is due to increasing traffic, sirens, and public/private functions all of which affects not only the sense of ruralness but it impacts sensitive wildlife and farm animals. nothing else, leave them alone Too small an acreage for events. Would definitely impact neighbor's! The county should look at the existing condition of the roads connecting to the winery. What is the design of the current roads, would they meet current standards for the increased capacity the wineries and weddings would create? Is there adequate sight distance at the entrance? The county should not allow self policing of the wineries concerning sound. All the events should be either far enough from the adjacent properties or enclosed in some manner. The use of fireworks should be prohibited from events. Ground water studies should be required, specially for breweries. Neighbors should be notified when and if a winery, brewery or distillery is planned. current regulations seem to be working well 1) Don't approve the wineries requests to expand their facilities. They are always making special pleas to add another building to accommodate increasing number of patrons. 2) Albemarle County has enough wineries and breweries so you might think carefully about approving additional ones. Leave them alone ... you oppress too much now. Farm wineries, breweries, and distillaries should be required to install and maintain digital noise meters so staff can monitor and enforce noise limits. They should be required to hire off duty police officers for all events that involve alcohol. Police should frequently set up DUI roadblocks near events. All servers of alcoholic drinks at all events should be required to have the same training and licensing as bartenders at restaurants. All lighting should comply with the county's Lighting and Dark Skies ordinances. Do not allow fireworks or helicopters. A curfew beyond which noise is not allowed. For example, over the 4th of July week, noise is abundant and may or may not be legal from fireworks discharged. The concern is that this would be similar to events at wineries and farm distilleries, only 365 days a year. And the only way to curb it might be for adjacent neighbors to complain. This puts the burden to police and report infractions unfairly on the non -winery neighbor. I'd include any amplified sound. Make sure there is ample parking and cars aren't parked along the side of the road. Have the property owner pick up the trash and debris along roadways after the event. Leave them alone. This sounds like a swiss cheese set of regulations. I would like you to prohibit outdoor amplified music or other noise nuisances for more than one event per year of more than 10 people. Have someone at the event, who has the job to to check that all of the rules are being followed and that the impact to neighbors is as minimal as possible. Also- they should have an employee that makes sure that the traffic has the least disruption on neighbors as possible and that no intoxicated person is driving. Lower the number of people first! Those folks speed down dirt roads, leaving potholes and are carefree about speed limits while others are walking, jogging, biking or riding horses. The county needs to consider how close these venues are to other county residents. We are located in a subdivision off Hydraulic Road with over 21 acres of farm land to be converted to a winery. The farm/winery uses our road for access and the barn and outdoor area (located in a lower end of the property toward a stream and right on the border of ours) and will be used for live music and dancing. This will resonate very clearly to our home located on the top of a hill which borders the farm. We do not have adequate roads or traffic signals to handle these events. Getting in and out of our subdivision is already a challenge at best. We do not have a turn lane and we are very close to the local schools which causes traffic issues from the high school to Earlysville Road each morning and afternoon. The county needs to regulate this type of business closely and not give blanket approvals. If there is an approval, ongoing inspections and fines should be imposed for each violation as well as closure for not following the rules. The rules need to be clearly defined for each venue and not just a blanket. We are VERY concerned about the 'outs' given to certain groups without consideration to neighbors. Right now, there is a lot of land movement on the farm which we hear very clearly... so I know music at midnight to the wee hours in the morning will be even more clear as we are trying to sleep. Nothing. You do NOT need to listen to the cryings of a couple people. think the county should regulate less, not more. Set back requirements. Noise meter readings Perhaps an acceptable decibel level and a reasonable ending time for music, the sound of which carries quite far in the great out of doors. believe these conditions are adequate and would not recommend ANY additional restrictions. That said, should additional restrictions be necessary I would first consider initiating an earlier curfew to prevent events from going so late in to the evening, or limit the number of events that can be held in a row in order to give neighbors some breathing room. Include a noise level limit measured at any point in the winery's property line (to prevent excess noise from being a nuisance to neighbors). Periodically check on these events. I suspect there are more events with over 200 attendees than are getting the special use permits. I don't know how you keep the drunks off the roads. These facilities need to be approved by the county before they are constructed and there needs to be enforcement of their activities and events. Perhaps improve the infrastructure of the transportation system by making wider and safer roads to support this type of traffic. think that this question is entirely too narrow. My husband and I have a 140 acre farm which is under conservation easement. We put this easement on our farm (substantially diminishing the value we could have received by subdividing and building) because we wanted to help to protect what makes Albemarle County so special - it's rural nature. I understand that the wedding industry is a big deal and brings in money to the businesses and to the County in terms of tax revenue. However, there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I think that the conversation should be about what regulations we as a community put in place to protect neighbors who purchased rural property to live in a rural area and to enjoy peace, safe roads, quiet country air and a safe existence. This wedding industry is out of control when people with old barns are suddenly thriving wedding venues with enormous impact on their neighbors and on all of us who live here. The "pretend" vineyard thing is flat out silly. Legitimate vineyards which are in the agriculture business as a business are one thing, but pretend vineyards looking to skate zoning regulations and to simply convert old barns into very busy businesses are an entirely different matter. Please protect what my husband and I gave up real property value to protect - our beautiful rural county. Keep growth and business in designated zones! Breathalyze people leaving events. Education campaign on country road hazards. Monitor sound levels and impose restriction or fines for businesses whose sound pollution exceed clearly unacceptable levels. More push polling. Very disappointing. I'm not aware of any groundswell of problems associated with these events, so not in favor of further or enhanced regulation. Periodically check on compliance and have noise level limits set time limits find it troubling that Farm wineries are essentially running rural night clubs on weekends or regularly scheduled days of the week. As the number of Farm wineries increase and each one has a special night or nights events to draw customers I fear there will be a serious problem with alcohol impaired drivers on our narrow and windy rural roads interacting with an increasing number of resident drivers using the same roads. I also find it difficult to comprehend why the tasting of spirits needs to equate with amplified music for hours on end. Does loud music effect taste buds making a bad bottle of wine taste better? Can people really not enjoy the scenic quality of our rural landscape without drowning out every sound of nature potentially within range? We live within a mile or two of three wineries that I know of. On a regular schedule on weekends or middle of the week I can hear amplified music drifting into my back porch where my family relaxes or dines. It's not loud at our location but it's there and in my opinion shouldn't be. I feel sorry for my neighbors who live closer and endure the irritation more directly. Some farm winerie owners show little or no regard to residents who were here long before they arrived. Although Albemarle County may have specific outdoor codes for amplified music from vineyards i know for sure it does not stop the vineyards from playing their music loud and what recourse does the neighbor have? None. And do the vineyards get fined? No, so why should they care what neighbors think. The county prefers to reap the tax benefits from the vineyards rather than protect property owners. it would help to have the vineyards inform neighbors of upcoming big events.... also might be nice for them to host a neighborhood party inform the neighbors who would like to know, ahead of time via text Control hours, check decibel levels, require bus transportation, The Vineyard has more than 50 vehicle trips everyday on the week -ends - not just events. It is an everyday occurrence. Is there anything else you think Albemarle County should consider in its regulation of events at farm wineries, farm breweries and farm distilleries? No No. no Consider the traffic, noise and disruption of neighboring families Close at five any day no events period! I like that it provides revenue and jobs for people in my part of the county. I have no objections to the present practice. It certainly hasn't impacted my quality of life on our farm or those nearby us. Thank you for asking. Encourage these businesses in our county! consider refusing to allow for any events in areas where there is no public transit unless a meaningful drunk driver mitigation plan is provided and followed. The proximity and numbers of close neighbors to event locations is the most important consideration. Continue to promote positive, environmentally sensitive agricultural production in the rural areas. Limit the amount of new facilities so that there are places to move that are truly quiet residential only and if that changes give a tax break to those who are in a commercial area now because of a change that they will not benefit from. think that these organizations are generally a positive change, so long as a large proportion of their agricultural products come from the county. However, as good neighbors, they might be asked to provide some funding for sound and pollution filtering trees along access corridors. I'm not sure that this is just an issue related to winery events, but given the increasing popularity of our narrow, curvy, low -visibility, shoulderless rural roads with cyclists, it does seem that adding "buzzed" drivers to the mix is potentially a liability. Proper bike lanes are probably not feasible in most areas, but maybe there could be a few more strategically -placed turnouts, passing lanes, etc. that could prevent future tragedies. Require those that qualify as "Wineries, farm breweries, etc" to have minimum size facilities ON PREMISES where events are to take place to grow, process, distill, and bottle their product. A half acre of grape vines doesn't qualify. Yes, do not place unreasonable limits on events at these venues. We live very close to King family vineyard and rarely experience any issues at all. This is a huge financial plus to Albemarle County. maintain an open mind about greater regulation The farm wineries, breweries and distilleries should not be able to increase the value of their property at the expense of the adjoining properties. Outdoor amplified music should not be allowed. Amplified music only indoors. I think they should have to have at least two hundred acres -- and then should have a 500 foot setback from their property line for any structure (including maintenance sheds) and 300 foot setback for parking areas. Just make sure they comply with health and environmental laws. My home is 4-5 miles from two vineyards. think event venues should be encouraged to use downward -directed lighting to minimize light pollution at night, but I don't think it should be a law. There are too many laws already. Require an off duty office be hired by the winery for frequent violators Increased traffic control as a joint operation between all police force within city and counties. Yes, to say that music has to be 65 decibels at the place's property line is ridiculous when you have a 900 acre property on top of a mountain and everyone below can hear it. MYbe the music should be 65 decibels st a certain point from the event instead... see above Make sure they end at 11 pm. More police presence along the roads at the times they end will help make it safer. think it should actually be a winery, brewery, or distillery. They should have to actually grow some of their crop as a winery or else it is just a wine store. Harder for the other two but there should be a percentage of income that comes from sales of their product that should have to be higher than the percentage that events generate full qualification for a farm winery required to host events other than tasting regular activities. Not so much the events but the environmental impact of clear cutting woods, less water runoff control and sections of property used as a old vehicle dumping ground! Eliminate pseudo wineries which use winery regulations to create event businesses Encourage small business efforts at same time keep albemarle beautiful. No. Thank you for reaching out to us about this. Don't mess with something which is working well. Removing tax breaks for sites that host paid events. think the county should stop saturating the rural areas with winerys and breweries unless they are located on a major highway. It's dangerous on these narrow crooked country roads. food trucks bring noise outdoors as customers stand around them. They are just a dodge of the no food requirements for tasting rooms and prolonging stays and drinking. These events bring 'out of county' people, spending and tax revenue to Albemarle. County government should stay out of their business. Mount fair campgrounds does not have a winery or a distillery but they have events that turn very noisy even if they are a wedding and so,etimes they some of the guests go out in our fields and leave bottles and etc. It's fine as it is. Number of events, please contain them to something reasonable! The two wineries here make their events on different nights so if one isn't having a party, the other one is. Spray. People who visit and people who live around these wineries should not be subjected to these harmful pesticides/ herbicides. I think they need to pay for a permit to spray, alert neighbors to when they are going to spray, and not be permitted to do it under windy conditions. Even better they need to shut down the winery for 24 hours to spay and only be allowed to do it a few times a season. Albemarle County should encourage the industry. Economic Develpopment Office should play lead role in being active agent to ensure the industry interacts well with neighbors. We haven't had any negative experiences. In fact, we support events at local breweries and wineries. a change in the zoning so that neighbors must be heard before permits for such events are granted. Currently, no such requirement exists, which is an outrage. Also, a clear definition under what circumstances, including repeated justified complaints by neighbors, a permit to hold events etc will be revoked Signage on effected roads when there is an event. Ones like the road clean- up signs that can be activated on occasion. Consider NOT regulating this hugely lucrative business, local tax and local income generation at our best asset venues!!! Many of these locations were in business before neighbors moved in and started to complain. The neighbors were aware of the venues, we don't need to restrict t the business due to a neighbor changing their mind. nope These events are a major cultural and economic development driver for the county Is increased alcohol consumption in the rural areas the best idea? If anything, define what makes a "farm" brewery/winery. There are some that are nothing more than event venues. other than reduction of regulations, no. See above, already too many rules and regulations. These business should be allowed to operate as they are now. They are a huge benefit to the local economy's of the area's they are located. Protect potential future small family projects 1-10 acres. Allow operations to be small. Small business is the life blood to our economy. Lighten up. Build out regs for equipment co-ops so that picobrewers can use spaces for events to celebrate small batch launches. The revenue being brought to Albemarle county because it is such a beautiful place to get married. Don't make it harder make it easier! I don't feel that additional regulations are needed. Events bring revenue and jobs to the county and surrounding areas. what's broken? Current regs seem adequate Raise the fee for the special use permit in summer months when demand is higher winery should produce most of the products they sell It is obvious that whoever wrote/approved this survey has no idea of the extent of the problem. Probably the Board does not. They either live on large properties or in suburban areas - neither near a winery. Events are not just weekend events!!! I get their noise every Thursday from one winery, every Friday from another, and zero to two times per week (potentially seven times a week) from the event room at the second winery. This is not unusual!!! If you have a large winery such as King, you may have enough space in the vineyard to block noise. (Traffic may be their problem.) But, the exploding number of wineries are small, with many neighbors within 100 to 200 feet. Basically these are businesses in a semi -suburban area. I read that winery owners have never heard neighbors complain. Are they just assuming that neighbors love the winery's kind of music when the winery wants to play it? They must know the music off their property is loud - they can't be that stupid. And I have experienced retribution when I nicely complained once. That retribution can come either by playing the music louder/more often, or on the agriculture part of their business. Suddenly loud work will be done seven days a week, early in the morning, late at night, on their vineyard. Bottom line: I am living in a rural area - no winery nearby when I moved here. But I am subjected to a noise level that is like your suburban next door neighbor having an outdoor party with amplified music three times a week. Or imagine those cars that emit that boom -boom as they drive by, but this time the car stays in front of your house for two hours. These are NOT agriculture activities in a rural area. They are loud business activities in a rural area. These companies have created a new cash crop that maintains the rural characteristics of the area while providing a tax base and entertainment option for our communities. End faux wineries etc. Regulate wedding factories as wedding factories. the noise, music & lights should be required to be indoor only, not blasting outside, where sound carries for miles and lights destroy everyone's night sky A privacy barrier should be a must when the winery is in a neighborhood. What an eyesore to see all the extra cars, equipment, and dumpsters. Where is the place to mention my concerns for all the poisons and pesticides used and my well water and air quality? Most winery's have acerage but Stenson is right on our main road. Constant noise and large trucks daily. You should consider how these events are a great addition to our area. We often take out of town guests to them, and they provide numerous jobs to an area that doesn't have many. Don't just think about them, think about how the entire wedding and tourism business will be affected included people who own small B and B's, tour companies, transportation companies and all our amazing restaurants we have to offer. Allow the community to continue to grow The good of the entire county as it pertains to economic impacts and social enrichment that these wineries, breweries, and distilleries offer How much value - revenue, increase in property value, culture and sense of community - these venues add to our community at large Back off. It is a boon to the economy and should be allowed think farm wineries provide a huge benefit to our community and I know for the small, family- owned ones (which is most of them out here), these events are critical to make enough money to keep them in business. I don't agree with non-farm wineries taking advantage of the farm winery licenses to be able to hold weddings, but for legitimate farm wineries who are doing weddings and events in order to keep the winery in business, I think they should be allowed to do them as they are. Now, how you go about deciding if a farm winery license holder is actually a farm winery or just a wedding venue with to few grapevines planted to just look pretty in wedding pictures, I don't know. I would assume there should be a minimum amount of vineyards planted and most of the wine should be made on-site in their own winery out of their own grapes. Keep our wineries think there should be a limit on how many events a farm winery can have. Having music and food trucks from Friday to Sunday every weekend and there is no wedding or special event is no longer a venue for special events. It now taking on the roll of restaurant and bar but without having to follow the rules because they utilize the food trucks. Its no longer a wine tasting but a place to dine and be entertained. No. In summary: -Enforce current laws/regulations on noise, traffic, light pollution, size of events, types/quantities of food served at wineries -Limit the size/growth of events centers county and state wide -Don't grant "special use" permits increasing the attendance beyond the 200 number -Limit events to just one per night per weekend (Friday, Saturday after 6 PM). Close the event centers after about 6 PM during the rest of the week (Mon -Thu, Sun). This will help cut down on the traffic, noise, light pollution, etc at night. think the County is aware of the concerns and they are addressing the concerns appropriately. hope the County considers that any change in regulations has an economic impact not only on the farm wineries and breweries, but also on the adjunct businesses that have grown as a result of a robust event industry. Please consider the positive economic impacts. Include provisions for fireworks, hot air balloon rides, helicopter landings and lead-in signage along the roadways. No. Let landowners decide. If a problem shows up, the injured and landowner can always go to court. Government wraps too many "straps" around peoples' Freedom as it is. do not see why any additional regulations are necessary as I have never been effected in any way as a result of the winery events Yes, wineries that impinge on rural residences must keep their events and music completely indoors at all times. Be more welcoming and open to growing businesses. Albemarle are in the midst of creating a community of wealthy and retirees. Leave well enough alone. Consider how much their profits are contributing towards your taxes for the county and how beneficial that is as well as providing jobs for locals. Most of them are getting state and nationwide recognition. Bringing positive attention to our region. These events bring massive amounts of income and jobs to the County None Please don't prevent our local economy from benefiting from agritourism events at our beautiful farms and open space. I would like to see you protect open land by enabling businesses and families to earn money on their land rather than being forced to sell their land to a developer. Events on farmland are a fantastic opportunity for our community to protect our rural heritage and bring more revenue to our families and businesses. Keep the regulations to a minimum, the Rural Areas are for agricultural activities, not residential development. Suggest venue owners notify neighbors of event schedule. Let them build their businesses. Consider encouragement to these businesses rather than penalties. The Rural Areas are for agricultural uses, not residential uses Limit by creating a special authority that coordinates development and rural land use with voting on additions with overall plan in mind leave them alone until, you start getting major complaints, stop looking for trouble that isn't there. I live by Trump and Blenheim vineyards license fee for special events. People who come to the winery to drink wine do not usually have food to accompany that wine. This drinking without food could lead to quicker impairment of drivers. Why are rural wineries now allowed to serve alcoholic beverages without accompanying food, even as restaurants and bars in population centers/towns serve food with alcohol? Slow it down. Things are getting out of control on these properties. A few of them are quaint and add to the community. But, we are now in the "negative territory" where the number of them are overwhelming. Considering that the primary activity is drinking, really, this is going in a bad direction. The wineries are turning into local bars. (See "...other concerns..." above.) Make certain that to qualify as a winery or distillery the operation actually is producing those products and that the production of those products is the primary purpose and revenue driver for the operation. Events should provide supplemental, not primary, revenue for these operations. Last week I had a business visitor who was planning to extend his visit in the area say that "other than Monticello, there is nothing to do when visiting Albemarle County but drink". He and his wife had been planning to extend their visit by three days and left after one. Is that really what we want our reputation to be? Live music, tailgating parties every weekend, etc etc are creating an environment that is changing what has made our county so great . We need to figure out how to stop this before its too late. Look at the environmental effects of herbicides and pesticides used, run off from paved area, and other effects of increased traffic. Impervious roads should be replaced with pervious roads, and pervious roads and parking lots be required to control water runoff, erosion, channel flooding and other impacts, and to restore groundwater important to private wells that dominate the region. Light pollution should be controlled. Also, forest buffers should be required to control the noise, light pollution and activity generated by large night time events that disturb the rural environment Size of the parcel, proximity to the neighbors, reversibility of the plan to allow the land to be returned to rural uses, such as agricultural and forestry. would never permit outdoor amplified music don't think the citizens of Albemarle County want it to be known as the wine capital of the country. When will we decide that we don't need any more wineries or breweries? Stand down ... leave businesses alone. The public will in a free enterprising market do naturally what oppressive government will demand. Give them time... road traffic will cure itself. Albemarle County has several beautiful vineyards that are located on large parcels in the RAs, produce wonderful wines, and are responsible in their hosting of events. However, there is a big difference between these established vineyards and the proliferation of many smaller ones that do not actually produce much, if any, wine but exist only to make a lot of money from establishing event centers. Please do not allow these event centers to ruin forever the beautiful, serene, and valuable rural area by commercializing it. Yes, the definition of the business entity itself. If I grow wine grapes on my 4+ acre rural area property, I should not be allowed to be classified as a "farm winery." Consider the amount of revenue generated by these establishments and all of the auxiliary industries (caterers, photographers, transportation etc.) they support Yes. I think you all should consider why people move to the country, to rural areas. For the most part people are looking for peace, quiet, solitude, tranquility, to see nature first hand, to have horses, to raise their children in this environment. Nobody moves to the country to be next door to an event site. People who bought their land did not sign on for this. What is worse, most of the activity is on weekends. After working all week one looks forward to enjoying their family and friends. Yes... Leave these small businesses alone. To be sure that the property is really a farm winery, brewer or distiller Taxes, they have more road use for events, make lots on venues for weddings, cause disruptions to neighbors and yet individuals wanting to farm enjoy the country life have their taxes raised along with these big businesses. As a county resident we purchased our property with the intent of quiet enjoyment. We have neighbors who we might be able to see and hear on occasion and a farm on the other side of our property. We did not bargain for a farm turned into a winery with weddings every weekend or other live events which are currently given an open invitation to do whatever they want. The county needs to consider how close these wineries are to other properties and the doors it opens to hold other events. 200 people in an urban area is huge; maybe not in a very rural part of the county, which Hydraulic Road is not. There needs to be regular oversight and regulation of these industries. Nope Access to the venues. Roads that will be impacted by increased traffic.Safety concerns accessing 1 1/2 lane roads,1 lane bridges. We are several miles away from the winery at the Crossroads and the breweries and distilleries on Rt 151. 1 suspect Pippin Hill is too close to the nearby B&B but I'll let them complain for themselves. I hope that there are no ways that hopeful hosts can game the system. Tighter restrictions on venues will negatively effect an incredibly large revenue stream for this area. Caterers, florists, planners, hotels, rehearsal dinner locations, salons, rental companies, bakers, tents, off iciants, bands, and DJ's all rely on VENUES with available dates in order to bring people to Charlottesville in order to use those services. If the supply of venues is diminished, all of these vendors (and their many employees) will suffer. Sign size and type should be regulated to preserve the beauty of rural Albemarle. There should be a road that is hard surfaced and dual lane with enough entrance construction so as not to impede traffic.ln short,no bottle neck entrance or exit so as to slow normal traffic beyond what state traffic codes allow. Be very very cautious. On one hand, this adds to our tourism industry. On the other hand, some of the wedding signs stuck on the roads stay there for weeks and weeks... nothing more than litter on a stick. The noise is a nuisance that detracts from the rural lifestyle and might actually effect some animals. The drivers unfamiliar with the narrow roadways can be a problem even before they start drinking at these events. Be cautious that neighbors and the County are not subsidizing the owners of these venues in a variety of unexpected ways. The huge amount of wineries in this county has gotten ridiculous and the number needs to be limited. No regulations! My husband and I are on well water and we are very concerned about the precious aquifers in the County. Once poisons and pesticides trickle down into the aquifers, we will need to bear an enormous cost to either go on City Water (adding to the cost to the City to supply water to a large farm) or we will need to remediate (meaning we will have to pay for the results of the acts of others). Please do everything you can to help legitimate farmers (not pretend farmers who are really in the wedding business and not "true" agriculture businesses) to use chemicals with extreme care and caution and to find whatever ways they can to switch to non -hazardous substances. think farm events are great and support them in all ways, but the drunk driving needs more awareness/education/regulation. I also think any farm hosting events should have to provide notice of its loud events (public and private) as a courtesy to neighbors, along with a contact number one could call should the party become disruptive. I moved to Free Union to hear quiet at night and although my nearby farm business --which didn't exist when I moved --hasn't been too disturbing, music from it is definitely noticeable late at night. Having an open mind as to whether this is an effort to create a problem where none exists; if a survey is needed, designing an intellectually honest and useful set of questions; avoiding regulation that is imposing burdens on small business people providing for their families through businesses such as limo service, event photography, flowers, and farm wineries; not serving a political and financial elite to the detriment of the great majority of Albemarle's citizens Wait and see if anything truly egregious emerges before burdening this growing industry with further regulation. Reject requests for overnight availabilaties/renting think we have enough wineries, we need to have more open space for hiking, horse riding. I'm tired of the tax breaks and incentives for vineyards and the logging on the backs of taxpayers . Please no more vineyards. noise level limits ,prohibit flying candle lit balloons which make trash What are the thoughts on regulating drone photography where drones may be photographing adjacent land owners weather intentional or not? You should revise your survey to include how close and how may Farm Wineries/distilleries you live near. Yes, do not grandfather all wineries, farm breweries and farm distilleries to protect them from being good neighbors just to make a buck. promote being good neighbors No. These events are good for the businesses in the area and the disturbance is minimal. It's all part of living together. Allowing them to serve food - our concern is drunk driving think this sort of even should be held in cities, not in agricultural areas Number of daily responses 80 60 40 20