City Council - Regular Meeting

In August 2026, Waynesboro City Council meeting. Mr. Slope, will you lead us in the pledge of allegiance? Yes, sir.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you, Mr. Slope. Item two is adoption of the meeting agenda. But before we go there, I need to call on Mr. Ham to make some comments.

Yes, sir, you might recall from our consideration of this item at our previous business meeting that we were hoping to hear from HUD concerning the performance audit for the Waynesboro Redevelopment Housing Authority before council considered this ordinance. Ms. Burton, I have communicated the RHA has not heard from HUD. So I would simply offer to council that you can keep this item on pause until we hear Or I think it would be reasonable to anticipate a favorable outcome or resolution to the audit and anticipating that You might consider give the ordinance final consideration this evening and then If unexpectedly we get unfavorable news from the audit we can regroup at that time So it's your choice whether to keep that item on the agenda and vote on it tonight or remove it. And, um, we'll, we'll wait to hear from her. I'm fine with it being on the agenda.

I'm fine with being on the agenda too.

Yeah. Me as well.

Thank you. All right. Item two is adoption of the meeting agenda is a motion to adopt the agenda. So moved. Thank you, Mr. Schultz. There a second second. Thank you, Mr. Sloat. any discussion all in favor say aye aye aye's have it five zero item three matters from the mayor i don't have anything uh item four is matters from city council members

Just like to voice my appreciation to all the teachers and the schools for setting up our back to school. I know this evening several of the elementary schools had it and I know our rising class of seniors had got their start this morning with some sunrise photos or something along those lines. But definitely excited for another year to start and look forward to seeing these kids go through. Appreciate it.

Okay, anybody else? Item five is consideration of the consent agenda. Is there a motion to adopt the consent agenda?

I'll make that motion.

Thank you, Mr. Wood. Is there a second? I'll second. Thank you, Mr. Sloat. Any discussion? All in favor, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it, 5-0. Item six is to consider issuing a proclamation recognizing the 75th anniversary of the Waynesboro First Aid Crew.

Well, as you all can see, this is a very large one, so we might skip around a little bit. But it doesn't mean we don't appreciate our first aid crew to the 100th level. Proclamation by the official office of the City Council, City of Waynesboro, Commonwealth of Virginia proclamation for the Waynesboro First Aid Crew's 75th anniversary. Whereas on December 17, 1950, Harlan Sanger, J.T. Phillips, B. Wade, A.T. Crickenberger, E.E. Talley and E.C. Reardon held an organizational meeting to form the Waynesboro Life Saving Crew and First Aid Crew, Inc., known as The Crew, and started answering emergency calls in early 1951. And whereas the crew's original run area was north to and including grottoes west of Brands Flats and outside of Stanton, east to Ivey and Nelson County, and south to Rayfiend, and whereas members of the crew, after their April 2, 1951 fund drive, produced only $56 in donations out of a goal of $6,000, contributed their own... It was 1951, folks. The dollar was worth a lot more. They contributed their own bed sheets for the ambulance cot and personal money for fuel, and one member was fired from his job when he left to answer an emergency call. Whereas in 1972 the crew initiated the mobile coronary care unit service with Dr. Thomas L Gorsuch and a highly trained cardiac nurse of the Waynesboro Hospital thus saving many lives and being one of only two rescue squads in the Commonwealth offering this service. In 1981 the crew became one of the first agencies to state in the state to provide shock trauma level care and in 1993 progressed to the cardiac technician level and in 1997 to paramedic level services. And whereas the crew has grown from one used panel truck as an ambulance to five modern ALS equipped ambulances and a rapid response vehicle, as well as employing career staff members and providing critical care level EMS services, all due to the generosity of the citizens of Waynesboro and the surrounding communities, the EMS for life program and support of the city of Waynesboro. And whereas the crew has been a member of the Virginia Association of Volunteer Rescue Squads and the Virginia Association of the First Responders since 1951, has contributed to the development and design of Virginia's EMS system as we know it today. They has won numerous awards at both state and national competition, is a past title holder of the world champion in heavy rescue from the International Rescue and Emergency Care Association, and numerous other awards in emergency medical technician, advanced life support, and heavy rescue competitions. And whereas the crew has expanded its ability to deliver advanced life-saving services through the use of highly trained and skilled paramedics with the advanced equipment, medications, and blood, the crew responded to 5,739 calls for service in 2025, continuing the legacy of service that began in 1951 and that has contributed greatly to the city and surrounding area by providing essential EMS services And now, therefore, it be it resolved that the City Council of Waynesboro congratulates the Waynesboro First Aid Crew, Inc. for their 75 years of service to our community. Recognizing the millions of dollars that their services have saved the City of Waynesboro through donation of hours of service their members have given acknowledges the numerous competitions that they have won at the Commonwealth, national, and international levels. and the positive reflection those awards have on the City of Waynesboro. Thanks every member and employee for all the hours contributed to the service of the citizens of Waynesboro and the surrounding community. Proclaim this 10th day of August 2026 signed by our Mayor Kenneth B. Lee Sr.

So Mayor Lee and members of council, this evening we have Mr. Curtis Sheets, who is the chairman of the board, Mr. Steven Ward, who is the executive director of the Waynesboro First Aid Crew, and Gary Kreitzer, our director of emergency services. So gentlemen, if you can make your way towards the mayor.

Who's taking the pitch? Oh, right.

Oh, this will be good.

Yeah, we could do a couple. Oh, minus the microphone.

Item 7 is to consider introducing an ordinance granting a subdivision waiver for City Code Section 74, Article 4, Division 3K, sidewalks for the Pratt's Run subdivision located at 0 Lou DeWitt Boulevard, tax map number 40-3-114D. Ms. Tate, our Director of Community Development.

Good evening mayor and members of Council this evening. We do have a subdivision ordinance waiver request specifically related to sidewalks for the Pratt's run or the remainder of the Pratt's run subdivision and Section code 74 dash 10 speaks to is the subdivision ordinance and it does allow that it Parts of it may be waived by counsel if it best satisfies the overall purposes that were set forth in the subdivision ordinance or the requirement being waived or varied would call some kind of substantial injustice or hardship and Waiver of the sidewalk and the sidewalk buffer requirements for the remainder of the Pratt's Run subdivision is what is being requested by the applicant. So section 74-71 requires that all new subdivision streets have a five foot sidewalk and a three foot buffer strip be installed along both sides of any new streets. The applicant has proposed sidewalk on one side of the street for the extensions of Bryant Drive, Page Street, and Boyington Boulevard. I'll show you a map in a moment. The case made by the applicant and their intent is to maintain consistency with the existing sidewalk infrastructure that's in the already developed part of Pratt's Run and then the neighboring communities in Augusta County, kind of helping those new phases blend together. They note that it still provides pedestrian access along those main corridors, although just one side of the road. So this indicates where the subdivision is. You can see this area kind of large undeveloped portion at the rear is the portion that we are currently reviewing a preliminary plat for development. It's adjacent to the Oak Ridge subdivision. That's in Augusta County and then kind of nearby You have Ludewitt that's kind of along the frontage where it Pratt's run originally developed so that back remaining portion the proposal is for this to be single-family detached housing and then this Bryant Drive extension to be townhouses and And so this shows the Bryant Drive extension and the yellow is representative of kind of the side that they're proposing to put the sidewalk on. And then you can see the Page Street extension and then the Boyington Boulevard extension. this map shows in the kind of racetrack black and white dashes shows where subdivision exists today so in the existing subdivision there's just small little portions of it on one side of Bryant Drive and none on the smaller cul-de-sac extensions and then you can see in the neighboring Augusta County subdivision it's provided mainly on one side of the roadway Here you see where it's provided on both sides as is required by the subdivision ordinance So this overlays the development proposed and these blue dash marks are representative of the side of the street that the proposal is requesting to place the sidewalk along and Staff does note that with this proposal there is still this missing link kind of in the middle here that kind of interrupts the connectivity from one side to the other. So the existing sidewalk network in Pratt's Run, the existing portion is somewhat limited, only being on one side of the road, kind of on the main entrance. So the proposed sidewalk on one side of the main streets would create a more complete network by providing some access to the adjacent Oak Bridge subdivision and then the commercial development along Shepherd Court. and it would complement what exists there today a Requirement of the waiver is if even if waived right-of-way would still be provided to allow for space for sidewalk at any future date So just to provide a little bit of history the sidewalk requirement for sidewalks on both sides of the streets and subdivisions has been in place since the subdivision ordinance revision in 2000 and Since 2000, several sidewalk waivers were granted for new or expanding subdivisions, so from those kind of first three years after it was approved. But we're not aware of any sidewalk waivers that have been approved after 2005. And as you all are aware, there has been a significant increase in residential development over the last five years, and city staff has not had any requests for sidewalk waivers. so granting a waiver would be kind of inconsistent with other subdivisions and residential developments that we're seeing come online and have approved recently so I'd be happy to answer any questions if you have them there is no public hearing on this request what was the reason given for the request for waiver specifically in their application I think they're just noting kind of the limitation that exists today and the already existing parts of Pratt's run you know you have a long Bryant Drive you have these kind of like three blocks of sidewalk only on one side but then none of these cul-de-sac streets have sidewalk so their argument is just kind of trying to make it match the existing subdivision those are all pretty thousand construction Um, I would have to check the, they could have been in the 2002 to five range where they got a waiver. I'm not sure about that. Um, that might be the case. Um, and I could certainly confirm that it might have been in that timeframe where they were granted a waiver for the original portion.

Thank you. Is there a motion to introduce the ordinance granting the waiver of subdivision as it pertains to sidewalks?

So, Mr. Lee, the silence might be a function of some advice that I gave or guidance, I would say, rather than advice, and that is I was mistaken. It would be proper, irrespective of council's position on the matter, to introduce second and discuss the ordinance and then consider it for a vote at the meeting in September.

And it can be a motion to introduce with a recommendation for denial or a recommendation for approval, either way.

Okay.

I'll make a motion.

I'll make a motion, Mr. Mayor, to introduce the ordinance with the recommendation of denial.

I'll second that motion.

Thank you, Mr. Short. Thank you, Mr. Slope. This ordinance having been introduced, seconded, and discussed, will receive final consideration at the September 14th regular business meeting. Thank you, Mr. Tate. Item 8 is to hold a public hearing to consider introducing an ordinance granting a conditional use permit allowing temporary special events in the RS-12 and RG-5 districts at 601 Alfin Avenue tax map numbers 23-1-19A and 23-1-19D. Gil Wallace, owner and applicant. Ms. Tate.

All right. So this is a request for a conditional use permit for temporary special events, which is permitted under the zoning classification of these districts to apply for a CUP for that specific use. So just to kind of give an overview of a conditional use permit and what it means, the underlying zoning of the property would remain the same and the primary use would remain residential. Conditional use permits allow for a case-by-case review of uses which may be but are not always compatible with neighboring uses. and just kind of for further clarification some uses you're allowed to apply for a special use permit for and then some uses there is not that provision so within this zoning district there is the ability to apply for a conditional use permit for temporary special events In order to approve a conditional use permit the proposed use should be found to be consistent with good zoning practice No more adverse to health safety or comfort of persons living or working in the area than uses that are generally permitted in the district and Then no more detrimental economically or otherwise to property or improvements in the surrounding area than the uses that are generally permitted in the district So the nature of this request is to allow temporary special events. The property is a portion, a parcel is zoned RS-12, which is single family residential, and then another portion is zoned RG-5, which is our general residential district, which allows for greater density and more types of housing uses than the RS-12. so the applicant lives there on the property at the home and uses it as a short-term rental which is a by right use within our zoning ordinance not requiring council approvals and then they have shifted into hosting small events including small micro weddings celebrations baby showers and then two annual festivals a sprawl a fall and a spring event to kind of provide a little timeline. The applicant was unaware that they needed a conditional use permit. Our department received a complaint about the events on May 19th. And then on May 27th, staff set up a meeting with the applicant to kind of talk about what was being proposed, what is occurring there, and then let her know that a conditional use permit is needed. And then she made an application on June 4th. which is kind of our deadline the first Thursday of the month to progress to the next planning commission meeting. So that's kind of the timeline or schedule of how things progressed. So the applicant is seeking the CUP to be able to continue offering the property for those types of events. this is a location of the property it is outlined here in red you can see there is surrounding residential single-family residential development of kind of various lot sizes so you have the hopeman station subdivision you have the nearby moose lodge you have single-family residential here along alfin chase and then also the charleston park subdivision the property is approximately eight acres with both partials combined So this is the comprehensive plan designation for the property which identifies it for low density residential of which some of it I would say is zoned that way and then some of it is zoned a little bit higher of a density than what the comprehensive plan laid out with that RG5 zoning. So like I said, it's zoned RS-12 and RG-5. A CUP is necessary for temporary special events and we do allow that in all zoning districts, recognizing that it's kind of unique and the types of events kind of can vary greatly, so having it be a tailored case-by-case process is how it was put into the ordinance roughly four years ago. So the use is subject to additional requirements for temporary and permanent facilities if those were to exist as part of this CUP and structures and signage and the primary use is still considered residential. This map shows the zoning, so this line, the colors are very close together, but this line, this parcel line here, shows that the house and the pool associated with that is on the RS-12 zoned portion, and then this area here is on the RG-5 zoned portion, like this nearby residential subdivision. And you have this public right-of-way extension here off Mosley Street that was kind of always envisioned if this property were to develop that it would be, you know, a road entrance there at that location. This is kind of just a sketch of kind of the nature of where things would occur on the property. So you have the house and the pool. This is Alphen and that's the driveway entrance. And I'll show a clearer picture in a minute. The Moose Lodge is down over this way, kind of two, Potential ceremony locations that are shown their reception area Where they do valet parking where they would have regular parking and then this kind of larger field where there could be additional parking The applicant does propose that they would use a clear top tent to be used you know for any potential receptions and I will note that tents are regulated by the fire department so that would be done separately for duration and anything they needed to make sure that that is properly erected. So there are ADA accessible port of potties that are currently provided and screened there at the property and a condition exists that additional restrooms would need to be brought in for any kind of larger event. And so the recommended conditions that staff would propose related to that is that portable restroom trailers are provided for events with more than 25 attendees with at least one ADA accessible restroom being provided at all events no matter the number of people and that potable water provided as necessary for events that may require drinking water or have other water needs. So the next component to evaluate is traffic and where this property or how this property is accessed So the home is accessed via a private right-of-way at the end of Alphen Avenue So the public right-of-way stops at a certain area and then there's an access easement for the applicant to to her home and I'll show a clearer picture in a minute, but the driveway kind of forms a loop and as far as staffs analysis of the events identifying where Individuals would park so there's valet parking provided for weddings kind of in the rear of the house like that Picture I just shown you and then regular event parking is provided in the yard on the eastern side of the house And then you have that overflow parking provided on the field on the eastern side of the property The applicant has noted that typically parking staff is brought in to assist with any of the larger events. I So this is just a little bit clearer showing kind of the end of city-owned right-of-way here at Alphen, and then the driveway kind of comes up here and loops around, and this just shows, again, those various different kind of site plan sketch of where things would be laid out on the property. So looking at traffic concerns and evaluating kind of how individuals would disperse along IN THE SURROUNDING AREA. SO SOME OF THE CONCERN WAS IF THERE WAS ONLY THE USE OF ALPHAN FOR THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS. AND THEN OBVIOUSLY STAFF WOULD HAVE A CONCERN IF THERE WAS PARKING IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY THAT SOMEHOW PREVENTED, YOU KNOW, EMERGENCY ACCESS OR INDIVIDUALS FROM ENTERING AND EXITING THEIR PROPERTY. We have put some conditions in place that are representative of that and I'll get to those in a minute. So there are no significant concerns from emergency services after the proposed conditions were put into place because they noted the desire that really there needed to be two access points. So in order to help mitigate those concerns, the conditions identified are that no parking would be permitted in the public right-of-way, all event parking must be on-site in one of the three parking areas that are identified on the site sketch that's included with the application and I've shown to you this evening. Another condition is the driveway will be kept clear of vehicles to allow for full emergency vehicle access during all events. THE APPLICANT, ANOTHER CONDITION IS THAT THE APPLICANT WOULD NEED TO WORK WITH QUALIFIED ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS TO DESIGN AND BUILD AN ENTRANCE TO THE PROPERTY FROM THE MOSLEY STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY. THE CONDITION PROPOSES THAT THAT ENTRANCE WOULD NEED TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN TWO YEARS OF THE ISSUANCE OF THE CONDITIONAL USE the timing of that is really you know those things take time to have engineering plans drawn up to identify what that low volume commercial entrance looks like which is a V dot specification and then it would need to be approved by the city and then built and constructed and that's all at the cost of the applicants the city will not be contributing in any way to that connection and that the applicant will work with the city engineer and public works to ensure there is a water line stub that is within that right-of-way to ensure that that water line stub is protected and then any kind of proper erosion and sediment controls are used in the design and to accommodate whatever estimated traffic. So this shows Alphen Avenue here, and this kind of shows city right-of-way all the way to here, but we don't believe that to be the case, that the city right-of-way ends you know back here closer to where this driveway connects to Alphen and that this is a private access easement and so staff did feel that it was very important that for this type of use there be another way for people to access the property. So the condition proposes that there would be no parking along the public right-of-ways, the new entrance would be there off of Mosley Street, and that this looped driveway would be kept clear of vehicles for emergency access. The next thing that came up in staff's review is stormwater management. So if it was a particularly rainy evening, there was a lot of traffic on kind of wet ground that there could possibly be concerns about the denuding of the ground in the parking areas that could potentially lead to some sediment runoff. So the stormwater program manager recommended that we put a condition in place just to help mitigate that if something like that would occur. So if an event is planned and the ground is saturated from a weather event, then an erosion control device such as a silt fence or a wattle should be installed on the low end of the property to really protect that drainage and so these just show obviously these are used a lot in construction and just minimizes the sediment and erosion runoff if that were to be the case. So that condition would allow us to monitor that and have our program manager for stormwater be able to identify that those are put in place if weather is expected to be bad. so events are on the layout shown to be held in the areas in front of the house the applicant requests holding up to 100 events annually and what has been listed in red is to identify a change that has occurred since the Planning Commission meeting and that the applicant has kind of Decided to say that no more than 30 of those 100 events would be weddings The request is to hold events from 9 to 10 p.m Limit attendees to a hundred people that would not include any support staff And then it's noted that the majority of events would be held in March to October kind of the warmer months So there have been some concerns in the Planning Commission meeting and then also the things that you have received in your mailboxes about noise and traffic So a proposed condition to cap the number of events at a hundred per year with no more than 30 of those being weddings I think that was kind of a desire to recognize that maybe the weddings could create some of the potentially larger events and maybe some of the amplified music concerns and that kind of cutting back on those was a way to Help ameliorate potentially some of those concerns Limit the event hours from 9 a.m. To 10 p.m And then the applicant will need to abide by the noise ordinance and there is a proposed condition that identifies that staff does note that the event area is surrounded by mature vegetation which does help to minimize visual impacts and help to minimize noise but not eliminate noise it does provide some screening the proposed condition does require that that vegetation stay in place but for some reason if it had to be removed that like vegetation be replaced in that area So additional conditions are that events be set up in general conformance with the site sketch and that the CUP be granted to the current owner of the property and that the conditional use permit would expire when it's transferred to an unrelated party. on this just kinda shows again an aerial view of the property on staff notes that the property is somewhat unique for up up size of approximately eight acres in a relatively private setting on IT MAY DRIVE ADDITIONAL BUSINESS INTO WAYNE'S BOROUGH AND THE SURROUNDING AREA. STAFF FEELS THAT THE RECOMMENDED CONDITIONS HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES. AND THEN IF ANY CONDITION IS NOT MET OR CANNOT BE MET, THE CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WOULD NEED TO BE AMENDED. THEY WOULD NEED TO COME FORWARD AND AMEND THEIR CONDITIONS. the permit can be revoked. And I did just want to briefly spend a little bit of time on the revocation of the permit because it came up at Planning Commission, some questions from commissioners, and I was not completely aware of how that process would go. So in order to revoke a conditional use permit, it is required that council do that revocation at a public hearing, and our code requires that the applicant be notified that we're holding that public hearing. So that's what is identified in our code and would be used for egregious violations certainly where there was kind of an immediate need. Typically our office of zoning compliance tries to work with property owners to identify kind of voluntary compliance It's not any kind of exact rule, but it's usually kind of a three strikes type scenario where if there's a founded complaint We're making contact with the property owner to let them know that we think there's been a violation of their conditions And that they need to you know not do that That's a strike one kind of following up if there's another one and then certainly if there was some third unfounded complaint that we would likely be bringing it back either directly to you or through the Planning Commission and then to you for you to hold that public hearing and potentially revoke the permit. So there's some flexibility there certainly for the most egregious things we could directly bring it to a public hearing for you all to consider to revoke a permit. So I think I've covered these in detail. I won't go over all of them, but these are all of the conditions that would be placed on the property. And so the purpose of the conditions is staff, you know, analyzed kind of any of the potential impacts and then tried to propose conditions that would help mitigate those impacts. And so it speaks to noise. It speaks to limits. It speaks to the types of events. It speaks to access and when certain access would need to be provided it speaks to maintaining vegetation So all of those things would be if approved would be approved as part of the permit and if violated Could lead to revocation of the permit So that's all I have and I'm happy to answer any questions if you have them I

Leslie, I have a question. I have so many, but I'm just going to pick one because we don't have all night. And so I want to know how much, as far as the conditions, how much will this cost the owner as far as implementing the conditions, like the right-of-way?

So, yeah, the right-of-way.

The bottle and the silk disc and that, yeah.

The right of way, and I don't know, I think the right of way in building that low volume commercial entrance would certainly be the largest expense. I would hate to venture a number, but over $50,000 I would assume to have an engineer design that entrance and construct it, if not more. And then certainly there could be additional expenses if they would need to put in a silt fence or some other But I think that is the main the main expense that I could see And I could be wrong in that number, but I do think that would be within the ballpark Thank you

You said that the driveway is partially private and there's an easement that was granted. Can that easement be rescinded and restrict your access from being able to do

So I think that that is something that the city would not be involved with in any way It would be kind of a private property dispute at that point to identify What the rights of the easement are and if they were in any type of violation?

Yeah, it would be controlled by the deeds of the adjoining property owners and this property owner to determine what the extent of access on the private lane there and how much they could use it. Are they overburdening it? That would all be a private issue between the property owners.

How much of that property is the private easement? How much?

So just kind of showing here where this arrow ends is I think essentially where the public right-of-way ends and then this kind of extension here of the driveway is that private easement. And then the ownership, I'm not exactly sure of the ownership of that section but do know that it's not public right-of-way.

so the owner of that easement could sue civilly and restrict access.

If they're in violation of the control and documents, right?

Any other questions?

What is the staff's position on the buffers that would normally be required in zoned property that would be zoned for the entertainment versus the buffers that are in place currently.

So, yeah, typically if there's some kind of adjacent different zoning, so if you had business adjacent to residential, we have like class A, B, and C buffers, some of which are landscaping and a fence to kind of create a really kind of opaque barrier so you're not really visually seeing at all. I I Admit that from all directions. I'm not sure that that it's preventable to see anything But there is as you can see here, you know quite kind of extensive extensive vegetation mature vegetation here and here And then this is the moose property here. So there's not really anything along that And then down this way, there's definitely not as much where kind of overflow parking would be so staff's not proposing any of those identified landscaping barriers around the entire perimeter of the property but rather recognizing kind of where the existing impacts of the event might occur mostly and then where the existing vegetation exists but certainly if council would want to propose some additional screening that's certainly something that you could place on the conditional use permit

I have another question. I'm looking at Frog back there. Frog, don't kill me. My question is, You talked about early on about how something about how long has the owner been in ownership of this business? First of all, let's get to it.

Yeah. So I hope I answer this correctly. And certainly she can correct me later if I get it wrong. But I believe it's been about five or six years of ownership of the property.

Okay.

And the Airbnb kind of venture is what began first, and that's by right. So we did have some complaints early on maybe about the Airbnb, and it was noted that that's allowable under the ordinance. And then I think it's only maybe in the last two years, maybe more, two to three years, that there have been festivals and then renting out for weddings, baby showers, things like that.

So then, you said something about four years ago about how the CUP came about or whatever. Did I understand that right as far as ordinance is concerned?

Yes. So about four years ago, I think it was right after I started, we had a bed and breakfast in the city, kind of also a unique property operating much more like a traditional bed and breakfast rather than a B&B. but they wanted to kind of expand they were looking into kind of agritourism and you know potentially having people out onto the bed and breakfast to have potentially weddings or corporate events or things of that nature and at that time we didn't have anything in the ordinance um to allow that to happen yes so staff worked on developing an ordinance that would allow temporary special events but only if you made an application for a conditional use permit

Okay. And so again, I was thinking about just the location and you talked about the Moose Lodge and me being a former member of the Moose Lodge. My membership has lapsed. Yes. I know that we sometimes party. And so it's like does the moose have this conditional use permit for their things? Is it along the same lines? How does it differentiate?

no so what we would typically do and I don't want to misspeak because it might not be a grandfathered use the community center event community centers are allowed in certain districts so as long as the moose is having events for their members yes then we would be considered that part of kind of what occurs there on the property if they were to start renting it out for outside use not their members then we would be looking at a conditional use permit okay

Thank you. Yes.

I guess the other thing I wanted to ask, because I'm pretty sure I understand this the right way, but just to ask it publicly. Of the 100 uses, I understand that for all intents and purposes, there has been a weekly crisis counseling session happening at the property almost every week, if I'm not mistaken. I think so. Somewhere between 45 and 52 weeks a year. And not knowing the differentiation between what's considered an event and not, that that's also included in the request for the 100 events a year.

Yes, so I will be clear that that is my understanding, that that is what the applicant understands and desires. I guess I would point out to counsel kind of the flip side of that, the way the conditions are currently written, if that support group was to cease and go away, that there could still be the 100 events. So if there are additional kind of restrictions related to that that you would want identified, it would be important to do that.

I was gonna have this same remark related to that it's gonna maybe save it for the applicant and let these good folks have the opportunity to come to the podium but and that was my observation of you know the how it's articulated in the application and then in the staff report specific to page nine was 52 small group events limited to 25 and then 48 events limited to a hundred guests 30 of which may be weddings so which leaves 18 otherwise not yet to be determined but upwards of a hundred guests to attend and so I mean I guess you know my my My interest would be to, if the desire is to retain the 52, so that's a small group of 25 people, I would be interested in having that conversation about limiting attendance or number of events and prescribing it in a way that reflects the intended use or those that have been the established use. um you know that again could be revisited at such at some point in the future but um and then the other the other um couple items just to say it out loud is um in in my time on you know two stints on the planning commission on council i've i've not run into a case where we conditioned um the cup to um the applicant um unless the property is sold or transferred to an unrelated individual. Typically, in all cases that I'm familiar with, so 20 years worth of stuff, is that we have conditioned, placed conditions that are prescribed to the owner, the applicant, and that should the property be sold or transferred, period, that that individual, whether they're related or unrelated, would then have to come back and obtain a CEP. Because again, I think it's a matter of these engagements, particularly if we've had bed and breakfasts in different places in the city, Folks come with a certain degree of experience and professionalism and organization that I would not want to just hand that over to an unrelated individual who the community doesn't know anything about. And then two other items is that I would just kind of go on record that I would be supportive of the screening for the overflow parking area along the back end of Mosley. for those homes that are immediately adjacent to it. And then the last question, and maybe more inclined for the applicant, is have there been any events held on the property since June 4th when the application was made?

I believe there have, but I will let the applicant answer because I don't know specifically.

Okay.

Any other questions for the staff? Thank you, Leslie. Thank you. Does the applicant wish to speak? I would remind the chamber to remain silent. Thank you.

all right good evening mayor vice mayor members of council city staff and everyone here tonight i am going to speed this up as much as possible to try to respect everybody's time and i'm going to start with some timeline information i purchased this property in may of 2020 mimosa farms an 8.3 acre property that has evolved significantly over time as i've worked to restore maintain and responsibly develop it the home itself is nearly 6 000 square feet with up to five guest suites and accommodations for up to 20 overnight guests in november of 2020 i officially registered mimosa farm as an llc marking the beginning of its formal business structure and long-term vision in november of 2023 i made the decision to slow down the airbnb operations this was not a decision made lightly it was done to allow for an extensive renovation of the lower level of the home and also during a time when i was recovering from a rotator cuff injury That period required me to step back, focus on healing, and invest in necessary improvements to the property. Fast forward to December 2025, I retired from my previous corporate career where I served as a vice president of business development in order to pursue Mermosa Farm and its future full-time. This was a deliberate decision to fully commit to the farm, its operations, and its long-term potential. in may of 2026 we applied for our conditional use permit when the city reached out regarding concerns and the need for clarification i acted quickly and decisively because this property and this vision are important to me and i've consistently responded promptly throughout this process because i take compliance communication and responsibility seriously this timeline reflects not only the evolution of a property but my commitment to doing things the right way at the right time and in partnership with the city Regarding team growth and employment, this is a picture of my permanent part-time employees. Over time, Mimosa Farm has grown to require three permanent part-time employees to help support daily operations, maintenance, and guest and event coordination. This growth is not accidental. It's a direct reflection of increased activity, increased responsibility, and increased demand on the property. However, it's also important to be transparent. Without continued and sustainable growth, we would potentially have to reevaluate the ability to maintain this level of staffing. These positions exist because the work exists and maintaining them depends on the long-term viability of the farm's operations. My goal is to ensure that this remains stable, responsible employment that continues to support both the individuals working here and the farm itself. We also have a team of wedding and event people, which is made up of five small Waynesboro-owned businesses. These are local entrepreneurs who bring their own unique skills and services to Mimosa Farm events. And in many cases, I've had the privilege of mentoring and supporting them as they've grown their businesses. Through hands-on collaboration, they have not only contributed to the success of events at Mimosa Farm, but have also developed valuable business skills, expanded their client base, and strengthened their own operations. This team represents something very important to me, local partnership, local investment, and local growth. When people hear the words event venue, it can create an image that really doesn't reflect the full scope of what happens at the farm. First and foremost, this is still a farm. We maintain livestock on the property and the agricultural character of these 8.3 acres is something that I'm committed to preserving. We have also opened the farm to local FFA and Ag students who have volunteered here and had the opportunity to work around the animals and experience some of the responsibilities that come with maintaining a working farm. Another important part of our community involvement is the Heavy Hearts Light Snacks, a small support group that meets at the farm. This is especially important when we eventually discuss the number of events requested in this original CUP application because a weekly support group meeting is obviously very different from a wedding with music and guests. Our private events have primarily consisted of small weddings, micro weddings, elopements, and celebrations of life. These are generally intimate events. And later in the presentation, I'll show you the actual numbers so council can see the scale of what we have historically hosted rather than having to speculate about it. And then there are two larger community events that we intentionally open to the public each year, our fall festival and our spring fling. Those events give members of the community an opportunity to actually come onto the property, meet the animals, see the farm, and experience Mimosa Farm for themselves. I think that's an important distinction in this discussion. My goal isn't to turn 8.3 acres of agricultural property into a high-volume commercial event venue. It is to create a sustainable agritourism business that allows me to preserve the farm as a farm, share it responsibly with the community, support other local small businesses, and generate enough revenue to maintain the property for the future. And I believe those things can coexist. Mimosa Farm by the numbers. I want to spend a minute looking at the actual operating history of the farm because I think the numbers are important. From 2020 through 2025, we have hosted a total of 62 events of all types. That number includes everything, elopements, micro weddings, celebrations of life such as birthdays, showers, small gatherings, and other events. But of those 62 events, only three weddings had approximately 50 or more guests. One had approximately 150, one had 50, and one was just under 50. And that wedding was for my direct next door neighbor, Jack Belcher's daughter. And during those three larger weddings, there were zero complaints. I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER TO REMEMBER. 62 EVENTS OVER SIX YEARS. THREE LARGER WEDDINGS, ZERO COMPLAINTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE WEDDINGS. AT THE SAME TIME, MIMOSA FARM HAS BEEN OPERATING AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL SINCE NOVEMBER 2020 AND WE HAVE WELCOMED JUST OVER 1,200 OVERNIGHT GUESTS WHILE MAINTAINING AN OVERALL GUEST RATING OF 4.93 OUT OF 5 STARS. SO THERE'S ALREADY BEEN SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY ON THIS PROPERTY FOR YEARS. PEOPLE HAVE STAYED HERE. CARS HAVE COME AND GONE. SMALL EVENTS HAVE TAKEN PLACE AND THE CITY HAS IDENTIFIED ONLY THREE DOCUMENTED COMPLAINTS OVERALL DURING THAT HISTORY. ONE OF THOSE COMPLAINTS WASN'T ABOUT AN EVENT TRAFFIC OR THE BUSINESS I'M DOING. IT WAS ABOUT THE HEIGHT OF MY PASTURE WHILE WE WERE PREPARING TO BAIL IT FOR HAY. I don't say that to dismiss any complaint. I say it because context matters. The other two, per my knowledge, were not complaints, but rather inquiring about the type of business I run on the farm. When council is being asked to consider whether Mimosa Farm can responsibly coexist with the surrounding neighborhood, you don't really have to guess. You have nearly six years of actual operating history to look at, and I believe that record demonstrates that the overwhelming majority of activity at Mimosa Farm has occurred quietly and responsibly and without incident. So conditional use permit, why now? You brought that question up just a moment ago. One of the questions I think this is fair to ask, why now? Why am I applying for a conditional use permit after operating the farm for several years? And I think the timeline is really important. In 2021, during the first year of our fall festival, I received a phone call from a city official regarding the food truck vendors that would be participating in the event. we discussed what those vendors needed and before we ended that conversation i specifically asked is there anything else i need to do i was told no to their knowledge no you're a farm so i continued operating under that understanding and in good faith what i have since learned is that the city's temporary special events conditional use permit provisions were not adopted until 2023 approximately two years after that conversation So it makes sense that this particular CUP process was not discussed with me in 2021. It didn't exist yet. And I think that's an important distinction. I wasn't quietly operating an event venue and hoping no one noticed. It was actually quite the opposite. Our activities were public. They were advertised. We invited the community onto the property. We worked with local vendors. The fall festival itself brought people from throughout the community to the farm. When I was later informed, THAT A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS REQUIRED FOR ME TO CONTINUE HOSTING THESE TYPES OF EVENTS, I APPLIED FOR ONE IMMEDIATELY. SO WHEN SOMEONE ASKS WHY NOW, THE ANSWER IS ACTUALLY PRETTY SIMPLE. I DIDN'T SUDDENLY DECIDE IN 2026 THAT I WANTED TO BECOME AN EVENT VENUE. THE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK CHANGED. THE CITY CLARIFIED WHAT WAS REQUIRED OF ME AND ONCE I UNDERSTOOD THAT REQUIREMENT, I ENTERED THIS PROCESS SWIFTLY TO COMPLY WITH IT. And since beginning this process, I haven't simply tried to check the boxes necessary to get the permit. I've listened. I've worked with city staff. I've listened to concerns from my neighbors. I've made significant and expensive changes to my application in an effort to address those concerns. There are also several factual points that have come up throughout this process that I want to make sure don't get lost in all of the discussion. First, this CUP does not change the zoning of my property from residential to commercial. The underlying zoning remains exactly what it is today. also there has only been there has been concerned expressed prop oh there has also been concern expressed about property values i certainly can't predict anyone else's future property value but i can tell you what has happened to mine since purchasing the farm the appraised value of this property has nearly tripled i have invested substantially in improving and maintaining this property another important point to the cup is that it is tied to me and expires upon the sale to the property Regarding parking, parking will remain on the property. Weddings will always have required mandatory valet parking. That gives us control over where vehicles are parked, how they enter and exit, and more importantly allows a staff member to physically interact with guests as they leave. I also want to distinguish between the word event and a wedding. Not every activity counted under this permit meets 100 people, music, and cars. Some are elopements of just two people. Some involve people who are already staying overnight at the farm. Ms. Wallace. Yes.

I'm sorry. I have to cut you off. Oh, I didn't know I had time.

Okay. Gotcha. Thank you.

Any questions for the applicant? Just one, Ms. Walts. Thank you for that. Yes. So the question I asked Leslie earlier is that have there been any events since you made application for the conditional use permit following June?

Yes, sir.

And why was that?

We continued under the guise that we were, I felt very confident when I first applied for this, and I didn't expect this pushback, so we continued. They were events that were already planned and family members that were planning to be there. Okay, thank you. You're welcome.

I guess one other question in your presentation. So 62 events over five years or 12 events per year. So 12 events you've averaged per year for the last five, but the request is for 100 events.

Right. I worked full-time until December of 20, just six months ago or eight months ago. And so I left corporate America with the intention of doing this full-time. There's no way I could have done any more while I was working full-time.

Gotcha. Gotcha.

And a lot of those previous events were family members and things of that nature, but I'm calling them events just to show that they've happened on the property. So I hope that's clear. Sure.

Okay. Thank you so much.

You're very welcome. Any other questions? I'm sorry y'all missed the end of that, but I'll get back to you.

I was at the Planning Commission meeting. Yes, sir. I saw that you were surprised by the pushback of the community. I see a lot of vote no signs. Why not go out into the county?

Is that my question? That's the question.

Okay. Because it seems like it would be easier just for general question, purpose asking, however you want to. Yeah, that's my question.

Why not sell it and move to the county? I love Waynesboro. That's the short answer. I've been here since 2009. I grew up in Chicago, Illinois, right outside of Chicago, Illinois. Moved here in 1992 to Virginia. Moved to Waynesboro in 2009 and bought this house in 2020. WHEN I BOUGHT THIS HOUSE, I SAW SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO BRING MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN TO FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE RETIREMENT. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO CORPORATE AMERICA ANYMORE AND WAS QUICKLY LEARNING THAT MEETING PEOPLE AT THEIR WORST MOMENTS IN HEALTH CARE, I COULD FLIP THE SCRIPT AND MEET PEOPLE AT THEIR BEST MOMENTS AND MIMOSA FARM WOULD BE THAT ANSWER. We've been able to accept people at this house that are from all over the world and meet people at all of their best moments, and my hope is that we get to continue to showcase the best of Waynesboro.

Waynesboro adopted me as well, and I do love Waynesboro. If this council denies this conditional use permit, what are your plans?

uh i'm not sure what my plans will be um i have some thoughts that perhaps we'd have to look at development in some of it because again i have zero interest uh i'm healthcare burnt out so i have zero interest in going back into the corporate world so potentially we would look at development options i'm not sure

I gather a lot of information from the Planning Commission meeting and I could tell you were definitely surprised by the reaction of your neighbors and one thing I did take from all that was the amount of the folks who stood up and even if they spoke against you talked about you as a neighbor and had kind words for you It's got to be a hard position to be in. For both sides of it, that's all I have.

Yes, sir.

And let me follow up. I actually do have a question. Leslie kind of gave a rough estimate, but I'm gonna hear from the horse, Ms. Wallace. What are your estimated costs to meet the conditions for the Moseley Drive, for the Wado expenses, and any other conditions that we have put in this CUP?

So I am estimating the road to be 50,000. That's what I put as a high end of the estimation. I have no idea what it's going to be, but just based on some searches online, I said it could be close to 50,000. In addition to that, I have contracted with an AV company to permanently install a sound system that will be hard set at 75 decibels at the outlying sound. PERMITTER OF THE ENTIRE HOUSE, THAT'S $4800. I DON'T KNOW THE COST FOR THE WADDLE OR THE SILT FENCE, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE $50,000. SO IT CERTAINLY IS A PRICY EXPENSE TO CONTINUE WHAT I'M DOING, BUT I HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE COUNTING ON ME TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

OKAY. Thank you.

I have one question to add to it. Yes, sir. So Mr. Short made the point that traditional CUPs are non-transferable, period. Would you be opposed to that being an adjustment to the condition to where if you were to want to pass it to your daughter or a family member that they'd have to come before and request the same CUP?

I'm going to assume that my three children are absolutely not interested in taking this over. They have watched way too much. I can assure you that they would probably write it down for you and sign it on a piece of paper.

It will be built in this evening. Okay. But they're happy to sign. I mean, he raised that point.

For sure. Yeah, and I did read that if it was transferred to a related person, it would follow. But I feel pretty confident that none of my children would want to take on an event venue. It's just not. One is a nurse, one's an electrician, and one wants to work in the Army and works on our skin. So I don't see event planning in their future. Fair enough. This is kind of my retirement plan and sort of my American dream. Thank you. Any other questions?

I just have to say that I haven't been on council as long as Mr. Short has, but this has been one event where emails on top of emails on top of petitions, both for and against. That's probably the most I've gotten since I've been on council, and it's running a little better, well, about 50-50 support and against, so we have a lot to look at.

For sure. Yeah, this is equivalent to the tax crowd. But except the tax crowd is all on one side.

I don't know if I'm honored or embarrassed. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you.

Okay. I hereby open the public hearing.

Okay, good evening, guests. Two things, one is I'll do the best I can with pronouncing names, and secondly, sorting through folks who intend to speak to the application versus citizen comment period. So if I call on you during the public hearing and your intent is to speak during citizen comment period, just let me know and we'll come back to you at that time. If I miss you, if you're signed up to speak at the public hearing and you think when we get to the end that I've not called on you, just try to capture our attention. We'll work through it that way.

So Daniel Long. So as we start this process, I want to remind everybody of the time limit. So each speaker has four minutes. When you have 30 seconds left, it'll go to yellow so that you have time to wrap up. Thank you.

Good evening, everyone. My name is Daniel long. I live at 518 winding way and I actually wasn't going to lead with this, but I do think it's important when you look at the county or the city ordinances. It's a chart. Right and you see up here and you see temporary special events down here and where those things meet if it's allowed by a conditional use permit. there should be a C in that box. And one of these, I believe it's the parcel that's zoned RG5, there is not a C in that box. So I do think, you know, I see that your council is here today. I think that's actually an important legal research question that needs to be addressed because I'm actually not convinced that this council can grant a conditional use permit on the one that's RG5, which is where all the parking is gonna be. So I just wanted to flag that. I also wanted to say, you know, what are we here to actually decide today? I saw the elements up on the screen and I pulled up the ordinance and I printed out a copy for each of you because I think it's important to have this in front of you as you look at it. But ultimately, 98-7.6.10 says no conditional use permit shall be approved by the city council unless the following findings are made concerning the application. And I'm specifically looking at part B. The proposed use will be consistent with good zoning practice and will have no adverse effect on the health, safety, or comfort of persons living or working in the area and will be no more detrimental economically or otherwise to property or improvements in the surrounding area than would any use generally permitted to the district. Now, I'm gonna let all my neighbors talk about the negative ways that they're gonna be impacted, and you're gonna hear from all of them, but I would urge you to listen to them. I understand that there's a lot of speakers that are gonna be here today on behalf of Mimosa Farm. The vast majority of them are not gonna be from this neighborhood. They're not gonna feel the impacts, and that's ultimately what we're here to decide, is what are the impacts gonna be on my neighbors? And they're the ones who are gonna be most able to speak to that. I see that we have poster boards and everything. You're gonna get a show tonight. But ultimately, I wanna talk a little bit about good zoning practice. This isn't consistent with good zoning practice. It just isn't. The event venue is on RS-12. That's supposed to be the most restrictive zoning ordinance in the county, or in the city, I apologize. It actually only allows RS-12 for 10 out of 126 potential permissible uses. So there's 126 potential permissible uses across the Waynesboro City zoning ordinances. Only 10 are allowed in RS-12, and those 10s are single-family detached housing, homestay short-term rentals like an Airbnb, group homes of eight or fewer, schools, elementary schools, public safety facilities, golf courses, golf clubs, parks, playgrounds, religious institutions, minor utilities, and agricultural crops and community gardens. This is just not anywhere near any of those things. I think the burden that you're going to see on the neighbors far exceeds anything that you would normally see in an RS-12 zoning district. I actually thought it was interesting, I saw the Planning Department brought up bed and breakfast. Bed and breakfast are actually one of the potential zoning ordinances. They're not allowed at all in an RS-12 district, whether by permissible use or conditional use permit. So essentially what the applicant is asking for is to have 100 people come in here, 100 events a year, in a place where you can't even have a bed and breakfast. by a conditional use permit. That's essentially what this is asking for. I also want to address the elephant in the room. I see I'm running low on time. I met with Ms. Wallace. That was urged by the Planning Commission and several of my neighbors went there and saw her. I was advised actually at a July 11th event, which is a loud incident. I'm sure you'll hear about that there was a city official present at that event. And I would just urge every single one of you to remember that zoning ordinances should apply to everyone and that there shouldn't be an exception for city officials and their friends. Waynesboro is an up and coming community. It's a great place to live. This is not consistent with an RS-12 zoning district. Thank you.

Thank you. Jack Belcher.

Jack Belcher, 503 Alphon Avenue. Thank you for having me. I had my almost down to four minutes within three seconds speech here, but I think I'd rather just address some of the stuff I've already heard because I have some very competent neighbors behind me for those of you on the council i know mr wood was at the planning commission hearing uh was anybody else there kenny lee was because he's also representative on there but has any of the other three there or able to watch the video yeah okay good then you'll know that we uh brought up about 10 very um very strong points factual objective points as to why we did not want this in our neighborhood and uh let me let me address something that i just heard 50 50 support and against where where is that coming from How many people behind me have this same no support? I mean, how many of you are here? And take a look, that's not 50-50. And the people that are supporting this don't live there. So I'm not sure how that's 50-50. So I'd say open your eyes and take a look at who did show up. We had 19 days since the Planning Commission hearing to gather our neighborhood, and this is just a small part of it, you're talking about affecting about 300 households within range of this intrusion. So I think you should think very carefully before voting on this. And at the very, very least, this should be tabled until we find out about the right-of-way, the legal issues, and several other things that we brought to the attention of the Planning Commission, which went ahead and rubber-stamped it anyway. I'm doing my very best to keep my language civil, but I'm not happy. I'm not happy with what I've seen since the very first time that I contacted city officials. You talked about due diligence, Mayor Lee. You asked the planning department, did you do due diligence? Oh yes, we did. I say bullshit to that. They did not do the due diligence. There were a lot of things that we brought up after the fact. They did not even talk to one neighbor before preparing that report and a recommendation for approval. Not one neighbor was even consulted. And I'm talking about factual pieces that you're going to hear after me from other neighbors in this neighborhood who will tell you at least 10 different points that are strongly opposed to this because it will negatively affect them. I'm the house on that map that is right next door to her. And all this vegetation is blocking the sound and the view. I was standing right there just yesterday looking straight over there, wide open. There's nothing blocking. The sound that comes and rattles my windows? No. That's a lie. So there's a lot of things that I've heard that are misinformation. And there's a lot of emotional appeal. I was told to talk about facts. There's a lot of facts, and you're going to be hearing them. So I hope you take that into consideration. Because our neighborhood is a very strong neighborhood. We're very kind. and giving in a warm neighborhood too, but this is not something that we're in favor of for a lot of reasons. And I've gotten to know a lot of my neighbors, so I appreciate you dragging me down here for that because I'm a very private person, and I'm glad I met some of these people. There's some great people in that neighborhood, and they want to keep their neighborhood the way it is. Don't set this precedent. It's not just about this neighborhood. You do this here, and you're telling everybody in this city, oh, we can do whatever we want anytime we want. We can put anything we want in there. Thank you. Thank you.

David Wolfe.

Thank you. Good to be here. Good to see you. You warm my hearts. I have a master's of public administration back in the dark ages before it was really popular. And so, but you don't need a master's in public administration to see all the things we're seeing here. And what Jack said I ditto, but I want to work on some other things for us here. We have not as residents, knowing anything about this until the last minute. And the bottom line is, we think, and I think we can make show evidence, that this has been dialogue over a number of years with staff here. How do you decide all of a sudden that you can get approval, who signs off on the approval to have that street going into Mosley? That just doesn't happen overnight. Okay, so as I began to piece things together, this has been dialogue for a while, and the influence, politics is the issue of influence. That's what political science is. And so we are now saying we are part of the influence we want to have on the city, and we want to make sure you hear that the residents are not happy. Okay, that's one issue. And I'm like Jack, I'm holding it in. One of the things that happens is that When we, the first person to go down to city, after we heard about this and talked to the planning department, they were surprised, even belligerent, that we might not like this idea. In fact, one person said, well, what's wrong with having this wonderful venue in Waynesboro? I'm sure that's true. But what would you want to stand in the way of helping our community prosper? They didn't have an image and they never talked to the neighborhood. And we had heard enough noise through a lot of events, and I don't understand how there was such a restricted amount of events. That's the other subject I really wanna talk about. You don't have to have a permit for a grief group. I would like them to look that up. I have a doctorate in pastoral care. I lead grief groups. I've never in my life heard that they had to have a vent permit to have a grief group in your home. Take those 52 off the plate and you've got 100. You go look it up and see. Why would, if nothing else, grief groups are wonderful things. And she's doing a good job with that. And it sounds like she has a background with that. I worked in hospitals as chaplain for my career. And those are wonderful. But you don't need that to have a grief group in your home. So she has 100 events. Secondly, it isn't the weddings that matter. It's the parties that might be there. that matter, too. So that 100, that gets to your question, Terry. You've been asking that question over and over again. You don't need to have those 52 grief groups included in the 100 events. Go check it out. That's my field. And I know that I can have a grief group any place, any time, as long as it's appropriate for the circumstance. Finally. Like I said, politics is the art of influence. And for three years, I think there's been dialogue, and Jill's been preparing to influence the city and those making decisions. Some of you have been caught up in this at events like the mayor and others. I'm telling you that this has politicized our three neighborhoods. In addition to Covenant Church, we are all mad. Thank you, sir. Am I done or is that? Yes, sir. You need to consider that- You're done. You are our representatives and we expect you to act like you are. You're done, sir. I'm out of here. Linda Cuso Wolf.

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council. You did a good job on that funny Dutch name. Thank you for that. I am Linda Kusey-Wolf. I live with my husband, David Wolf, at 424 Alphon Avenue, about four doors down and across the road from Mimosa Farm. I'd like to switch gears a little bit and share with you some information I found from institutions who have studied small venues embedded in residential neighborhoods. These studies were compiled by the National Institute of Health and the University of California. Quote, studies show that embedding event venues in residential neighborhoods significantly decreases the local quality of life by causing noise pollution, traffic congestion, infrastructure strain, especially stretching policing, and public safety issues, particularly drunk driving. They further enumerate, one, sleep disruption from elevated noise levels. Two, psychological strain from the possibility of such events. Will I be able to host a barbecue in my own backyard and can we hear each other speak? Can I host a party in my home or will my windows be vibrating? Three, localized traffic bottlenecks. Elfin Avenue is a modest two-lane in parts one-lane road with insufficient lighting. Four, emergency access. How do ambulances and fire trucks effectively get in and out? What if it's muddy in that pasture where everybody is parking? What are you going to do? Nuisance crimes. There's a high correlation between events of 50 or more in the neighborhood and theft, littering, and vandalism. On Alphen Avenue, we've had a sharp uptick on nuisance crimes in the last 18 months. Six, alcohol-related hazards. Dozens of cars leaving at once, having enjoyed an evening of drinking with no policing. The police are busy enough. Number seven, decline in local property values. Residences closest to an events venue like Mimosa Farm can anticipate a five to 10% decrease in property value for those in the noise and mass driving corridor. Is Mimosa Farms planning to write a check for that amount to the 50 or 60 households inundated with noise and traffic? Friends, we are a commonwealth. We are founded upon the common good, not the good of one smart corporate business person who wants to make a living but places a burden on our neighborhood much too heavy to carry. Please, consider us, hear our voices. We have had to fight to be heard as residents within hearing and driving distance of Mimosa Farms. I thank you very much.

Leslie Smith.

council members may I please hand out a handout real quick the companies I'm sorry sir My name is Leslie Smith, I'm at 2232 Moseley Street. I'm gonna be speaking on the facts today of the Waynesboro City Ordinance 98-7.6.10 findings of facts. Where no conditional use permit shall be approved by the city council unless the following findings are made concerning the application. Finding A, that the proposed use is one of permitted conditional uses. 601 Alpen, the 5.2 acres is zoned RS-12 and would be permitted. The additional three acres is zoned RG-5 and would not be permitted under temporary special events. If you look at page two, you'll see that chart there where I've highlighted that. finding b that the proposed use will be consistent with good zoning and we've talked about that some you have received signed petitions with signatures of 140 plus neighbors that will be directly affected if you look at those petitions you will see those are people that live right there around mimosa farms They are all currently being impacted by noise, light pollution, and safety concerns. I would ask that you please turn to the next page to see exhibit two. One of the biggest concerns is guests who may be drunk or impaired when they leave the event. Ms. Wallace has had two events in May, two in June, two in July, where a banquet ABC license was issued, as well as an upcoming license for an August 29th event. This is a huge safety concern as guests may leave driving intoxicated. Pedestrians have no safety as there are no sidewalks on Mosley, Winding Way, Alpen, Rhodes, or Chase, and Alpen is one lane. Findings see that the proposed use is in compliance with conditionally approved and state licensing. Ms. Wallace has already demonstrated that she has not been compliant and would not be applying for this permit now had a citizen not called the city to inquire. Ms. Wallace states that she has been operating but did not know she needed a CUP. I would challenge that statement with the following facts. Fact one, in her personal biography, it states that she was a former vice president of business development for a national home health company, and she actively negotiated conditional use permits. She obviously has a lot of experience to have held a position of this magnitude. Please see Exhibit 3. Fact 2, Ms. Wallace has applied for a CUP for up to 100 guests per event, yet her website is currently stating that we can accommodate traditional weddings of up to 150 guests. That's 50% more than she has applied for. Please see Exhibit 4. Fact 3, that Ms. Wallace has let the Virginia Business LLC for Mimosa Farms expire with the Virginia State Commission. Fact four, Ms. Wallace states that she has done or is doing HGTV filming. This will surely take her business nationwide. Finding D, that the proposal is in conformance with the comprehensive plan. The comprehensive plan states that by 2047, Waynesboro will combine urban conveniences with a small town feel through safe, thriving neighborhoods connected to a vibrant main street, fostering a sense of community. With Ms. Wallace's exhibited growth plans, her business is not in compliance with the comprehensive plan for a residential area. The residents who live in this neighborhood and signed that petition currently have no peace, quiet sanctity, or enjoyment of their property. We trust in you, our elected officials, to protect our neighborhoods and our citizens and not to allow a commercial business to invade and disrupt the peace, tranquility, and safety of a zoned residential. Thank you.

Emily Lassiter.

Good evening. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you this evening. My name is Emily Lassiter. I'm here with my dad, Richard Rogers, and on behalf of my family. I grew up at 501 Alphon Avenue, adjacent to Mimosa Farm, where my parents currently reside and have lived for over 50 years. Our family is deeply concerned about the potential approval of this CUP. The noise issues and other issues this proposed event venue will create beyond what neighbors have already had to suffer will alter the quality of life, health, and safety of everyone who lives nearby. After the city was notified about the illegal operation of this event venue and the owner made aware, Ms. Wallace has continued to operate her business while the CUP is being considered. After the city confirmed the private right-of-way that the applicant attempted to dispute, she has continued to allow her business traffic over the private right-of-way that does not belong to her for business use. Rules matter, and the city has established clear protections for its residents. Ms. Wallace has disregarded the rules for years, and this will not change. We are asking that the protection of all the city's residents, not just a single calculated business owner, will be reflected when you vote tonight. The city currently has a noise ordinance stating it is unlawful for any resident to make noise audible and discernible at a distance of 100 feet or more from property lines in residential neighborhoods. The proposed CUP would allow this event venue to create noise up to 75 decibels from property lines on all sides. Most people have no idea how loud 75 decibels is. My dad invited council members to his home to hear noise at that proposed volume. Jim Wood and Jeremy Sloat kindly made the trip to his property to hear an example of how incredibly loud 75 decibels is. From Ms. Wallace's property line, there are conservatively 375 homes that will be affected, some severely if this CUP is passed tonight. At the Planning Commission meeting, Ms. Wallace was portrayed by her supporters as caring and accommodating of the needs of others. Unfortunately, her neighbors, who she has willfully and repeatedly harmed, have had the opposite experience with her. I am asking that you consider the voices of those who have the most to lose by this approval of the CUP above all the other voices that you hear tonight. Our family is urging you to deny this CUP so my parents can enjoy the remainder of their lives at the peaceful property they have worked their entire lives to build. Thank you.

Brian Crohan.

I'm Brian Krogan, 542 Winding Way. Good evening, Mayor, members of City Council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak to you this evening. I respectfully believe the CUP application by Ms. Wallace does not meet the spirit of RS-12 and is not compatible with the surrounding neighborhood. an event venue venue fundamentally is different from a residence its business model depends on bringing large numbers of people vehicles vendors deliveries lighting amplified music onto the property on a reoccurring basis those impacts do not stop at the property line rs12 as mentioned earlier zoning district is the most restrictive residential zoning district in the city of Waynesboro. It is intended to preserve low density single family neighborhoods. Why does this matter? Because RS 12 is intended primarily for quiet residential living. Compatibility must be measured by the actual impacts of use, not by promises about how a business will operate. Equally significant is the concern regarding property values and marketability. For many families, their home is their largest financial investment. People purchase based on existing zoning and reasonable expectations about the character of the surrounding neighborhood. Introducing an event venue changes that expectation. I have spoken with several realtors in the area, and the estimated market value of the surrounding properties can be expected to decrease by 5% to 10%. Time on the market will be longer due to the limited marketability. Prospective buyers will think twice about purchasing a home when they know they could be living next to a reoccurring event venue that includes traffic, parking, noise, music, and other items. Neighboring homeowners should not be given that burden and accept the CUP that introduces uncertainty into the value of the future marketability of their largest investment. Finally, I ask Council to consider the precedent that will be set tonight if this goes forward. If commercial event venues are approved despite significant impacts on neighboring properties, future applicants will point to this decision as justification for similar use elsewhere. This will be used as a benchmark for others. over time residential neighborhoods get changed not through rezoning through one cup at a time for those reasons i respectfully ask the city council to protect the community and the integrity of the city zoning process the reasonable expectations of neighboring property owners and the compatibility of long-term value of this neighborhood i respectfully ask the city council to deny this application for cup for those reasons thank you so much

Thank you.

Margaret Krogan.

Good evening. My name is Margaret Krogan and I live at 542 Winding Way. Good evening, Mayor Lee and members of the City Council. My home is in the vicinity of Alphen Avenue and Mosley Street, and I'm here tonight to strongly urge you to vote against the conditional use permit application for 601 Alphen Avenue, known as Mimosa Farm. While I fully appreciate local business enterprise, highly intensity commercial event venues do not belong embedded directly inside our quiet, established, low density residential neighborhoods like RS-12 and RG-5. Alphen Avenue and the surrounding neighborhoods, including Holtman Station, Charleston Park, are family-oriented residential communities. Allowing dozens of commercial events a year would fundamentally change the character of this neighborhood. As stated in the CUP, 100 events with 100 people and festivals that allow 500 people. Just take a moment and picture that. I want to remind you this is not simply about an occasional gathering. A commercial event venue brings recurring traffic, parking concerns, rain or shine, vendor vehicles, amplified music, large crowds, and vehicle headlights that sweep across neighboring properties late into the evening, which I know all too well. There is also the loss of green space associated with the proposed easement access for additional parking, as well as the historical purpose of this property. According to older city council records, this 8.25 acre parcel was specifically intended to remain a farmland parcel buffer and not for commercial venue use or anything else commercial. I believe that history deserves serious consideration when deciding whether this property is appropriate for Ms. Wallace's intent. A commercial assembly operation creates a distinct and unfair strain on neighbors within community. A residential backyard should not be sacrificed as makeshift event zones. Protecting the quiet enjoyment of our properties, ensuring local street safety, and maintaining the structural integrity in our comprehensive plan is core duty of city leadership. I feel it's necessary to speak out tonight to clarify some misinformation. As a homeowner on Winding Way, I am in the direct line view of Mosa Farm. Events, whether a wedding reception, reunion, birthday party, fall festival, pool parties, or revolving guests, my view to the location is clear and unprotected. from the tents, bounce houses, vendor setups, loud music, yelling from the poolside during party rentals, along with constant coming and goings of autos and vendors, vehicles. I would like to share photos from my backyard so you all have a better understanding of how I enjoy my weekends or whenever there's an event at Mosa Farm. And I do have two exhibits that I can show you and I will at the end. It's also important that one of the pictures that I have is because it's shown on a CUP site plan that not necessarily shows what neighboring homeowners actually experience when an event is taking place. The CUP has overhead aerial views. That is not what we see from down below on our street level. I hope you will look at these photos and see my view from my backyard for comparison. That's why I've attached the GIS photos in the CUP application, which only shows the aerial view and not what I'm seeing. Should further discussion arise, I would gladly invite Mayor Lee and City Council members to visit my backyard, which might give a better perspective on the matter. I respectfully request the City Council stand with the neighboring homeowners who bear the daily direct brunt of this commercial expansion please vote down this conditional use permit and uphold our residential zoning boundary thank you and i do have photos here that i'd like to share with everyone this is what i see from my backyard this is tense bounce houses vendors set up and when there's a festival going on they're all lined up as you saw thank you very much appreciate your time

Oh, Mr. Ham.

Yes, ma'am.

I need her pictures. Can she give them to you?

Just give me a moment to grab a water.

David Lowe.

Good evening. David Lowe, 205 Mayfield Lane. First, I want to thank you all for your service to our city and also for taking, making the effort to listen to us and our concerns this evening. 205 Mayfield Lane is in the Hopeman Station portion of the neighborhood next to Mimosa Farm. Our house is about a quarter of a mile as the crow flies from Mimosa farm and about five weeks ago. We could clearly hear music coming from this location And that is also keeping in mind that we have four rows of houses and a row of trees vegetation separating us from the venue location when this occurred You know my wife and I have lived here in Waynesboro in that neighborhood for 17 years and we have enjoyed the peace in that particular area of that neighborhood, but my mind immediately went to the folks that are living in properties directly adjacent to the farm. and wondered what that experience must be like for them. We take walks through the neighborhood, we walk down Winding Way frequently, and especially on that road right there, I'm struck by how open the farm property is to those residents. And I'm just asking you all this evening to please consider what it would be like if you were in the shoes of those residents there. You know, we're down to, we had a change in the original plan to 30 weddings. How many of us have been to weddings in recent times? My wife and I were living in a season of our life where we've attended quite a few weddings in recent years. And one thing I've noticed about weddings is at the wedding reception, people enjoy partying, right? To party. And so music can start out... semi-loud and get louder as the evening goes on. Cannot imagine what it would be like to be a resident living in this area and having a party pretty much in your backyard. Even if it's one time, one weekend between March and October, that's still too many. And so I'm just asking you on behalf of these neighbors, these good citizens of Waynesboro, The police put yourself in their shoes and ask what you would do in regard to voting for this or against this certificate or this conditional use permit this evening. Thank you for hearing us.

Sharon Barrett.

My name is Sharon Barrett and my address is 2301 Moseley Street. I strongly oppose the approval of the conditional use permit for Mimosa Farm. The proposed road through the city right of way would directly impact residents on Moseley Street and in the Greater Hopeman Station neighborhood. Children would lose an area where they regularly play and the increase in traffic on this street would create significant safety risks. When vehicles are parked on each side of the street, as they frequently are, Mosley essentially is a one-lane road. There are no sidewalks in the Hopeman Station neighborhood and a lot of people walk the Mosley-Monroe loop every day and every evening. Through the use of social media, the owner of the farm has solicited support from her friends and from those who have attended events at this venue. I'm curious though, sincerely curious, why should their comments even be taken into consideration when the council votes to approve or deny this permit? How many of these supporters actually live in the neighborhoods that are being negatively impacted by this business? This is not a charitable nonprofit organization seeking only to provide a community service. And even if it were, its setting right in the middle of residential neighborhoods would not be appropriate, especially given the number of events and the number of people this venue is hoping to attract through its aggressive marketing. Residential should mean residential. I ask you to please carefully consider the legitimate and serious concerns regarding noise, traffic, safety, legality, property values, and more that have been raised by the people who live in these neighborhoods surrounding this event venue. I ask that you vote to defend and protect the quality of life of the hundreds of people in these neighborhoods instead of voting to facilitate the commercial interest of one individual. Thank you.

Cynthia Weaver.

good afternoon mayor and council first I want to say people are talking about property values I just want someone to buy my house for what the city says it's worth I'm just gonna say that up front So I won't be honest about that. I've attended many events at Mimosa. It has always been structured. There's always been enough staff there to walk you, show you to the different events and things like that. It's a lovely property. It is very well maintained. I wish that there were pictures of before and after. I've not attended like just one event. It's been several. But I want to compare apples to apples. I live beside the Woodman of the World on White Bridge Road. Saturday, a mother rented the building for a teenage son's 18th birthday. There were gunfires. I had to shelter two girls at my home. Waynesboro Police Department never came to talk to them, never came to talk to me. So we're talking about events that the buildings are rent out and no one is there to monitor them or to oversee them. I've never been to an event that Jill has not had several people there, staff, not people, staff, that it's their job to walk you to and from different places. and to make sure that you're safe and things like that. I've lived in the city of Waynesboro for 20 years. White Bridge Road, I cannot count on my Waynesboro Police Department Gunfire, Saturday night, there were five shell casings picked up. Do you think those officers came to talk to me? Do you think they came to talk to the two young girls that I sheltered? Do you think that I would have that fear if I was at Mimosa Farms? Let's compare apples to apples. you have something that is well organized, maintained, thought out, it's not of a spur of the moment thing, and then you have things like the women of the world that just rinse their building out on a whim. And I live in a residential section. I know what noise is. I know the moose. The moose, you can rattle my windows. You know when they have an event. The train rattles my windows. A loud car can rattle your windows. So here's someone that is building a business, making Waynesboro her home. And then on the flip side, we have people that are worried that it's going to decrease their property values. I understand. When I bought my property, I brought it as a single mom, raised my children there. They all attended Waynesboro Public Schools. Waynesboro's my home, and I'm proud to say I've attended several events at Mosa Farms and how organized Jill is. Thank you. Thank you.

Cindy Bowles.

I also have a picture like just to show what how close we are. We're very close. There's no trees. There's no nothing. If I took that out, I'd see Jill's house. That's how close we are. I can see it when she has her lights on. My name is Cindy Bowles. I live at 548 Winding Ray. My husband and I moved to our home five years ago after living in our previous house for more than 30 years. We began searching for our new home. We had very specific criteria. It had to be located in a wonderful restricted neighborhood. And after three decades of living on a hillside, it had to have a flat backyard where we could gather with family and friends. That was extremely important to us. We invested not only our savings, but also our hearts into creating our home. I travel almost every week for work and am typically away Monday through Thursday evening. Because of that, my home is more than just a place to live. It is my sanctuary, my refuge, and my happy place. When we purchased our property, we intentionally chose to live next to a farm. We understood and accepted the realities that come with farm life. What we did not know and what no one disclosed to us was that there would eventually be a commercial event venue operating next door. Had I known, I would have reconsidered the decision. In fact, I would have likely been calling the police to report the excessive noise. Instead, I tried to be a good neighbor. I didn't know that there was a business being operated. I just was like, okay, I wish she'd knock it off. It's loud. The issue is not simply music. It is a combination of loud music, amplified sound, and more than 100 guests gathering directly behind our homes. The noise carries into our backyards, into our homes, and disrupts the peaceful environment that residents have invested in and worked hard to maintain. I left the planning commission meeting disappointed. It seemed that more weight was given to the opinions of the individuals who do not live in our neighborhood than to concerns of the residents who do. I would also like to ask if any of you have personally attended one of these events or witnessed firsthand the impact it has on neighboring properties. Those of us who live here experience the noise and disruption regularly. Now just imagine 100 a year. Imagine getting your dream house. and yard, and when your husband calls from the golf course to bring home a few couples for dinner, you have to say, hold on, let me check Mimosa Farms' website. Let's see what we got going on. Nope, sorry, there's a wedding tonight, maybe another time. Just imagine. I would like to point out that this is what a tent would look like from my porch. That's how close, that's my porch. There isn't a large amount of space between the action and our homes. We are an incredible community. We take pride in our homes, we support our neighbors, and we work hard to keep our neighborhoods safe, attractive, and family friendly. Yet there are still many basic infrastructure needs that have not been addressed. We do not have sidewalks, we do not have street lights, we do not have paved bike paths or crosswalks. Given those realities, it is difficult to understand why the city would support the operation of a commercial business in the middle of a residential neighborhood. At what point do we draw the line? If this permit is approved, what prevents others from pursuing similar commercial enterprises in residential areas? Many of us chose this neighborhood because of the character, the tranquility, and residential nature. We made significant financial and personal investments based on those expectations. Can we all just put a tiki bar in our backyards and porta potties on the driveway and make some money? I respectfully ask that you deny this special use permit and consider the interests of the families and the homeowners who have committed to this community. and invested in preserving the quality of life that makes our neighborhood such a special place to live. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Jennifer Truslow.

It's been a long night. I just want to thank you all for your attention. My name is Jennifer Truslow. I live at 2048 Rhodes Drive. I see right down to where that private residential access was granted to Mimosa Farm. I am a licensed Virginia broker. I've been a broker in Virginia for 20 years. i do know property value firsthand i do know that when i bought in that neighborhood i would not have bought in that neighborhood if i had known there was going to be an event venue put there there's my extra minute okay It's not about fun parties. It's not about the heavy hearts, wonderful thing that she's doing. It's not about her character. There are wonderful people on all sides of this. It's not personal. These are distractions from the real issues. Does an event venue with traffic, noise, alcohol sales, porta potties, and repeated large gatherings belong in the middle of a neighborhood? Well, of course it doesn't. And they've not been having these large events for six years, as I'm very thankful was brought out. That's been a misunderstanding. Well, she's been doing it this long, we'll just keep allowing it to go on. We're looking at more than 10 times increase. that's going to be between March and October, although there were five elopements that happened on Valentine's Day last year, as mentioned on her social media. We are patient neighbors. We don't want neighborhood wars. We're not calling to complain. We're not fussing. That's why you see that there were no complaints. But what was never brought to the neighborhood openly was that a long-term plan was being implemented to turn this into an event business. As a broker, again, I can tell you that the zoning for a property is on the front page of a residential contract in Virginia. She was quite aware of what the zoning was from the moment she purchased the property. She was aware she has a business plan, and this is certainly impacting everyone else. Is this the highest and best use for the property? That's the other property question we ask. No. We all assumed at some point homes would be added. We knew that our quiet little place would have rooftops around it at some point. But we would be adding neighbors, not customers. That's a big difference to your neighborhood. This burdens hundreds for the financial benefit of one owner who was aware of the zoning at purchase. There's not enough community benefit to qualify the property for this kind of drastic CUP. The burden to qualify has not been met. An online petition and last day does not qualify you for a CUP. This has been framed as property rights. Shouldn't we have a right to do what we want to do with our property? Well, yes, but property rights also come with responsibilities. Responsibilities to the zoning and to the community that you've chosen to be in. Where are those considered? We have rights too. And our rights are protected by the zoning, and that's why it would be improper to do a CUP in this area. Every homeowner buys under the expectation that residential zoning means something. We trust that it means something, that the rules are stable, predictable, and applied fairly. If one property can be commercially developed this way, surrounded by homes, then every resident in Waynesboro has reason to question whether those zoning protections are even real. Don't set the precedent. Assurances about personal oversight cannot be the foundation for a land use decision. Owners leave, property sell, business plans change. Conditional use decisions outlast personalities, relationships, and promises. Thank you.

Ellen O'Hanlon.

Good afternoon.

My name's Ellen O'Hanlon. Thank you for having me. I own a piece of property at 2029 Roads that I'm hoping to move back to soon. I've heard a lot of great things here, but the one thing that what you all didn't see is that you made me know my neighbor.

Yes. Yes.

And when they believe right and wrong, they believe right and wrong. Take the time to listen to them. They built their lives there. How can you not pay attention to that?

Thank you.

Thomas Truslow.

Mayor, City Councilman, thank you all for having me.

My name is Thomas Truslow. I'm also a small business owner in the community. I know that Jill is a good person. She's a great person. She's a good business owner. That's what I can reflect on, you know, business. But business is, in a certain aspect of what's going on, is not where the property that we live at. I mean... You know, don't set a precedent that tells residents their zoning protections can't be outweighed by one business plan. This decision will be felt long after today. We know that. All my neighbors know that. They've been there longer than me. I've only been in Waynesboro six years, seven years. I've gone across the mountain. Most of these folks have been there 50 years or better. And they don't speak out. Because they don't have to. They've been there. It's been quiet for many years. They don't have a reason to. But I'm here today to speak out for them. You have ignited a community of citizens. And that's why they're here. I mean, they're here to speak now. And it's not personal. It's about their way of life. That's what they want. To keep their way of life. and we've got to preserve that, all of us as a community. Every time we experience the effects of your decisions, our voted officials, it impacts us and our neighborhood. I would say to help us strengthen each other and resolve to work to change the community as I hope you will do today All I can say is say what you mean and mean what you say. This decision will tell every resident what residential zoning is. Is it worth it in Waynesboro or is it just chump change? Please choose the families who live here and the neighborhoods that make the city strong. The ones that work hard, that have been working hard for a long time, have retired here. that make a difference in this community and trust that these residents placing you to protect their rights. This is our home and I ask you today, please protect it. Thank you.

Connie Clark, followed by Kathy Cornett. After Ms. Cornett, we'll have Richard Rogers.

Hello. Thank you for having me. I live on Mosley Street, and I'm 80 years old. have congestive heart failure and sometimes the noise and music and lights make it hard to sleep at night. I think about my neighbors, who we all watch after each other. One's a little, almost two year old, lives beside me. I have two, a seven year old and a five year old, that live across the street from me. A new baby was just born. caddy cornered for me how are these children gonna play safely with all the drunk drivers all the transport people it's it's a safe neighborhood now but I don't think it will be if this is passed And a lot of the people who are here talking for it don't live in the neighborhood. So I don't see why you would pass something to make one person wealthy and all these other people miserable. Please don't pass it. Thank you.

I'm Richard Rogers. I've lived at my house at 501 Elfin Avenue for 50 years. And we really enjoy our outdoor living, as everybody does. But I'm really concerned about this noise thing. We like to hear the birds and so forth. And there is a city noise ordinance that we have we all live by and it basically says if you live in a residential neighborhood you shouldn't hear anybody concernably talking 100 feet away from your property line and i think that's what it says and you all agree that i think this i've got the noise orange here but if this thing is turned into a venue it's 75 decibels of noise and that's quite a bit of difference so i guess what that happens is is we lose our rights of a residential noise ordinance for a business And some people, I've asked a question, I've had a couple of council people come to my house to show them what 75 decibels is because one person referred it to as a loud vacuum cleaner. It's pretty daggone loud. And if you would give me an opportunity, I could manufacture that sound outside 75 decibels if anybody really wanted to hear what it is. And we have one of the officials hold noise monitoring. We have several of them here. See, 75 decibels is awesome. Awful and I think that could be any time of the day or night for any time of the year It's just it's just hard to believe that that could even happen, but we would all lose our rights of our quiet City noise orders section 5050 and I go down through the pages, but you all know what that is you should not be able to hear anybody talking a hundred feet from your prop lines audible and But if you'd let me bring that noise machine in, I can show you this. I won't bring it in the room because you wouldn't be able to stand it. 75 decibels is loud. Is it loud, Jim Wood?

We don't normally come in.

Okay, I got you. Thank you very much. But I'm willing to do this. It won't take but a second to set it up. I'll come back and somebody will go up their slot.

Terri Farrier followed by Eric Cronovich thank you for this opportunity to speak and and let you know how a lot of people in this area that the neighborhood that we live in feel because My husband and I both grew up here in Waynesboro. Went to school here, graduated from here, and then moved on for our careers. Well, about three years ago, we decided it's time to come home. It's time to be back home and be near his father, who's like 98 years old. We thought it was important. We looked long and hard. We looked in Stanton. We looked in Fishersville. We looked in Stewart's Draft. None of it mattered. We wanted to be home. We came home to Waynesboro for a reason. We chose the neighborhood that we live in for a reason. It was quiet. It felt safe. the neighbors were wonderful i'll never forget the first day we moved in the little lady 80 some years old across the street brought us food and drinks and and things that we might need to settle in we love our neighborhood but i don't want noise in it all the time I don't want extra traffic coming through there all the time. Would you? Would you want that in your neighborhood? Would you want to worry about your children or grandchildren and what might happen to them? I think not. So I urge you, please do not let this pass. Please let us keep our neighborhood quiet and calm and safe. Thank you.

Eric Trinovich, I live on High Point Court. First, I'd like to say I'm excited I'm not the only one here tonight. So I would suggest that all the citizens that are here keep coming back. Make sure your voice is heard on every subject, not ones you're just extremely passionate about. It does get lonely being the only citizen at these meetings sometimes. I honestly don't have a dog in this fight. I don't live in the neighborhood. I didn't know about Mimosa Farms until tonight. So I took some notes, just things I think you guys should really focus on from everything I've heard. The first couple of speakers talked about zoning regulations and how this property may not even qualify based off how the laws are currently written. If that's the case, there's really no need to go any further, right? If you guys are gonna change the law for one person, you're gonna have a revolt on your hands. She's held at least four events since she knew she needed a CUP, and people just blew that off up there like it was no big deal, right? She's doing illegal events based off what's currently going on. She wants to go from 10 events to 100. The neighbors seemed pretty irritated by 10 events. I couldn't imagine 30 weddings in my backyard. 75 decibels is the sound of industrial lawn equipment. So if you ever buy a riding mower, a zero turn mower, that's how loud it is all the time. She has 24 months to install the access road. So for two years, there's one way in and out of her property. For two years, there's gonna be hundreds of cars, vans, trucks, buses going through that neighborhood. What happens when a kid gets hit? What happens when a house gets hit? Because you're not gonna be responsible, but you're gonna be the ones that let it happen. Noise travels, especially bass. Bass actually increases in its wavelengths as it travels through solid materials. So 75 decibels at 100 feet away, by the time it gets into that house is gonna be substantially louder. um don't make a decision for one person based off hundreds of homes i ran into this with you guys with a local developer you gave them everything you wanted and shafted 38 families i told you at that point at some point the ballot's going to come reckoning for you guys mr wood if you vote that's on yes on this i just wouldn't even put my name on the ballot if i were you Pandora's box, who's gonna monitor this, right? Are the neighbors gonna be responsible for making sure she's following the rules? Are the cops ready for all the extra noise complaint calls they're gonna get every weekend because they're pissed off they can't have a backyard barbecue? Why wouldn't she talk to the neighbors first? If she knows that this was going to grow and grow, why wouldn't she embrace the community around her and try to work out a solution that way, rather than have all of her neighbors come up here and tell her and all of you how much they hate this idea? If any of you attended an event or are planning one at Mimosa Farms, you need to excuse yourself from this vote. It stinks and it's just, I cannot imagine that the mayor attended an event at this farm and then voting yes or no on this issue. Thank you.

Randy Michelle Cummings, followed by Kim Williams. Randy Michelle Cummings.

Kim Williams, followed by Kimberly Hathcock.

Ma'am, could you?

I just wanted to take 15 seconds.

So I don't live in this neighborhood, and I know that a lot of people in this neighborhood are saying, why listen to the voices of people who don't live here? I think that the voices of the people who don't live there matter as well, because there are people, I've been in Virginia since 2012, I've been in Augusta County this whole time and I have not found anybody that I have felt is a family when it comes to crisis and support and trauma. I feel like I have finally found my place and when it comes to who this will affect, I think it will affect the lives of the people who are going to be missing out on that sanctuary, that connection with people who have been through the same stuff that we have. I think that that matters when it comes to how long some of us have been trying to find a family like that. Thank you.

Kimberly Halfcock, and I live at 700 Wife Road, and I am in favor of passing for the CUP for Mimosa Farm.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Emily Almiron. I live at 417 Pelham Drive in Waynesboro. I am in favor of passing the CUP for Mimosa Farm, and in honor of time, I'm gonna pass the floor to somebody else.

Karen Miller.

Hi, Karen Miller, 1125 Club Road, Waynesboro. I'm in extreme favor of Mimosa Farm. I have found refuge there, I have found many other things there, and yes, Jill and I have been besties for a while, and she helped me out with my daughter this summer, and I greatly appreciate her time, effort, and her staff's energy, and an amazing opportunity that she granted us as friends. You have no idea how much that means to me as a person. I support the farm 110%, and as a former educator, I know that taking those kids to the farm, and I still work in education slightly, that I will be taking people there as part of the farm as well. It's not just about the events.

Thank you.

Cambridge Austin Ryan Howells

Thank you, Mayor, Vice Mayor, Council Members. Is it always this hot here? This is my first meeting, so it feels a little heated. I came tonight because on July 28th, I sent a letter outlining my opposition to this conditional use permit. I tried to explain why I felt that way. And I also, even at the end of the letter, concluded with, If Council sought fit to move this forward, there are plenty of other mitigating opportunities here to add to the conditional use permit that I would love to see explored. So at a minimum, I'm asking consideration for not only your denial, but to send it back and continue this conversation and opportunity to come to a better compromise. Again, I live at 519 Winding Way in the community. I've lived there eight years. I have an eight-year-old daughter. She just learned to ride her bike, and she travels many of the streets we're talking about routinely. Most of my concerns are the same that the rest of my neighbors and community members have surfaced here. I don't need to belabor those points. It has to do with public safety and the volume of traffic. My primary concern, and this is the point that I kind of want to emphasize the most, is it's not the nature of the events or even the size historically that has been occurring. It's what the CUP has explicitly laid out as permissible. 100 events. up to 100 attendees, even if it's only 30 weddings from March to October, that's every single weekend, every single weekend, with 70 more events available. That's an incredible number of opportunities for disruption of noise, safety, traffic, so on and so forth. Another point that someone raised was, and this is another concern of mine, in the planning commission that I watched, because I didn't have an opportunity to attend, staff outlined they don't have the capacity to enforce this. They're dependent on the community to report transgressions of the CUP. I don't understand why that burden has to be placed on the community members. I have significant concerns there. So one of my mitigating factors that I was trying to request consideration for was put that burden on the applicant. Put a conditional use permit in place that has a limited amount of time, maybe 12 months, maybe 24 months. There's a reporting burden. She has to be the one to provide the number of events and the number of attendees that were at those events. I'd love to see any reports of noise, traffic attendance, et cetera, any police or emergency response services. I'm not going to be privy to everything that's going on there. I might call once. My neighbor might call once. This other neighbor might call once. How do we know that's been three times, four times, 50 times? We don't know. And I know there was a point made earlier that citizens are going to call and complain in a one strike, two strike, three strike, and then it comes back in front of you. But I don't have full faith and confidence that that's how it's gonna go. Now how they said all that, when we first moved in, my daughter loved seeing the horses and cows in the fields over there across the way. It was a real joy and a pleasure to see the nature of the community that we had chosen to live in. And I feel like it's heading in a direction with this conditional use permit that I just don't feel comfortable with. And it's mostly to do with the volume and the nature of the events. Specifically, as highlighted by others, weddings come with alcohol. You're talking roughly the number of people in this room a hundred times a year. The fire marshal was looking at the occupancy, concerned for safety. Had we gotten too many people? Why? Because safety's a real concern. A wedding event of any kind is going to have a number of people coming and going all at once, typically. It's not like a residential use where you've got 50 cars that are kind of intermittently going here or there. The VDOT standards of the exit on Mosley are to commercial standards. We're talking about a velocity of events and volume that I'm just not comfortable with as a community member and a neighbor.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Kaylee Watts, followed by Amanda Estes.

Hi, my name is Kaylee Watts. I live at 83 Springcrest Lane, apartment 111. I am in support of the CUP for Mimosafarm. I am a single mom. Jill helps support me in the fact that I get to bring my daughter to work. I don't have to pay a second babysitter because I am a preschool teacher I don't make any money as a single mom she's given me and my daughter a place to call home as a second home my daughter has the ability to run on a farm she's learned about animals she's been given a childhood that some of these kids don't get because we are so tied up in roadways and there is sidewalks everywhere she has kept the nature of the farm what it is and I am full support for what she has to offer our community thank you

Hello, I'm Amanda Estes, and I live at 1619 New Hope and Cremora Road. A couple of things I want to address. I keep hearing people say that this is a commercial business. She's not operating a commercial business. It's a very small business. I've heard people say elopements, and I'm not sure if you guys understand the elopements. I don't think she would even really need to have a permit for that. That's so small that she has eight acres of land, and I feel like she should be allowed to have her friends over there. to enjoy that land. So people keep saying, you know, how can you get your kids, keep your kids from getting hit by a car? Well, it's simple. You don't let them ride their bike in the road. Maybe talk to Jill. And, you know, she has a safe farm there with eight acres. And I'm sure there's places for the kids to come there and ride their bikes there. They don't need to be riding in the road when they're opening a Wawa.

Please show some respect to the speaker. Thank you.

when they're opening a wall while right in front of it there's going to be just as much coming and going with with that new location as well i prepared a whole speech here but what deal is experiencing experiencing right now in my opinion has not a simple disagreement It's the retaliation coming from a small group of individuals who have chosen to bully rather than communicate Watching people intentionally try to tear down someone's dream not because she's caused harm But because they don't want to see anything evolve is heartbreaking communities grow people evolve. That's how towns thrive I met Jill over 12 years ago when she was looking for someone to host a canvas paint class for her office in Charlottesville and If someone recommended me and for reasons unknown that I will forever be grateful for, she gave me the chance and that was my first big job in Charlottesville. Since then, my business has grown and so did our friendship. When Jill was finally able to pursue her dream, it made my heart full. I knew she wasn't just building a dream for herself, but she was building something for this community, for entrepreneurs, for small businesses, for people who do have the courage to stand up and say, I'll do that job. Since opening Mimosa's Farm, Jill has done exactly what she promised. She built better for this community. She created opportunities for others. She has helped local businesses thrive together. One thing I've never understood as a business owner that people tell me all the time is that they will not operate their business in Waynesboro. I never understood why until this experience with Jill. Tonight I encourage you to be part of the group that helps Waynesboro grow and not stay stagnant. Allow Jill to continue operating her small family-owned business, a business that not only supports her household but also supports multiple entrepreneurs in Waynesboro and the surrounding areas. Don't let a handful of residents who refuse to revolve to be reasons for the opportunities passed by this town. That's not fair, especially when the majority of us want progression and we want growth. Thank you for your time and consideration. Also, I just want to point out that her property, I believe, is right with the Moose Lodge, correct? So I'm just confused on how there's not any issues with the current traffic coming from the Moose Lodge and all the drinking and partying and Jeep jams that go on there. And how do you know if the noise is coming from Mimosas Farms or from the Moose Lodge? Thank you.

Melvin Sweeney, followed by Afton Quick.

Hi, I'm Melvin Sweeney. I live 302 King Square in Stanton, Virginia. So why am I here? And I'm 100% opposed to it. And the decisions that city council make for one person is going to affect a lot of people in this room. The rest of this is statistics that I'd like to share. First of all, I developed a little over 50 acres in the city of Stanton and built all those houses. And every foot, 16 years ago, it cost me $195 a foot to develop it. She is sitting on a gold mine there, maybe not with this whole business, but as a business to put houses in there. I'm gonna give you some statistics real fast. And the reason I'm here, my wife and I, and I'm not bragging, but we own 34 properties in Hopeman Station. Not two, but 34. And we built most of the houses in there initially and still own those. With that, In Hopeman Station, as of April the 1st of 24 to April the 1st of 26, there's only been 13 sales that went through the MLS system in Hopeman Station, only 13. I can tell you the price of every one of them. And the reason there's only 13 is because when people move into that neighborhood, they stay there. There are these people here, people that go out and work their butt off every day and let their kids ride the bicycles and the scooters in the streets. Let me give you some statistics. This lady, and I do not know her, so it's nothing personal at all. I tried to buy the access off of Mosley 20 years ago or 25 years ago, whatever it was, plus the property that she owns. And I would have developed it as a residence. like I did Hoekman Station. If she owns, not if she owns, she owns 8.3 acres, you can put about four houses per acres in there. And I know that from developing, just developing in Stanton. If you have an average of $325,000 for a house, if you build 32 houses in there and you multiply that, that's $10,400,000. The tax rate in the city of Stanton is 87 cents. city council, if they approve this and she does it and then somebody else does it, you're losing per year $90,480 in revenue to the city of Staunton from real estate taxes. Doesn't count on what other people, where they spend their money at Wawa or Walmarts or whatever. Of the 13 sales in Hopeman Station in those two years, the average sales price was $328,796. Waynesboro needs more affordable houses for all of us, for everybody, for our kids, for our grandkids, and I have a granddaughter that lives in Hopeman Station, so do I go there? I go there a lot. With that, the lowest sales price on those 13 houses was 300,000. The highest sales price was 378,700 sales price. With that, the average days on the market was 10. Talk fast, 10. I've been a real estate broker since 1974. I know more about buying and selling houses than probably everybody in here put together. We need more affordable housing in Stanton.

Thank you, sir.

Thank you.

Afton Quick, 151 Triple Ridge Drive, Stanton. My mom's lived in, I've lived with my mom, grew up in the neighborhood, moved four years ago, but on respect of time, I support Mimosa Farms 100%. And yeah, thank y'all.

Reanne Rowe, or Rowe, I'm sorry, Reanne Rowe.

uh good evening uh mayor vice mayor and council members my name is ryan rowe very good try um valiant effort um i am jill's daughter-in-law her friend and one of the brides that was lucky enough to have been married at mimosa farm i'm here tonight in support of the conditional use permit but probably not for the reasons you'd expect um honestly the selfish part of me would love to keep this place just for our family and close friends Another selfish part of me would tell Jill to sell to a developer, take the profit, and retire somewhere stress-free because she's earned that. But I'm more selfish than Jill is. Jill's only real goal is to support this community and give people a place for their most cherished life events. She agreed to host her wedding after I became extremely frustrated trying to find an affordable micro wedding venue that wasn't a barn. After she helped me pull off the wedding of my literal dreams, I could see that she wanted other people to have that same experience, memorable and affordable. That mission shows up everywhere at Mimosa Farm. Jill hosts a mental health support group and mental health professionals on site i'm the social work director at western state hospital and jill has opened her space to numerous western state hospital departments for their retreats and celebrations she either donated or offered that space at a reduced rate because we are a state agency To be able to give that kind of charity, her business has to bring in income other way. That's how the business model works, but charitable events is at the core of it. my young family also goes to stanton very often we live on fifth street in waynesboro but we go to stanton just to be in like community spaces that feel welcoming a sense of belonging that honestly is missing in waynesboro unfortunately at jill's events that atmosphere exists that's exactly the kind of family-friendly gathering space that young families are looking for And through all of this, Jill has been a respectful neighbor. She voluntarily enforces a noise cutoff a full hour earlier than legally required. She even did it for our wedding. She was not playing around. And she's agreeable to continue doing that moving forward. Traffic safety matters just as much to her as well. She has grandchildren. My 11-year-old daughter is one of them, and she also rides the electric scooter, much to my annoyance, around the property and the neighborhood. So the respect for the neighborhood isn't an afterthought for her. It is quite literally personal. um jill builds community she brings people together including her neighbors who i have seen at parties they don't mind using it themselves if i may say it's disappointing that the folks in opposition tonight seem to be intent on doing the opposite of building a community so thank you for your time

Maya Garcia followed by Rose Cahilly.

Good evening. My name is Maya Garcia and I am Jill's daughter. My address is 601 Alphon Avenue. I actually live on the venue with my 15-month-old daughter. I both live and operate my business there, Megastetics, and I also serve in the Army Reserves. Tonight, I have the honor of reading a letter written by the Hughes family from whom my mother purchased this property. Their words carry a special significance to me because this property is not only my home and the place where I operate my business, but it also holds history and meaning for the families who have called it home before us. I would like to share their letter with you tonight, which was sent to the council via email. And this is from Mike Hughes. My thoughts on the special use permit for Mimosa Farm. My parents bought eight acres of open land in 1955 and built the house I grew up in along with my siblings. The area grew up all around us as the years went on. Neighbors came and went and two new neighborhoods were built around our home place. one to the west and one to the north, respectively Charleston Park and Holtman Station. We raised cattle and made hay in those areas. When my mother passed away in 2019, we made the hard decision to sell the property. We offered it to one of the neighbors and that neighbor declined. We were approached by developers and that could have meant the house my dad designed and had built would probably be torn down. We didn't want that, so we listed it and ended up selling it to Jill Wallace. Jill did an amazing job transforming the property and carrying forward the vision my folks had with the farm animals and added her own touches which leads us to where we are this evening. Seeking approval from the city for a venue, some of the neighbors are opposed to her vision and have listed a number of reasons which may or may not be valid. Hopefully Jill's permit will be approved and will keep my home place intact. Just a thought, if by chance this doesn't get approved, Jill would have the option to develop the property which can entail the following. Eight acres would accommodate 30 to 35 houses. Let's say all married couples, both with jobs, and each has a car. Then throw in the kids with cars and friends who have cars. So now, instead of a venue, there could be 50 to 100 cars going in and out every morning, coming in and out every evening, and all throughout the day.

so to those who oppose think about what you would want for the neighborhood a venue or possibly a freeway cordially mike hughes council if it's okay i am madison i am jill's other daughter i am from north carolina so i did not know how this works because i did not attend the other one some of the other people supporting my mom have given up their time is it okay if i take one of their times i will probably do less than four minutes

Add her to the end of the list.

We can add you to the end of the list.

That's good with me. Thank you so much. Thank you.

All right, Rose.

Hello, my name is Rose Kahili, and I live at 16 Molly Court in Fishersville. So I'm not a direct neighbor of Jill's or Mimosa Farm. I live in town in Fishersville. So the question came up earlier, why am I here? Because I don't live in the neighborhood. I'm not directly affected by this. But I do support Jill. I do support Mimosa Farm. I'm at Mimosa Farm every week for the Heavy Hearts Light Snacks support group. that she hosts. That support group has been a big thing for me. I've dealt with a lot this last year, and it has been major. Jill has opened her home for that, and without that, I'm not sure where I'd be right now, but I've known Jill for a very short time, so, you know, this you know last eight nine months or whatever i feel like i've known her forever so um it's been great to get to know her but um jill is a very um you know strict laid-back person when it comes to rules so um she's when it comes to um working around the farm she lays down the rules she's very um It doesn't matter what it is. She would do every job on the farm if she could by herself. You can ask any one of our helpers, Wesley or any of them. She has them to do the work, but she'll be right there to follow along beside just to make sure it's getting done because she never takes a rest. I have attended wedding renewals, small gatherings, as well as parties. I've sat one-on-one with Jill at her home, had snacks, just laughed, we've cried, we've talked as friends for hours. She's opened up her home to anyone and everyone because that's who she is. Her home is a place of happiness, it's a place of healing, it's a place for anyone who crosses the threshold and just needs a place. you feel like you know her forever once you've crossed that threshold. You don't leave as a stranger. I can say that from experience, like I was saying. I have a lot of new friends because of our Monday night support group, and I'm not sure how exactly this CUP worked, but our support group has grown a bit over the time, and we don't want to, you know, That's a great thing. Without the CUP, I'm not sure what that looks like for our support group. Someone was saying earlier that we might not need the CUP for that. I'm not sure how that would work, but we definitely don't want to lose this opportunity to have this support group at Mimosa Farm. I may not be a next-door neighbor, but I feel like that the voices of those who don't live in the neighborhood or don't live next door should be heard just as much, whether we're just an acquaintance or even just a stranger, because, you know, Jill's business, the farm, most of the farms, it touches people all over the community in Waynesboro, Stanton, outside the area. Jill is a huge supporter of the area of Waynesboro and that economy. She sends people to those areas. Mimosa Farm, Jill's Home, whatever you like to refer to it as, it's a jewel for Waynesboro. Everybody should be thrilled to have it, have her. And I would like for you all to take serious consideration in voting yes for this proposal for the CUP tonight and for Mimosa Farm. And I thank you all for taking time to listen.

Matt Rao.

Good evening, my name is Matt Rowe. I am Jill Wallace's son, and I am here tonight in support of the request for a conditional use permit. I also live at 1509 Fifth Street, Waynesboro. My mom has owned this property since 2020, and she's put a lot of work into making it a beautiful property and creating opportunities for people to use it for things like weddings, graduations, community events, and fundraisers. I wanted to point out something with regards to the surrounding neighborhood. I believe that there are close to 400 homes in the surrounding neighborhoods, and most are well aware of this CUP. Most in support likely sent that support electronically, as I believe Mr. Wood maybe alluded to, all the communication that you all have seen surrounding this CUP. This isn't a request for unlimited events or unrestricted use of the property. It's a request to continue these events under clear rules and limitations established by the city. The Planning Commission has recommended approval. I believe my mom has shown that she's willing to work within those requirements and be a responsible neighbor. I respectfully ask the council to approve the conditional use permit. Thank you.

Okay, circling back to Madison.

Okay, hello, my name is Madison. I am one of Jill's daughters. It's me, home from North Carolina. For those that don't know, I'm a registered nurse at a Trauma One Children's Emergency Department. I'm also a trained sexual assault nurse examiner. I would like to start by saying that you all are right, I don't live here anymore. However, I can say that Waynesboro is my home. I did go to school here, I did graduate. Waynesboro High School was my home. And I did move away to pursue my career here. I, however, have the privilege to come home and have a welcoming place to stay, a place that can hold events. I've unfortunately reached that really annoying but also really great place in my life where all of my friends are getting married, and I can tell them, oh my gosh, my mom, she has a wedding venue, and they love it. They reach out to my mom, so then I send my mom a little text, and I'm like, hey, so-and-so is going to reach out to you, and we go from there. It's also not just wedding venues, bridal showers, baby showers, bachelorettes, not parties, but bachelorette events. I would like to address safety since that seems to be a big concern. There's been a lot of discussion regarding children. I find it hard to understand how we're worried about children at play in the street when there are unfortunately registered sex offenders living within our streets, including my two nieces. I want nothing more than for them to be safe and play in the streets or in their field, farm, the yard, wherever they would like to go. My mom would give the shirt off of her back to anyone, even the people on the opposing side. Richard, Jack, my mom will give her shirt off of your back. I hope nothing more than to be the woman she is today. As I continue to grow, she is not applying for this permit to become rich. She is following her dreams while also helping other people follow their dreams by helping plan their dream events. Thank you.

So, Mr. Mayor, I think I've called on all the citizens who signed up to speak.

All right. Is there a motion to introduce the ordinance granting the conditional use permit for special events?

I'm going to close the public hearing.

Oh, I'm sorry. I hear about closing the public hearing.

Mr. Mayor, one more thing. The applicant is allowed five minutes to rebut or follow up. Yes.

okay with the applicant like the five minutes you don't mind all right do i have five minutes right

Yes, ma'am.

All right. Thank you. I want to start by saying on the record, the mayor has never been to my house except for one time. And he came with Mr. Wood. And that was the first time I've ever met him. So I don't know where that rumor started, but you can stop that. I want to close tonight by asking you to separate two things that have become very intertwined throughout this process, what people fear might happen at Mimosa Farm and what the record actually shows has happened at Mimosa Farm. You've heard concerns about traffic noise, safety, property values, alcohol and the people who come onto this property. I understand that when something changes in your neighborhood, it's reasonable to ask questions, it's reasonable to want safeguards, and I've tried very hard throughout this process to respond to those concerns with actual solutions. But there was one comment from the Planning Commission hearing that has stayed with me. At approximately one hour, four minutes, and 50 seconds, linda wolf asked and i quote are the guests being screened at all for drugs and weapons do you have any idea who these people are i want to talk about these people these people are brides and grooms their families celebrating anniversaries and birthdays they're couples who come to waynesboro for a weekend in the shenandoah valley There are parents visiting their children, there are people attending a support group, there are local families celebrating milestones. There are the people who have stayed at Mimosa Farm and celebrated at Mimosa Farm, worked at Mimosa Farm, and supported small businesses throughout this community. Over the years, I've welcomed approximately 1,200 guests onto this property. And despite the suggestion that these guests should somehow now be screened for drugs and weapons, we have had zero hospitality-related calls to law enforcement involving those guests. I think that record deserves to carry more weight than an assumption about who someone might be. I also want to address July 11th because I don't want to avoid the hardest part of this conversation. July 11th was a private party between me and my best friend celebrating her daughter. It was not a wedding. It was not a paid event for a client. And I understand that neighbors were upset about the noise that evening. But context matters there, too. We have video documenting the final song at 1024. It was scheduled to end at 10 o'clock, but as you know, that night was the Waynesboro Glow Show, and it was 30 minutes delayed. Fireworks were being set off throughout the sounding area, and I cannot agree that every sound reported that evening including barking dogs and rattling windows can automatically be attributed to my farm but more importantly one night should not erase more than five years of history history that matters and when concerns have been raised during this process i haven't dismissed them i was told another driveway would make things safer i agreed to add one i was told noise was a concern and i contracted for a permanent professional sound system designed to give us greater control I was told there were concerns about the number of weddings and I agreed to cap them. I heard concerns about parking and impaired driving and I added mandatory valet parking for weddings and partnered with a shuttle service. I have committed to ending amplified music voluntarily by 10 p.m. I've called it an olive branch before, and frankly, it's been a pretty expensive olive branch. But I've done it because I live here, too. This isn't a corporation asking permission to come into somebody else's neighborhood. It's my home. I mow the grass. I take care of these animals. I maintain this property. I see these neighbors, and when the last guest leaves at night, I'm still here. You've heard tonight about what Mimosa Farm has actually been. You've heard how few large weddings have actually occurred. You've heard about the changes I've agreed to make. You've heard about the safeguards I'm willing to accept. And you've seen what I hope the future of this property looks like. Flowers, gardens, animals, lodging, small celebrations, and eventually a permanent structure that allows those celebrations to happen in an even more controlled environment. I'm not asking you to approve unlimited growth. I'm asking you to approve a regulated, conditioned path forward for our property and a small business that have already demonstrated they can coexist with this community. There will always be predictions about what could happen, but tonight you also have a record of what has happened. You've heard the predictions. You've heard the fears. Now I'm asking you to look at the record. Look at the actual number of events. Look at the actual number of guests. Look at the actual complaint history. Look at the changes I've made voluntarily. Look at the conditions I'm willing to live with going forward. Then ask whether the facts support shutting the door on this farm's future or whether they support giving Mimosa Farm the opportunity to continue responsibly with reasonable safeguards and clear expectations in place. I believe the record supports the latter and I respectfully ask that you can prove my conditional use permit for my farm. Thank you.

Is there a motion to introduce the ordinance granting the conditional use permit for special events?

I will make the motion with the amendment that we discussed earlier about adjusting the terms of the CUP to it terminates at the sale or transfer the property period not that it transfers to a non-family member.

Okay, so the motion is that we introduce with the verbiage being changed that doesn't apply to just the applicant and not relatives of the applicant.

Conveyance of the...

Yes. Is there a second?

This just goes forward to a vote at another date.

Correct.

I second it.

Thank you, Mr. Comey. I want to say again that I have not attended an event at Mimosa Sarm, so I do not have a conflict and I will not recuse myself from the vote. This ordinance, having been introduced, seconded and discussed, will receive final consideration at the September 14th regular meeting. Item nine is to consider adopting an ordinance conveying real property to the Waynesville Redevelopment and Housing Authority for construction of affordable and or workforce housing. Mr. Hamm.

So I don't have anything additional to add this evening. This matter was tabled from a previous meeting. It's been properly introduced, seconded, and discussed.

Any questions regarding the ordinance? Okay.

So can we?

You need to make a motion. Actually, the motion has been made. You can simply call the question.

So I call the question. All those in favor of adopting an ordinance conveying real property to the Waynesboro Redevelopment Housing Authority for construction of affordable and workforce housing, say aye. Aye. Any opposed? Ayes have it 5-0. Item 10 is communication correspondence and calendar. I don't have anything this evening, sir. Item 11, citizen comment period.

Yes, sir, so Doug Nolan, Doug Nolan. I think Mr. Nolan signed up to speak about the waiver of subdivision. Going once. He's making his way up there.

Going twice.

evening i'm doug noland i live at 105 jasper lane i'm the president of the pratt's run owners association and i thank you for the opportunity to chat um i thank staff for having made the plans available so i've reviewed the plans for development of roanoke valley holdings and i have some comments and requests comments just from a practical effect about the sidewalks My wife and I regularly walk through our subdivision, and having the sidewalks are very nice things to do from the owner's perspective. There are times when we're walking, someone will be walking a dog in the opposite way, that dog may or may not be as friendly, so one of us has to go in the street. As to Pratt's Run, our association has three sections, one, three and four. Section one has no sidewalks in it. Sections three and four have a sidewalk along Bryant um and that where the sidewalks are there are no houses that face bryant on that side the townhouses are on the opposite side of the street and they don't have any sidewalks in the front of it the lighting in our subdivision is from lamppost and i guarantee it's pretty dark at night when we walk The proposal from Roanoke Valley is to use lampposts as opposed to streetlights so that it will also be dark. I suspect. So sidewalks are a good thing to have. When you look at, try and figure out why we don't have sidewalks throughout ours, the staff report to y'all told you in the history there were some greenway easements that may have been traded off. And I will tell you that the three sections, one, three, and four, there are greenway easements across some of the properties in our in those subdivisions i have no idea why they were there and don't have a good explanation form but there is there are greenway easements uh... there uh... i do think that Well, we don't really have a position as to the sidewalks. They're a nice thing as an owner. I think it enhances the properties to have the sidewalks, but it's a matter of cost. It's a matter of looking at whatever happens with on-street parking and other factors about is the sidewalk really, really, you know, is one side, is it okay to do that? I would rather have them both, but we don't have a strong position. Second thing to ask you all is a request is because of a problem we have with Roanoke Valley. They own another parcel that is not the parcels being developed. And that parcel is off of Page Street. And it extends on to Page Street in a culvert between our Section 1 and Section 2, which are single-family homes. Last September, I met with a representative of the company and the fellow who does the cutting for them. and was assured that they could cut the grass around that culvert. As of tonight, it is yet to be cut. I talked with that contractor later in November without any success. This spring, I sent a note to Roanoke Valley saying, as your employee, you got the control, I don't. Please do something, nothing happened. I sent an email to city staff earlier in the summer. And we've not had any contact, although I do tell you that the fellow did go into that parcel and cut a little bit down in the lower part. I'm sorry, is my time up? Yes, sir. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you for your patience.

Mr. Trinanovich? Something was much better the last time.

In the interest of time, I'm going to keep this short. I was hoping there would be a Pratt's Run sign-up. Guys, make them put two sidewalks in. They're saying aesthetic. They're saying it's going to match the rest of the neighborhood. The reason is they don't want to pay for it. We all know it, and don't let another out-of-town contractor come in here and shortchange Waynesboro, right? We need sidewalks everywhere. He has already said the whole neighborhood wants it. You haven't done an exemption in 20 years. Please don't start now. Thank you.

Thank you.

Item 12. Is there a motion to adjourn? I make the motion. Thank you. I second. Thank you, Mrs. Love. I'm sorry. All in favor say aye. Aye. We're adjourned.