After a four hour meeting, the Madison County Board of Supervisors has approved the special use permit application for Madison Hills, a proposed event venue located off Oak Park Road.
The approval comes after two workshop meetings and a joint public hearing on the matter in which dozens of residents spoke, many in opposition of the project. The property in question consists of 186.476 acres of A-1, agricultural, zoned land over three parcels. Economic development committee member Molly Wilshere purchased the property last fall and plans to host up to four seasonal events there including a winter light show, spring market, summer children’s event and fall fantasy faire. The winter event would occur from 5-10 p.m. Friday through Sunday for seven weekends, the spring Saturday and Sunday for seven weekends and the summer event Saturday and Sunday for three weekends respectively. No events are proposed Monday through Thursday and the events would include a farmers market which is already allowed as a byright use. Wilshere has also requested the ability to host weddings on the property and to allow local businesses, organizations and educational groups to utilize it.
Wilshere, a fabricator, former teacher and self-declared “Christmas Elf,” envisions the property as one that can offer education about the local area and a place for artisans to sell their handmade wares. She said the winter event, Frost Fest, would be a walk-through Christmas lightshow with food vendors and wineries, as well as a juried artisan market, kids crafts and games and educational booths. The spring event would be an open market vendor village with handmade items and a farmer’s market featuring a fantastical element. She aims to create a structure that she said is “basically a large front porch” with space under roof for the vendors.
In lieu of selling tickets, which are not taxable, Wilshere said she would offer memberships with a tangible item so the county could receive tax revenue from the membership sales. Septic would be handled by portapotties in the first years, with the goal of creating flushable toilets for staff and vendors in the future. At the suggestion of local EMS officials, Wilshere would include a helipad on the property for emergency access. She said all structures, including an estimated 835 parking spaces, would be located at least two football fields from any neighboring residence. She also plans to install additional driveways for ingress and egress and utilize timed ticketing to mitigate traffic impacts and would privately hire law enforcement and emergency responders so as not to drain local resources. The project is broken into two phases with the initial phase consisting of six acres of festival grounds, the parking area and helipad. The second phase expands the festival grounds to 18 acres. The first phase is proposed to be completed in three years with the second depicting maximum development as the business grows over a 10-year period.
To address traffic, Wilshere would utilize a timed entry system, limiting the amount of vehicles entering and exiting the property at one time. However, traffic is one thing many opposed to the project have pointed out as a primary concern. More substantive comments from VDOT will not be made until the site plan phase of the project, but planning and zoning administrator Allen Nichols said estimates have Oak Park Road at a capacity of approximately 2,000 trips per day. The current utilization is approximately 1,110 trips per day or 50% of its capacity. Nichols estimated that Madison Hills would create approximately 2,000 trips per day, including both guests and vendors, for an annual yield of 110,000 trips. By comparison, he said a residence yields 9.96 trips per day with the 233 home Malvern neighborhood, 55 home Happy Hills neighborhood and 34 home Fox Ridge neighborhood contributing 3,208 trips per day collectively or more than 1.1 million per year. One of the 17 conditions placed on the SUP requires a traffic impact analysis, something that was requested by VDOT.
A revenue impact analysis submitted by commissioner of revenue Brian Daniel said the business would be subject to real estate tax, sales tax on revenue, food and beverage tax, lodging tax and business tangible property tax. Economic development and tourism director Tracey Gardner said the venue would bring in business at a slow time of the year for tourism in the county. She said special events such as those that would be held at the venue benefit other local businesses and are seasonal and temporary.
However, not everyone is in support of the proposed project. Of those who spoke during the planning commission’s public hearing on the permit, approximately 25 were against the project. Ten spoke in favor of the project and two were indifferent.
Colt Puryear, who owns the property next to Wilshere’s, said 325 residents have signed petitions opposing the project. He said those signatures represent 212 households with an additional 90 signatures online from other areas. Puryear has been a strong opponent of the project, stating it would negatively impact those who live nearby and limit their ability to enjoy their property. He said the project is rife with inconsistencies and while no one wants to pay higher taxes, they also shouldn’t “sell their soul for chaos.”
Hannah Mazzaros questioned how the county would be able to keep track of cash sales made to vendors at any of the Madison Hills events. Mike Ross said no amount of sound engineering would keep the venue from disturbing his peace. Jim Pike said he had seen Fairfax special use permit itself into “disaster” and cautioned Madison leaders to not do the same. Bernadine Clark said people visiting the area have no investment in it. She said her compassion was for the people in the area near Wilshere’s property. Margot McClaine said the proposal is not compatible with the area and is a commercial rezoning in everything but name.
Speaking in favor of the project, Jonathan Nichols said while he understands traffic concerns, he is tired of folks being “treated like crap” when they try to bring something into the community to help it.
William Adney, who has 25 years of experience in events and works with Wilshere, said he too grew up in a small town. He said in driving through the Town of Madison his heart breaks.
“I know ya’ll don’t want change, but that’s the only thing that will revive your town,” Adney said.
Nate Nelson said what he heard in the comments was a lot of fear. He said the venue could offer young people opportunities to learn unique trades such as performing, glass blowing, blacksmithing and sound engineering.
Town of Madison Mayor Jennifer Campbell did not express an opinion as to if she was for or against the project, but said “thank you to any business that tries to come to Madison and increase opportunities for the county and town. “We have to do something; change is necessary. Any event will have traffic and some will be impacted more than others. We have to do something to protect our tax [rates].”
Commissioner Pete Elliott said he didn’t have enough information regarding traffic impacts to recommend approval of the permit application. Commissioner Nathan Cowan agreed stating the proposed project was a bit too much in what he could support at this time. Commissioner Zachary Whitman said he would like to see a more phased approach, but the proposed plan meets county ordinance requirements. Commissioner Mike Snider said Wilshere is taking a big risk, but it’s her property rights to do so. Commissioner Steve Carpenter said the proposed project allows for a large property to remain agricultural and to keep the forest there intact.
Planning commissioners recommended the project for approval to the board of supervisors 4-3 with commissioners James Graves, III, Cowan and Elliott dissenting.
Supervisors opted to approve the permit, noting previous projects that garnered heavy public opposition including Crescere near Uno, a glamping development near Prince Michel Vineyards, the homeless animal rescue team’s shelter in Leon and the former Criglersville Elementary School.
“This venue has the potential to generate meaningful tax revenue, support our local vendors and artisans and create jobs,” supervisor Carty Yowell said. “It creates a ripple throughout the county. The proposal is designed with Madison’s rural character in mind in my opinion.”
Supervisor Jud Buchanan said a person’s past performance is the best predictor of their future performance, noting the approximately 20 letters received from people who worked with Wilshere and her partner, Michael Bianco, in their former homeplace of Bethlehem, PA.
“They said the best things about her,” Buchanan said. “They didn’t need to do that because she’s gone [from there].”
Supervisor Jim Jewett said Malvern and Happy Hills were once farms. Fox Ridge, he said, was once woodland. Jewett said houses are a losing proposition for the county, with every $1 in tax revenue received per house costing $1.16 in services. He said he’d like to limit any additional housing developments in the county. He also said according to local data, the idea that event venues negatively impact property values is false. He said property values around the Criglersville School increased by 63% in the recent reassessment, 10% above the county average. Property around the glamping project near Prince Michel increased 73%.
Board of supervisors chairman Clay Jackson said the county needs a business community.
“We either have to raise taxes or bring businesses in,” he said.
Jackson said while sound does travel, the permit is in keeping with the comprehensive plan. He did agree with one speaker, Mary DeMartino, who suggested amending the permit conditions to make it stay with the applicant and not with the land, meaning if Wilshere were to sell her property, the new owner would have to reapply for a special use permit.
“That gives the county a little more oversight,” Jackson said. “It’s a very reasonable type of request.”
Supervisor Dustin Dawson voiced opposition to the permit application, saying it had started as a Christmas event and grown outside of what he was comfortable with. He also noted he had little faith that VDOT would adequately regulate the amount of traffic allowed for the project.
Yowell motioned to approve the permit application with the change that it runs with the applicant instead of the land. Buchanan seconded the motion, which was approved 4-1 with Dawson dissenting.
The 17 conditions placed on the permit including limiting the amount of annual events, limiting camping to vendors and staff only (Wilshere will need to apply for and obtain a primitive campground permit from the health department), ceasing amplified music at 10 p.m., and undertaking all necessary measures to ensure traffic does not impede or obstruct the free flow of travel on Oak Park Road.
