Minutes 09-11-2017 - Laserfiche WebLink

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8 Dear County Commissioners and Others, This letter is a follow-up to one sent in September of 2016. The subject of these letters is 1870 Farm, a party "farm" located in a residential neighborhood and adjacent to our property at 1212 Old Lystra Road, Chapel Hill (partially located in the Chapel Hill ETJ). 1870 Farm offers revenue-producing activities to the public at the expense of its neighbors and, according to a local realtor, to the detriment of neighbor's property values and sell-ability of homes. The 1870 Farm owner has made no attempt to farm his land but does continue to aggressively promote and produce income by hosting parties of all sorts plus children's camps, a daycare business, "school's out" childcare, "farm" tours, gem mining (!), and more. Party tents and a party barn are located approximately 150 yards from our living room where the sounds of partying crowds, amplified music, and fireworks/cannon explosions disturb our peaceful lifestyle. The noise of party set-up, disc jockey voices, booming bass, and screaming partygoers cannot be escaped from our home. On any given day, we have no choice but to listen to gleeful screaming produced by the different groups that are hosted at the "farm". When sitting on our deck it sounds much like we are living in the middle of a public park. And, it is not unusual for visitors to drive or walk onto our property during parties and other gatherings. Unfortunately, the Orange County Noise Ordinance is not meant to regulate the type of ongoing and erratic noises that we endure even though we have tried to get some help by that route. We are quiet folks who are committed to being courteous neighbors. My husband and I implore our County Commissioners and Planning/Zoning staff to support us, and others whose lifestyles and investments are threatened by Party Barns, by enforcing zoning and environmental ordinances for non-farm property uses. Farm numbers were meant to help real farmers not businesses such as 1870 "Farm" which operate in neighborhoods where peace, quiet, and property values are being compromised. We request that you respond and let us know what options are available to our neighbors and to us. It is our hope that County Officials will view the problem of Party Barns impacting the lives of unsuspecting citizens as one that must be resolved in favor of the neighbors. This problem is not going away since farm numbers can be acquired outside of the County governance but, so far, are honored by the County to support fake farms. Please consider inspections of Orange County agri-tourism farms to confirm that the agri-tourism portion is a supplement to actual farming. Then, follow up by shutting down such businesses that do not fit that definition. Hopefully, Dianne and Richard Lawrence Commissioner McKee said he heard two repeated questions: define what an event is, and what events count toward the allowable 12 events per year for the rural special event designation. Commissioner McKee said he would like to know how the number of people at these events is monitored, and how to make sure that an event is following its application. Chair Dorosin listed the questions to which he would like further information: • Rural special event: what qualifies; what notification is given to neighbors and when; how events are monitored events; the 12 events, and can events be spaced out.