Orange County NC Website
APPROVED JULY 9, 2018 <br /> 195 to not sign as she could have done as vice chair. She summed up her argument by saying that it would be <br /> 196 error indeed for the Board of Adjustment to refuse to issue the subpoenas because it would render her <br /> 197 party unable to present a case to the board or to make an offer of proof to this board. if the board refuses, a <br /> 198 higher court would likely say let's see what an offer of proof would have been, she said. She asked that the <br /> 199 board issue the subpoenas and that the subpoenas require that the information be submitted before the <br /> 200 next hearing and that the persons listed are present to answer questions. <br /> 201 <br /> 202 Andy Petesch,of the Wake County Bar, addressed the board and said he was here on behalf of Kara <br /> 203 Brewer and the actual property owner now, which is Wild Flora Farm LLC. He said there was a merger <br /> 204 between Wild Flora Farm LLC and Southeast Property Group in February of this year. He passed out <br /> 205 documents with that information. <br /> 206 <br /> 207 Randy Herman asked if LeAnn Brown had been provided a copy. <br /> 208 <br /> 209 LeAnn Brown answered she was receiving that information just now. <br /> 210 <br /> 211 Andy Petesch gave documentation to the board and offered it into the record and clarified that now Wild <br /> 212 Flora Farm LLC owns the property, <br /> 213 <br /> 214 Andy Petesch said this is not a complicated decision, There is not a need for this potentially vast amount of <br /> 215 documents that are being requested. The letter submitted on October 12, 2017, on behalf of SPG/Wild <br /> 216 Flora/Kara Brewer included the exemption certificate, which is located on Page 11 of the agenda packet; a <br /> 217 deed at the time,which was owned by SPG LLC/Southeast Property Group and now by operation of law <br /> 218 owned by Wild Flora Farm LLC; an annual report by SPG showing Kara Brewer as the loan member; and a <br /> 219 certificate of assumed name at the time while SPG and Wild Flora Farm were working on that merger, <br /> 220 (SPG operated under the pseudonym Wild Flora Farm). <br /> 221 <br /> 222 Andy Petesch said what is agritourism and a bona fide farm was the subject of a lot of debate and was the <br /> 223 subject of several public hearings before this board.And as the Board of Adjustment has already heard, in <br /> 224 July 2017, the General Assembly tried to clarify that and they created a very straightforward compliance <br /> 225 under the statute for a bona fide farm to conduct agritourism in a structure or building on a farm under <br /> 226 N.C.G.S. 153(A)-340 (b) (2a), located at the end of the agenda packet. This statute describes agritourism, <br /> 227 which includes weddings and special events, and states that a building or structure used for agritourism is a <br /> 228 bona fide farm activity if the building or structure is located on property that is owned by a person who holds <br /> 229 a qualifying sales tax exemption certificate. The same person or entity who owns the certificate also needs <br /> 230 to own the property. In some cases that may be a straightforward Joe Smith owns a property and holds a <br /> 231 certificate, but many farms have different entities for different aspects of their operations. That's where <br /> 232 Southeast Property Group, Wild Flora Farm, Kara Brewer had to resolve some of those inconsistencies. <br /> 233 That has been brought into alignment and those documents have been presented to Michael Harvey, <br /> 234 That's all there is to this case, Andy Petesch said. As this point, Wild Flora Farm and Kara Brewer hold the <br /> 235 certificate. Wild Flora Farm owns the property. There is no need to go into all these other document <br /> 236 requests, which is burdensome. <br /> 237 <br /> 238 Andy Petesch said LeAnn Brown focused on"relevant' under the requirement of N.C.G.S, §1 60A-388(g), <br /> 239 but"reasonable in nature and scope" is also part of the requirement. Requesting to g❑ behind these <br /> 240 documents to look at personal, confidential financial information, tax records, and wanting to dig through <br /> 241 that looking for some issue to continue the fight against this property is an overreach at this point, he said, <br /> 242 Michael Harvey had those documents and this board has all the powers that he has. This board needs to <br /> 243 stand in his shoes and look at all this information fresh and determine whether this meets the statute. This <br /> 5 <br />