Campground, Events Center Proposed By Virginia Farm Owner

An events center proposed by a Warren County (Virginia) farm owner has raised concerns among its Browntown neighbors, a report said.

On Wednesday, the Planning Commission has scheduled public hearings on conditional-use permits for a commercial campground and rural events center on a property at 2905 Gooney Manor Loop.

The applicant is also seeking permits for the same two uses for properties on Wellspring Road. Edwin Wright owns the properties and submitted the permit application. All properties are agriculturally zoned and are situated within the South River Magisterial District.

The commission is planning to hold public hearings for each permit application.

“The most important thing to share is that I love this community and I moved back here 11 years ago to help protect it from overdevelopment,” Wright said. “I know there’s some misleading information out there, and I hope people show up to the public hearing on Wednesday to get the facts and speak their minds.”

Information from the Department of Planning and Zoning states that Wright is planning to run a commercial camping ground and an events center on his family’s Browntown farm.

Dryer Farm LP, also an applicant, is located on a 154-acre parcel used for cattle grazing and making hay. The owner shared that instead of subdividing the property, Wright is seeking to utilize the farm to protect the land through agricultural tourism and hosting events. The applicant is planning to use the barn and build a pavilion complete with an amphitheater, as well as a camp store and bathroom facilities.

If approved, the planning department staff suggested limiting the number of event attendees to 200 people. They also required the property to comply with county noise regulations and restrict the time of each event from 7-10 p.m. The permit will also require that the facility’s entrance be located on Gooney Manor Loop as approved by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

Wright plans to develop 100 campsites on the property, along with gravel roads and hiking paths that offer people access to views of the hills as well as kilometers of hiking trails. He also said that the land and the proposed campsites meet regulations of the county code regarding trees’ coverage, size, spacing, and densities. The applicant plans to utilize existing access points to the farm and put up wayfinding and agritourism signage.

Planning Department staff noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has not yet mapped the area in the county. Although not located in a flood-prone area, the property is bisected to the east and is susceptible to flash floods.