The Hall County Planning Commission Monday night recommended approval of a permit that will allow a South Hall agri-entertainment event venue to be more appropriately zoned for business.
The 37.28-acre plot of land is located at 3263 Tanners Mill Road and has already been functioning as a wedding event venue, featuring a barn and outdoor fireplace. Paden Dunagan, the applicant and venue owner, went before the Hall County Planning Commission Monday looking to obtain a conditional use permit in order to continue event venue functions on his property.
The land is currently zoned at Agricultural Residential IV. Agri-entertainment businesses are required to have a conditional use permit in order to operate within that zoning, which led Dunagan to his county application.
Paired with the request for a conditional use permit, Dunagan also sought a variance from the standards of a typical agri-entertainment district. The second part of his request was to allow outdoor amplification of voices and music. Outdoor sound amplification through speakers is currently only allowed during wedding ceremonies, and not before or after.
Dunagan’s variance request was denied by the commission, and the rules for no loud music or projected voices outside of ceremony times remained in place.
“Let me say that we're not picking on you,” Planning Commission Chair Chris Braswell said. “That [denial of the variance request] has been referenced numerous times in the code, and we've been extremely consistent on it.”
Under the new boundaries placed on the venue operations, events are not to begin any earlier than 9 a.m. and will end no later than 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Some of the agri-business requirements the venue will now adhere to include having to obtain an official business license, assessing property lines for parking, venue space and building size as well as including bathrooms and occupancy limits.
The planning commission’s vote for approval of the conditional use permit and denial of the sound amplification variance will now go before the Hall County Board of Commissioners for a final vote on July 13.
