Citizens Against MINOR Special Exception for Shadow Creek Banquet Facility

Citizen Concerns:

•This facility will substantially change the character of the surrounding agricultural and rural residential neighborhood.

•The parking lot will have 92 spaces with overflow parking. Setting a maximum of 125 vehicles per event is impractical; who will enforce this? In addition to the guest vehicles, they must allow for the catering, floral, and entertainment vehicles in addition to the temporary employees who will be working during the events. With a maximum of 350 attendees, this maximum is highly improbable.

•The application states that the hours of operation will be 9am-12am and music may only be played outside until 8:30pm after which time only non-amplified music will be played. Residents nearby will be exposed to noise pollution and it is highly unlikely the venue will stop an event in progress.

•Residents who live along this route are concerned about an increase in drunken driving on the dangerously curved roads.

•Bicyclists heavily use Silicott Springs Rd on the weekends. The increase in vehicular traffic will pose a risk to both.

•County Staff believes this venue will create employment opportunities, however the application states the venue will have one employee. With only offsite catering, the venue will add only a small residual to the local economy of Purcellville.

•Zoning Ordinance requires that all lighting be extinguished from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. except for exterior lighting that is determined necessary for security purposes and that all lighting be fully shielded with a light element that does not extend below the cutoff shield. The venue is allowed to be open two hours passed the 10pm lighting ordinance, how does this make sense? Nearby residents will face lighting pollution until midnight, as well as traffic and noise for exiting guests and event organizers. Couty noise ordinance is 11PM.