Tao Sun and Ziming Yang had a special use permit approved to operate a tourist home in Sperryville.
Tao Sun and Ziming Yang had a special use permit approved to operate a tourist home in Sperryville.
The Rappahannock County Board of Zoning Appeals on Wednesday unanimously approved requests for special use permits to operate tourist homes at two separate locations in Sperryville.
The application of Tao Sun and Ziming Yang to rent an existing dwelling on nearly 13 acres of land zoned agricultural at 32 Old Hollow Rd. to lodgers received the most attention from the board because of complaints about outbuildings, camper vehicles and portable toilets on the property placed by a previous owner.
Those concerns were discussed previously during the Rappahannock County Planning Commission’s consideration of the application. Christine Smith, a Sperryville resident and the Piedmont District representative on the Rappahannock County Board of Supervisors, raised them again on Wednesday during the public hearing prior to the BZA vote.
Smith said complaints began emerging in summer 2020, and that it took until late 2021 for them to be addressed. They were “no fault of the current owners,” she stressed, but asked that the BZA consider the special use permit request carefully in the interest of ensuring “a harmonious community.”
The supervisor asked that the BZA consider placing a ban on any events held on the property and limit the number of people that could come onto the property, except for the lodgers. She also suggested having the permit expire in 2024, which the board did not adopt.
That was a step too far for BZA memberBill Tieckelmann who posed the hypothetical question “suppose they (the applicants) had children who want to get married [on the property]. I don’t think we can restrict so drastically.”
BZA Chair Ron Makela suggested that one condition on the permit bars use of an auxiliary building by renters using the property. The applicants had proposed allowing renters to use the building for recreational purposes. Makela’s suggested restriction was included in the list of conditions the BZA ultimately approved. The applicants can use the auxiliary building for their personal use only.
Lodging limited to six people.
Use of accessory building by renters is expressly prohibited, a change from the Planning Commission’s recommendation that it could be used but for recreational purposes only
Outdoor lighting must be directed downward.
No unattended pets (Changed from the Planning Commission’s wording of “no unrestrained pets”).
Maintain existing vegetation/tree buffer with adjoining neighbors.
No amplified music or excessive noise after 10 p.m.
House rules reflect special use permit conditions.
Outdoor fires must be contained and controlled. (Planning Commission recommended no outdoor fires).
No food service provided to renters.
Permit terminates upon sale or transfer of property.
Maintain phone, landline or broadband in case of emergency.
The applicants will have a management company in Culpeper caring for the property since they won’t be onsite continuously. Makela suggested they consider using a management company based in Rappahannock for a quicker response to any problem, but the suggestion wasn’t made a condition.
The planning commission had recommended approval of the application by a 5-2 vote with two members absent at its June meeting.
The second special use permit application moved more swiftly toward unanimous approval. Sarah Meservey, owner of Off the Grid in Sperryville, sought to use a three-bedroom dwelling on 8.6 acres at 23 Parkway Ln. for tourist lodging. The property is zoned commercial, but where the house sits is zoned rural residential. The request was previously considered by the Planning Commission and forwarded to the BZA without a recommendation.
The applicant was present at the BZA meeting and there were no comments from the public.
County staff recommended a limit of six lodgers and that no food service be provided.
The BZA added conditions that the permit terminates with the sale or transfer of the property; outdoor lights must be downshielded; amplified music or noise after 10 p.m. is prohibited; outdoor fires must be maintained and contained; firearms cannot be discharged; special events are prohibited; and maintaining of phone, landline or internet service is prohibited.
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