The owner of a Gladstone home has received the Amherst County Board of Supervisors’ zoning approval to operate a photography venue and special event place for weddings, tea parties and similar uses.
The board approved a special exception permit during its July 18 meeting for Phyllis Maire, the applicant, to operate the venue at her property at 2409 Riverville Road. The site of just more than 80 acres zoned Agricultural Residential, A-1, has two single-family dwellings and the surrounding area is generally agricultural-zoned property with a single house to the southeast, a CXS yard to the east and vacant land to the north and west, according to county officials.
Maire will not have special events on the lot across from the railroad tracks, according to Tyler Creasy, director of community development.
“Any events over 75 people will require a parking attendant,” Creasy said.
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Maire said she bought her beautiful farmhouse property in 2017.
“We fixed it up and we’re really making it our haven and we just thought we want to share this beautiful property with everyone with this spacious 81 acres,” Maire said. “The things we’ve done to it to enhance it — we just felt like we wanted to share with other people.”
The permit includes a condition that guests at events are required to park on Maire’s property and not on neighboring lots or on any right-of-way outside the site unless given written permission.
Maire expressed excitement for the home’s use as an events venue during a public hearing.
“I love to serve people,” Maire said. “It’s a passion of mine. I love hosting so I want to do the tea parties and smaller events such as weddings and reunions, any type of small gatherings like that.”
Supervisor Claudia Tucker said she appreciates residents who take older homes with character, pour time and passion into fixing them up and sharing them with people, telling Maire: “Bless you.” Tucker also said she appreciates Maire’s willingness to work with the county on the railroad issue and not holding events near that land.
Carol Frazier, a local resident, said she supports Maire’s plan and will offer her help any way possible.
“I think this is a wonderful idea,” Frazier said. “It’s a wonderful place — beautiful.”
Kathy Blanchard, a neighbor of Maire, also supported the event venue.
“I’ve been a recipient of her hospitality,” Blanchard said. “She’s got a neighbor that’s all about it and I would love to be a part of helping her make good use of the property. It’s beautiful and I’m just all for it.”
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