An Afton-based bed-and-breakfast may soon be able to serve more than just overnight guests.
During its Aug. 26 meeting, the Nelson County Planning Commission recommended approval of a rezoning request in a 3-1 vote, which would allow WildManDan Beercentric Bed & Breakfast to expand its small-scale brewery operation to serve members of the public. The Nelson County Board of Supervisors will take up the recommendation in the coming months.
Located at 279 Avon Road, the property of the business currently is zoned Residential (R-1). Applicants Terri and Dan Tatarka, who operate the B&B, have requested the property to be rezoned Agriculture, A-1, which allows for farm brewery use.
Bishop said the brewery operation is an accessory use only open to guests of the B&B because it is currently zoned Residential, A-1.
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However, the commission’s recommendation for approval is contingent on the county attorney’s approval of the applicants’ proffers. According to Dylan Bishop, the county’s director of planning and zoning, proffers are voluntary commitments by the applicant or owner and are associated with rezoning applications.
Of the four commission members present for the August meeting, North District commissioner Philippa Proulx was the lone no vote. She said she is concerned of the potential impact expanding the B&B’s brewery operation would have on neighboring properties.
Proulx also expressed concern over potential noise pollution that would come as a result.
“I am still not comfortable with it,” Proulx said in reference to when the request first came before the commission in July.
“This is nothing about the way they run their business so far and its nothing about ... the individuals involved, it’s just some of my feelings about how zoning ought to be used and the potential for some negative impacts on the pretty close by surrounding residential properties,” Proulx said.
WildManDan currently operates a brewery that only is available to guests of the B&B and a small-scale bakery. About 1 acre of the 2.29-acre property is used for agricultural crop production of hops, wheat, fruits, vegetables, spices and herbs.
According to documents, the B&B consists of five rooms and can accommodate 10 guests. The B&B currently is building out the second floor of its brew barn to serve as meeting space to accommodate guests staying at WildManDan and could potentially be utilized for the farm brewery operation, which would be open for a limited amount of hours per week.
WildManDan’s B&B and brewery have lost revenue as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, planning commission documents state. Changing to a farm brewery and opening to the public for limited hours will allow the business to generate a small revenue stream and support the B&B’s larger recovery. It also allows the use of the agricultural products from the property to be used in the business’ products.
Proffers include the farm brewery be limited to seven barrels and shall be contained to existing structures on the property. Also, livestock shall be limited to 10 chickens and three goats.
Should the property be rezoned, Bishop said these proffers would remain in effect regardless of who owns it in the future.
The B&B is accessed from Avon Road. Bishop said upgrades would need to be made to the entrances.
The Tatarkas first brought their request before the commission during its July meeting. Since then, the applicants included additional revised proffers which required a second public hearing because of county ordinance.
Terri Tatarka told commissioners she felt additional proffers adequately addressed the concerns brought up during the previous meeting.
“Listening to the discussion that the board had in regards to this application, we came away with our interpretation of what some of the concerns might have been and we think what we proffered addressed most of these concerns,” Terri Tatarka said.
The commission’s public comment portion of the meeting did not draw any comments.