By Dawn De Busk
Staff Writer
NAPLES — Some couples hoping to get married yearn for an ideal venue such as a rustic, renovated wedding barn.
The Town of Naples does not allow wedding barns, also called events barns, in the rural district. The town’s ordinance does not allow this type of business to exist in the rural district.
Recently, a few property-owners have asked what is the best approach that would allow them to have a wedding barn on their land. Some of the options include a contract zone with individual landowners or a land-use amendment allowing special events barns in the rural district. Either one of those options, if pursued, would eventually have to appear before the voters. It seems a referendum (the ballot box) is the preferred voting method since more people turnout for elections than for annual town meeting.
On Monday, a wedding-barn workshop was hosted by the Naples Board of Selectmen and the Naples Planning Board and the Naples Ordinance Review Committee (ORC).
The workshop began with the property owners presenting their concepts for a wedding barn and how they would like to have this home-based business on the land they own.
Then, toward the end of the workshop, Naples Planner Ben Smith talked about the town’s options: either individual contract zones with each property-owner who desired to have a wedding barn or the passage of an ordinance that permitted events barns in the Rural District or in the agricultural zone.
Skip Meeker summed it up nicely, saying the contract zone would be like the town signing a prenup with each landowner. Meeker has served as the chairman on the ORC.
“A contract zone is a method of allowing things on the property that are not allowed,” Planner Smith said. “In order to allow something that is unique or restricted, you establish a contract zone for that particular property.”
Chairman Jim Grattelo asked if the contract zone stays with the property. At a previous meeting, Grattelo had suggested a contract zone that expired if the lot was sold.
Yes, the contract zone would go with the property, Smith said. If the land was sold, the contract zone would be part of the deed.
“The contract zone is an agreement between the town and the property owner for that property. It is more about the property and less about the owner,” Smith said.
“It is a unique negotiation, where there are no standards or rules regarding” whatever it is that is being developed, Smith said. The contract zone would include the approval of a site plan; and the elements of the site plan would be subject to enforcement by the town’s code enforcement office, he said.
In the Town of Naples, any proposed contract zones would require approval of voters at Annual Town Meeting.
Some towns allow wedding barns in the agricultural district, Smith said.
He also addressed the rural district, saying that residential dwellings are not the only thing allowed in the rural district. Types of businesses such as gravel pits and logging operations are permissible in the rural district.
At the beginning of the workshop, James and Carrie Willwerth presented plans to build a barn on their historic property.
“Basically our vision is to build the barn at Lambs Mills [Road], on our property and operate it as a wedding/special events venue. Our goal is to invest in our property and manage a successful business that would mesh with the rural character of our property and also of the town,” Carrie said.
The property is the former estates of J. Henry Lambs. The mill was built by Steven Barker in 1825. Her husband’s family purchased the 83-acre lot in 1979.
“We are going to highlight some of the century-old stone walls, build a pond, plant a garden. The barn will be an authentic timber frame barn, sourcing as much as possible from timber on our own property,” she said.
“For people wanting to have weddings — this is where people want to be these days. They want to be in a rural setting. They don’t want to be in the commercial setting,” Carrie said.
Larry Anton, a former long-time planning board member, said that while a wedding in the woods seems like a quaint and low-key activity, “It not just a wedding barn. It’s an events center.”
He expressed concerns about the traffic, parking, noise and things that could disturb the neighbors peace and quiet and safety.
“It could be Friday, Saturday and Sunday,” Anton said.
Planning Board member Martina Witts said she had misgivings about contract zoning. After researching contract zones, she discovered that there was litigation in many towns. It favors one piece of land over another, she said.
With planning decisions, people must look at the future scenarios rather than simply the land-use that is being requested, she said during a second time before the microphone.
“It’s not what’s before us, it is what comes next,” she said, referring to the countless possibilities if one land-use is allowed.
Witts said, “How do we address a use that is not allowed?”
Meeker said that the Town of Naples used to allow many uses in the rural district. Not having commercial use such as a wedding/events barn in the rural district protects property owners who have purchased land in the rural district.
Another audience member spoke in favor of allowing the landowners to pursue the proposed wedding barn. He said it would be a good business for a young couple to operate in the area of town where they live.
Resident Russ Sweet said that wedding barns could be a good idea for Naples. However, changing ordinances or creating contract zones puts the town in a tenuous position, he said.
“I don’t know how the town says yes to a wedding barn,” Sweet said.
Chairman Grattelo said, “We need to deliberate as a group and decide what to ask the ORC. There is no point in them going down the road without knowing what we think. What direction do we want to give the ORC?”
Meeker said that the idea of one ordinance fits all might not apply in this case.
“We need a prenup for every one of these,” Meeker said.
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