SUMMIT — After several public hearings and much discussion following the request of White Stag 1894, LLC, to change a Summit zoning ordinance that would have allowed for it to host events in its barn, the owners are taking a step back after the Plan Commission last week voted against the rezoning.
“It was a bummer for us,” said Rebekah Carsey on behalf of White Stag 1894, 37736 Sunset Dr. “It is hard to see that happen when you work so hard on it for so long.”
Carsey said in March that she and her family would like to share the property they bought in 2018 with the community. Her parents own it and her father, Kevin Tadych, spent a significant amount of time restoring the barn with wood milled from the property. About a half-acre to one acre is used for growing flowers. Another approximately 80 acres are rented to the Nettesheim Farm for corn and soybean crops.
Last Thursday, the Plan Commission voted 3-to-2 against amending the Summit Zoning and Shoreland Protection Ordinance to allow the rental of agricultural buildings in the A-1 Agricultural District as a Conditional Use provided conditions are met.
Plan Commissioner and Village Trustee James Petronovich said for him it mostly came down to the village not having a comprehensive plan regarding the rental of agricultural buildings. He questioned with the village having so much A-1 zoning could event spaces pop up throughout the village.
“The biggest thing is, I am not comfortable putting in an event barn without doing a more comprehensive plan for the district,” Petronovich said.
He said he believes the village would look at a more comprehensive plan in the fall. Carsey said they had made changes to their request, such as reducing the number of people who could attend events from 300 to 125 people.
Another commissioner, Carsey said, voiced during the meeting that she would have also liked to have seen a reduction in the number of events.
When asked about if White Stag 1894 might try again to seek the ability to hold large events, Carsey said “it is really hard to tell.”
“We are taking a little pause with it and trying to decide if we can continue going forward,” she said, adding that eight months of working with the village came at a cost, both financially and with time.
White Stag 1894 will still continue to offer pick-your-ownflower events and will continue to be part of the community, which is part of their mission.