Two and a half years ago, Christy Thomas and her husband Scott purchased the Britton-Doughty-Kilgo house on Doughty Avenue, affectionately known as The Blue 102.
When their purchased the home, their intent was to save the historic nature of it, which they have continued to do.
Soon to be empty nesters, they would like to be able to open as an event center for small events and weddings, showers, retirement parties and different community celebrations. Christy Thomas told the Planning Commission “That’s what that house was when it was first built and we want to kind of bring that back. In addition, it has six bedrooms. Currently, we have ten family members on site living there, three generations that are all working on this property. As the children are going to be moving off site with their own children, we would like to open up six of the rooms as a bed and breakfast. But again, we want to do those weddings and celebrations, but also community events and even black and white movies on the lawn with music from the balcony.”
Knowing they would have limited space as it pertains to zoning laws, 125 persons being the maximum, they have been working with Town Planning Administrator Justin Schooley on a Neighborhood Gathering Venue. She says “Justin has come up with what we think is a great solution to be able to meet your requirements, as well as allow us to do business.”
To do so Schooley told Greeneville Planning Commission members last week , would require adjustments in a number of current zoning ordinances which would call for three different text amendments. Some of the defined uses would be put into the existing zoning districts which would be affected, B1, B2, and R1 through R4.
Schooley told planners, “So the new defined use is private and civic social gatherings is caped. So the maximum amount of people you can have is 125 participants. You can have live music, amplified entertainment, dancing are permitted, but within limits.”
Schooley added, “this use requires planning commission review and a site plan approval. And there’s also performance standards that addresses the hours. So it stays in compliance with our municipal code, noise is also addressed by our municipal code. The use can be revoked if there’s continued complaints and it becomes an issue.”
Another amendment he says is places of amusement and assembly. “So this has had me looking at small community event venues. Because first, I had to look at what in our business zoning district, what allows for events and gatherings for concerts, for amusements, or entertainment. And I found that it is only permitted places of amusement and assemblies in our B 4 zoning district, which is arterial business. And that made me scratch my head because in our B2 essential business district, that is where we have a lot of our amusement, entertainment gatherings with our theaters, performance centers, conference halls, even outdoor public events. So that is where this separate amendment that I’m proposing would change the use from before amusement, places of amusement, our Capital Theatre, Lyrics on the Lawn and any proposed new development in our downtown area would comply with amusement and assembly.”
City Council will be asked to consider the text amendment on first reading at their meeting on Tuesday.
