Comments on: Focus | Agritourism: Inside the buzz http://augustafreepress.com/2009/12/13/focus-agritourism-inside-the-buzz/ The Valley. Virginia. Defined. News from AugustaFreePress.com. Sat, 26 May 2012 20:02:08 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Brian Thompson http://augustafreepress.com/2009/12/13/focus-agritourism-inside-the-buzz/comment-page-1/#comment-164080 Brian Thompson Wed, 04 Aug 2010 19:29:57 +0000 http://augustafreepress.com/?p=16128#comment-164080 Augusta needs to do more to support its real farmers who actually produce a product and forget about people like Craig Nargi who are just looking for a hand out to help fund what he believes is agritourism! Anybody who has ever talked to him for more than 5 min can tell he is better suited to wearing a apron and cooking than he is trying to change an industry that he knows nothing about!! I recall seeing him on the news complaining about the hardships of winter weather on his operation. He is quickly becoming the laughing stock of the Valleys farming industry!! Augusta needs to do more to support its real farmers who actually produce a product and forget about people like Craig Nargi who are just looking for a hand out to help fund what he believes is agritourism! Anybody who has ever talked to him for more than 5 min can tell he is better suited to wearing a apron and cooking than he is trying to change an industry that he knows nothing about!! I recall seeing him on the news complaining about the hardships of winter weather on his operation. He is quickly becoming the laughing stock of the Valleys farming industry!!

]]> By: Brian Rostron http://augustafreepress.com/2009/12/13/focus-agritourism-inside-the-buzz/comment-page-1/#comment-98865 Brian Rostron Sun, 20 Dec 2009 16:48:25 +0000 http://augustafreepress.com/?p=16128#comment-98865 Interestingly, most of the activities listed under agri-tourism - cross-country skiing, hang-gliding, hot air ballooning, etc. - tend to be quiet and non-mechanized. The music festival, perhaps not so much, unless it's folk music or maybe bluegrass. I don't see a lot of three-wheeling or snowmobiling listed. I personally think that shooting off rockets sounds like a fine rural activity, but perhaps people don't want such things in the area. Interestingly, most of the activities listed under agri-tourism – cross-country skiing, hang-gliding, hot air ballooning, etc. – tend to be quiet and non-mechanized. The music festival, perhaps not so much, unless it’s folk music or maybe bluegrass. I don’t see a lot of three-wheeling or snowmobiling listed.

I personally think that shooting off rockets sounds like a fine rural activity, but perhaps people don’t want such things in the area.

]]> By: Chuck Neff http://augustafreepress.com/2009/12/13/focus-agritourism-inside-the-buzz/comment-page-1/#comment-98803 Chuck Neff Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:12:10 +0000 http://augustafreepress.com/?p=16128#comment-98803 I listened to the “Agri-tourism Brings In A Boost For Augusta County” story on WHSV this morning and I've read this story with great fascination…especially since an activity that would be considered Agri-tourism was shut down in Augusta County by the Board of Zoning Appeals. Looks like they didn’t get the memo… Our club, the Valley AeroSpace Team, had held monthly rocket launches in a Swoope (Augusta County) farm pasture for 14 months (and in a few other fields from Jan. 2006 to June 2008). In July, 2009, we were notified by the Zoning Administrator that a Special Use Permit was required to continue our activities. We applied for and presented our request to the Zoning Board at their Sept., 2009 meeting. They subsequently denied our request. Although not huge numbers, our events brought people into the County from outside the area to participate. A statement made by one BZA member at the meeting was that “the applicant does have a lot of support from out of the area although that does not impact the Board very much” (see Minutes of Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting, dated Sept. 3, 2009 on Augusta County website). He was referring to the 35 letters of support they’d received from some of our participants who lived outside the area. These participants stayed at local hotels, they ate at local restaurants, and they shopped at local stores. Most even mentioned this fact in their letters. Isn’t this the very thing you portrayed as being positive in the story? It’s interesting to read the transcripts of the September BZA meeting and find that their decision was based on no relevant zoning issues or land use laws. In fact, there is no reasoning for their decision listed in the record at all. One member stated that “Swoope is true agriculture land” and that “this site is not a proper place for the rocket launching use” (see Minutes of Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting, dated Sept. 3, 2009). Of course, neither he nor any of the other members who voted against us offered any reasons as to why they thought this. We were told we’d be hard pressed to get the BZA members to approve our permit even before the meeting due to some very influential residents in the Swoope Community. Turns out there’s a few that seem to be totally against any type of youth related activity taking place “in their backyard”. We had hoped and trusted that the BZA members would look at the facts of our presentation as well as make their decision based on applicable zoning and land use laws. Guess who was surprised… Also, if anyone thinks that rocket launches shouldn't be considered Agri-tourism since it's unrelated to agriculture (other than the farm field), you should know that Hot Air Balloon Rides, Hang Gliding, Cross-Country Skiing, Music Festivals, Biking, etc...are all considered Agri-tourism (see Appendix M – Agri-Tourism Activities on Augusta County website) as reported by the Agriculture Task Force. None of these activities have any closer a relationship to agriculture than our activity. I believe the County is contradicting itself... We’ve appealed the Board’s decision to the Circuit Court of Virginia and are currently awaiting a hearing date to be set. Sincerely, Chuck Neff Augusta County Resident Valley AeroSpace Team – President www.valleyaerospace.com 250 Arrowhead Lane Stuarts Draft, VA 24477 540-885-3138 (H) 540-280-8908 (C) I listened to the “Agri-tourism Brings In A Boost For Augusta County” story on WHSV this morning and I’ve read this story with great fascination…especially since an activity that would be considered Agri-tourism was shut down in Augusta County by the Board of Zoning Appeals. Looks like they didn’t get the memo…

Our club, the Valley AeroSpace Team, had held monthly rocket launches in a Swoope (Augusta County) farm pasture for 14 months (and in a few other fields from Jan. 2006 to June 2008). In July, 2009, we were notified by the Zoning Administrator that a Special Use Permit was required to continue our activities. We applied for and presented our request to the Zoning Board at their Sept., 2009 meeting. They subsequently denied our request.

Although not huge numbers, our events brought people into the County from outside the area to participate. A statement made by one BZA member at the meeting was that “the applicant does have a lot of support from out of the area although that does not impact the Board very much” (see Minutes of Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting, dated Sept. 3, 2009 on Augusta County website). He was referring to the 35 letters of support they’d received from some of our participants who lived outside the area. These participants stayed at local hotels, they ate at local restaurants, and they shopped at local stores. Most even mentioned this fact in their letters. Isn’t this the very thing you portrayed as being positive in the story?

It’s interesting to read the transcripts of the September BZA meeting and find that their decision was based on no relevant zoning issues or land use laws. In fact, there is no reasoning for their decision listed in the record at all. One member stated that “Swoope is true agriculture land” and that “this site is not a proper place for the rocket launching use” (see Minutes of Board of Zoning Appeals Meeting, dated Sept. 3, 2009). Of course, neither he nor any of the other members who voted against us offered any reasons as to why they thought this.

We were told we’d be hard pressed to get the BZA members to approve our permit even before the meeting due to some very influential residents in the Swoope Community. Turns out there’s a few that seem to be totally against any type of youth related activity taking place “in their backyard”. We had hoped and trusted that the BZA members would look at the facts of our presentation as well as make their decision based on applicable zoning and land use laws. Guess who was surprised…

Also, if anyone thinks that rocket launches shouldn’t be considered Agri-tourism since it’s unrelated to agriculture (other than the farm field), you should know that Hot Air Balloon Rides, Hang Gliding, Cross-Country Skiing, Music Festivals, Biking, etc…are all considered Agri-tourism (see Appendix M – Agri-Tourism Activities on Augusta County website) as reported by the Agriculture Task Force. None of these activities have any closer a relationship to agriculture than our activity.

I believe the County is contradicting itself…

We’ve appealed the Board’s decision to the Circuit Court of Virginia and are currently awaiting a hearing date to be set.

Sincerely,
Chuck Neff
Augusta County Resident
Valley AeroSpace Team – President
http://www.valleyaerospace.com
250 Arrowhead Lane
Stuarts Draft, VA 24477
540-885-3138 (H)
540-280-8908 (C)

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