Orange County — Board of Zoning Adjustment

SE-04-01-105 — County Line Moose Lodge

Request: Special Exception in C-2 (general commercial) and A-2 (agricultural) zones for outdoor/indoor recreational uses (turkey shoots, golfing, volleyball, barbecues, picnics, temporary recreational vehicle parking and Moose Legion celebration every two years) and Variance to allow unpaved parking in lieu of paved. (NOTE: The facility has existed at this location for 9 years. No new construction is proposed).

Decision: Approved

Hearing: The Staff Booklet and Recommendation is located on Pages______. This request is a result of a citizen complaint and Code Enforcement Division action. The Moose Lodge has existed at this location for 9 years. They have been conducting turkey shoots for the past 7 years. Zoning records do not indicate the Moose Lodge has any approvals to operate outdoor recreational uses. They are applying for permission to conduct turkey shoots as well as other outdoor uses. The applicant gave a brief presentation on their organization. They indicated they do charity work for needy groups. They informed the BZA that the neighbor who is complaining was a former member but resigned from the club after the Moose Lodge opposed his requests to rezone lands along East Colonial Drive. Three (3) adjacent property owners spoke in opposition. They reside and own land directly in the line of shooting. They were concerned about their safety as well as an invasion of their privacy rights. In addition, they did not feel alcohol and shooting firearms mixed. Progress Energy has a substation directly to the north of this site. They spoke in opposition as well. They had concerns about damage to their equipment which could affect power service to customers in the area. In addition, if their equipment is punctured, it could leak coolants into the groundwater and pollute the environment. Another concern was the possibility of sparks causing fires during the dry season. The BZA concluded the turkey shoots were not compatible with the surrounding uses but had no objection to the other outdoor uses proposed.