Planning commission recommends denial of Agape Valley special-event permit after neighbors cite noise and safety concerns

The Custer County Planning Commission voted to recommend that the Board of County Commissioners not approve a special-event permit for a private wellness gathering proposed at Agape Valley Campground July 31 through Aug. 2.

The event organizer, Mariah Edgar, told the commission the weekend gathering is a private, ticketed wellness program capped at about 140 participants, with programming such as yoga, workshops and a daytime sound program that transitions to a silent-disco headphone format at night. Edgar said the group submitted written property-owner approval and a certificate of liability insurance, will provide two to four trained EMTs on site, portable toilets plus three permanent restrooms, trash collection by a local vendor, decibel monitoring and a dust-control plan, and will not sell alcohol.

The decision followed more than an hour of public comment from residents and local officials who said the event caused loud, late-night noise during a previous gathering and posed ongoing public-safety risks. ‘‘I can sit in my house with the door closed and hear the music,’’ said resident Davius, who identified himself as living on County Road 321 and urged the commission to deny the permit. Neighbors also raised concerns about marijuana smoke, road wear from hundreds of vehicles, and the potential for wildfires given the county’s dry conditions.

Sarah Blesson, who identified herself as a student health director and county resident, cited Colorado statute CRS 25-12-103 on maximum permissible noise levels and said sustained high decibel readings can represent a public-health hazard; she asked to see measurement reports and an evacuation plan given the site’s single access route.

Edgar responded that organizers used multiple decibel readers last year and worked with the sheriff’s office; she reiterated mitigation measures planned for this year and said many attendees carpool and the event is structured to keep vehicles and camping on private property. ‘‘Our intention is a small respectful wellness-focused gathering,’’ Edgar said, adding the organizers would be willing to provide extra road or dust mitigation if needed.

Planning staff said a site visit found an area appropriately set aside for staging and parking, and some commissioners noted the applicants had addressed several operational questions. Commissioners also emphasized that sound carries across valleys and that prior complaints and late-night noise weighed heavily in neighbors’ testimony.

After discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend denial to the Board of County Commissioners on the basis of noise and community impacts; the motion was seconded and the commission voted in favor (motion carries). The planning commission’s action is a recommendation; the final decision rests with the Board of County Commissioners.

Next steps: the commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for final action. The planning office recorded requests for more explicit start/end times and for documented decibel readings and a post-event review if the event proceeds in any form.