Keep Petersboro Rural
The Issue
We, the below signed neighbors and residents of Petersboro, are opposed to the Cache Valley Straw Maze to be located at approximately 6333 W 2000 N, Petersboro UT for the following reasons:
1. The County Land Use Ordinance stipulates that the proposed conditional use permit (CUP) must be consistent with the intent, function, and policies of the Cache County General Plan, Ordinance(s), and land use, and/or compatible with existing uses in the immediate vicinity. The following reasons shows non-compliance with existing uses in the immediate vicinity.
a. The straw maze will be located in a housing subdivision that is currently used as agricultural/small farm land. This is not a high-density area and is not made to accommodate large amounts of people.
b. Businesses that are run out of the household with employees are not consistent with the current atmosphere and existing uses in the area. The Cache Valley Straw Maze anticipates having between 5 and 40 employees on site during work hours, not including staff needed for set-up and take down of the maze and other listed activities.
2. A conditional use shall be considered detrimental if it causes unreasonable risks to the safety of persons or property because of vehicular traffic or parking, or other similar risks and/or it unreasonably interferes with the lawful use of surrounding property.
a. The Cache Valley Corn Maze is proposing access off Highway 23. This is a two-lane highway with a 60 MPH speed limit. There is very little shoulder for extra parking. The parking lot will have 668 parking stalls and is estimating 30,000 visitors each season. If the parking lot is full, there is no safe way to handle overflow parking, even with road improvements, given the high rate of speed that traffic will be moving along the access road. This could be detrimental and unsafe for visitors, as well as those traveling through the area.
3. The well permit for the existing property states that the well can serve a single dwelling with irrigation to serve 0.25 acres from April 1 to October 31. The proposed CUP would need more water usage.
a. The existing property already has a single dwelling with a yard.
b. The Cache Valley Straw Maze has listed for its activities a 2-acre pumpkin patch that would also use irrigation.
4. The County Land Use Ordinance stipulates that reasonably anticipated detrimental effects of the proposed conditional use must be substantially mitigated by the proposal or by the imposition of reasonable conditions to achieve compliance with applicable standards. The following anticipated detrimental effects would be difficult or impossible to substantially mitigate:
a. Traffic: See section 2 for traffic concerns. Additionally, traffic noise and headlights during operational hours, which were listed as open until 11 PM Monday-Thursday, and until 12 AM Friday and Saturday nights.
b. Noise: Listed under activities in the CUP is a corn cannon that shoots corn out of a cannon at targets, such as old vehicles. Additionally, a haunted straw maze to spook people, a mechanical bull, and a mechanical swing, creating electrical noises to run them, a barrel train run by a 4-wheeler, food trucks, among other activities.
c. Light pollution: The proposed CUP lists using six to eight 20-foot light poles with shields. Even with shields, this will create a substantial amount of light in the area compared to what is currently seen in the existing area.
d. Visual nuisance: The 1.5 acres of straw bales will remain until CUP proposed operational holiday operational hours are complete, near the end of December. Removal of large straw bales in January, when there is often snow on the ground, would be very difficult and possibly dangerous. If straw bales are unable to be removed, they would become an unsightly visual disturbance throughout the winter and spring, until the ground was solid enough for large equipment.
e. Land Disturbance/Stormwater: Proposed in the CUP is a 5-acre gravel parking lot. The wind in the area is frequent and strong. 5-acres of gravel would cause large dust storms and would be detrimental to the residents living in the area.
Because of the reasons listed above, we the below-signed are in strong objection to the Cache Valley Corn Maze at it proposed location.
The Issue
We, the below signed neighbors and residents of Petersboro, are opposed to the Cache Valley Straw Maze to be located at approximately 6333 W 2000 N, Petersboro UT for the following reasons:
1. The County Land Use Ordinance stipulates that the proposed conditional use permit (CUP) must be consistent with the intent, function, and policies of the Cache County General Plan, Ordinance(s), and land use, and/or compatible with existing uses in the immediate vicinity. The following reasons shows non-compliance with existing uses in the immediate vicinity.
a. The straw maze will be located in a housing subdivision that is currently used as agricultural/small farm land. This is not a high-density area and is not made to accommodate large amounts of people.
b. Businesses that are run out of the household with employees are not consistent with the current atmosphere and existing uses in the area. The Cache Valley Straw Maze anticipates having between 5 and 40 employees on site during work hours, not including staff needed for set-up and take down of the maze and other listed activities.
2. A conditional use shall be considered detrimental if it causes unreasonable risks to the safety of persons or property because of vehicular traffic or parking, or other similar risks and/or it unreasonably interferes with the lawful use of surrounding property.
a. The Cache Valley Corn Maze is proposing access off Highway 23. This is a two-lane highway with a 60 MPH speed limit. There is very little shoulder for extra parking. The parking lot will have 668 parking stalls and is estimating 30,000 visitors each season. If the parking lot is full, there is no safe way to handle overflow parking, even with road improvements, given the high rate of speed that traffic will be moving along the access road. This could be detrimental and unsafe for visitors, as well as those traveling through the area.
3. The well permit for the existing property states that the well can serve a single dwelling with irrigation to serve 0.25 acres from April 1 to October 31. The proposed CUP would need more water usage.
a. The existing property already has a single dwelling with a yard.
b. The Cache Valley Straw Maze has listed for its activities a 2-acre pumpkin patch that would also use irrigation.
4. The County Land Use Ordinance stipulates that reasonably anticipated detrimental effects of the proposed conditional use must be substantially mitigated by the proposal or by the imposition of reasonable conditions to achieve compliance with applicable standards. The following anticipated detrimental effects would be difficult or impossible to substantially mitigate:
a. Traffic: See section 2 for traffic concerns. Additionally, traffic noise and headlights during operational hours, which were listed as open until 11 PM Monday-Thursday, and until 12 AM Friday and Saturday nights.
b. Noise: Listed under activities in the CUP is a corn cannon that shoots corn out of a cannon at targets, such as old vehicles. Additionally, a haunted straw maze to spook people, a mechanical bull, and a mechanical swing, creating electrical noises to run them, a barrel train run by a 4-wheeler, food trucks, among other activities.
c. Light pollution: The proposed CUP lists using six to eight 20-foot light poles with shields. Even with shields, this will create a substantial amount of light in the area compared to what is currently seen in the existing area.
d. Visual nuisance: The 1.5 acres of straw bales will remain until CUP proposed operational holiday operational hours are complete, near the end of December. Removal of large straw bales in January, when there is often snow on the ground, would be very difficult and possibly dangerous. If straw bales are unable to be removed, they would become an unsightly visual disturbance throughout the winter and spring, until the ground was solid enough for large equipment.
e. Land Disturbance/Stormwater: Proposed in the CUP is a 5-acre gravel parking lot. The wind in the area is frequent and strong. 5-acres of gravel would cause large dust storms and would be detrimental to the residents living in the area.
Because of the reasons listed above, we the below-signed are in strong objection to the Cache Valley Corn Maze at it proposed location.
The Decision Makers
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Petition created on June 9, 2021