Queen Creek events venue asks for permit extension

An agrarian business noted as a site for weddings is going before the Queen Creek Planning & Zoning Commission to ask for a recommendation to extend its conditional-use permit.

The planning commission meets at 6 p.m., Tuesday at the Queen Creek Library, Zane Grey Community Room, 21802 S. Ellsworth Road.

The owners of The Knotty Barn on the Southwest corner of 204th Street and Superstition Drive will go before the commission to ask for a five-year extension of its conditional-use permit.

Nicholas and Ashley Baldwin purchased The Knotty Barn in April 2022, one month after the previous owners were granted a three-year conditional-use permit by the Queen Creek Town Council.

The former owners, Ray and Robyn Epps, drew the ire of some council members for operating the venue without proper permitting. At the time, some residents expressed concerns to the council about site parking and trash from events.

The Knotty Barn is within the Ellsworth Suburban Mini Farms community. According to a Planning & Zoning staff report, the “site is approximately 4 acres, with Superstition Drive running the length of the northern boundary, and 204th Street running the length of the eastern boundary. Residential acreage properties are adjacent to the site’s eastern and southern boundaries.”

The Knotty Barn provides a venue for weddings, baby showers, corporate events and more on weekends between mid-September through Memorial Day. All events end by 10 p.m.

Activities take place in the rear of the property inside a 3,600-square-foot barn, a 3,500-square-foot gathering area and a bride’s “getting ready” house at the northeast corner of the site, a staff report stated.

The outdoor gathering area is enclosed by a 6.5-foot wall that acts as a buffer to the surrounding area. The nearest residential structure is about 350 feet from the wall. The main parking area is on the eastern pasture and has at least 60 parking stalls. The western pasture is reserved for keeping livestock but may be used if additional parking is needed.

“However, the 240-person capacity of the facility would likely prevent both pastures from being utilized at any given time,” the report stated.

When the former owners received the conditional-use permit in 2022, they were required to install a fire sprinkler system and bring the building up to code.

As part of the permit renewal process, a neighborhood meeting was held Nov. 25, with nine residents from the Ellsworth Suburban Mini Farms community attending.

“Those in attendance expressed their appreciation for the operators’ transparency and success in their management of events, stating that they have not experienced trash, traffic or noise issues since the Baldwins assumed ownership,” the report continued.

However, because of resident concerns a condition to the permit renewal process was added. If there is a change of ownership the renewed permit cannot be transferred. Any new owners or business operators of the property must go through the renewal process.

If the commission approves the recommendation it will go before the town council for final approval.

We’d like to invite our readers to submit their civil comments, pro or con, on this issue. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org. Janet Perez can be reached at jperez@iniusa.org.