As the agritainment sector in Queen Creek grows, there will be bumps along the way. That’s what Ray and Robyn Epps, owners of The Knotty Barn, discovered when they approached the town council about getting a Conditional Use Permit to allow Public Assembly and Outdoor Recreation and Events.
One of the knots for The Knotty Barn is that it is located at the southwest corner of 204th Street and Superstition Drive, within the Ellsworth Mini-farms community. According to a Planning & Zoning staff report, the “subject 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 primarily is used for weddings, baby showers, corporate events and other public gatherings, such as garden clubs or Boys and Girls Scout troop visits. The Knotty Bard operates only in the cool months from mid-September through Memorial Day.
All activities take place in the rear of the property inside an approximate 3,600-square-foot barn, a 3,500 square foot gathering area and a bride’s “getting ready” house located at the northeast corner of the site.
A number of area residents were on hand at the Wednesday March 2 council meeting to voice their opinions about The Knotty Barn. Most were in favor of the event location, with one resident saying that the owners always cleaned up any event detritus that went past their property and into neighboring streets.
Some town council members asked about parking and whether it affects the surrounding neighborhoods. Some people who spoke at the meeting said there were too many cars on the street, with some even saying their driveways were blocked during events.
The staff report stated that designated “parking is provided onsite in one of two pastures. The eastern pasture is the main parking area, allowing for at least 60 parking stalls. The western pasture is reserved for the keeping of livestock but may be used in the event additional parking is needed (per code 72 stalls may be required with 1 stall per 50 sq. ft.). However, capacity of the facility would prevent both pastures being utilized at any given time.”
Additionally, the opportunity for angled parking along both Superstition Drive and 204th Street is available. The pastures are only utilized for parking during events. Visitors and interested parties may either park adjacent to the barn or along the street frontages, according to the report.
Town council members also were concerned that there was no fire sprinkler system installed in the barn, where many events take place.
Ray and Robyn Epps purchased the farm in 2010. In their report to council, the couple stated “The Knotty Barn opened its doors in 2019 and has been quietly holding events at the farm since then. The Epps understand the need to obtain approval of a Conditional Use Permit to allow the barn’s continued use as a place for public assembly and outdoor recreation.”
When it was time for councilmembers to address the permit, Councilmember Robin Benning zeroed in on that fact.
“The applicants established a personal-use permit, albeit they weren’t familiar with the rules and regulations. That’s not our fault. You can’t use that in a zoning case,” Benning said. “However, once the applicants were notified and were told there were certain conditions that would have to be met, the applicants continued to operate the facility. Given that the applicant failed to cease and desist in order to make the improvements and continued to operate — and frankly I’m a little frustrated with staff for not having applied the rules and said, ‘We’re going to shut you down’ — that just doesn’t feel like what the spirit of our zoning law says.”
Benning added the Knotty Barn situation could make the town liable for any accidents and that it sets precedent.
“I’m really afraid that there are going to be more people who open up businesses and say, ‘Oh gee, I didn’t know I had to get permission,’” Benning said.
Councilmember Emilena Turley countered the precedent-setting possibility by adding that councils set precedents all the time when special or new situations occur and are not handcuffed to previous decisions about significantly different issues.
In a 5-2 vote in which Benning and Vice Mayor Jeff Brown were the no votes, the council approved the conditional-use permit, but it added some conditions of its own that went beyond or modified the Planning & Zoning Commission’s recommendations.
According to the council:
This project shall be developed in accordance with the plans attached to this case and all the provisions of the Zoning Ordinance applicable to this case.
Any additional expansion or change of the location of the assembly/events on site shall require a new Conditional Use Permit and Site Plan approval.
The Conditional Use Permit is valid for three years, at which time a new Conditional Use Permit application will be required.
The property owner will work with the Fire Marshal to obtain approval and installation for a fire sprinkler system to be installed in the barn during the off-season of the business’ operations between July and August of 2022.
Until an approved fire sprinkler system is installed, a “fire watch” person shall be appointed to watch over each event to ensure no fires occur.
The barn shall meet all building safety code requirements for an “A” occupancy with up to 240 occupants under the town's current building codes.
All event parking shall be provided onsite.
Up to a maximum of three events per week. An event is considered any commercial activity with the exchanging of monies and/or groups involving 30 or more patrons. On the occasion of an unexpected circumstance (pandemic, death, illness, travel restrictions, etc.), a rescheduled event may cause more than three events in a week. Any exceptions (any additional events) need to be reviewed and approved by the Planning Administrator. No events shall occur onsite between June 1 and Sept. 15.
Events shall have an end time of 10 p.m.
Maximum number of participants of an event shall be limited to 150 participants.
It was made clear that the three-event limit for paid or large groups was put into the requirements to make it easier for small groups of children or garden clubs to visit the farm.
“I don’t think anybody here has a problem with Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and school groups and 4H or AG in the classroom or a gardening group,” Benning said.
Turley added, “I think it’s the larger events that should be included in the three-ish a week. To me, those seem to be the ones that affect the neighbors.”
The Epps told council they had no plans to do more than three large events a week, it that. But they still wanted to open the farm to small groups.
“We don’t want to exclude and stop the ability for the kids’ fields trips to come. And our animals are so friendly,” Robyn Epps said. “The kids come and pet them, and they can pick up the eggs that the emus lay. There’s so much good that comes from those events. And we would hate to stop those. And lastly, we want to say that we don’t want to have more than three events. With COVID this year and having to reschedule – it was overwhelming for us.”
Janet Perez News Editor | Queen Creek &
San Tan Valley @AzNewsmedia
Meet Janet Janet Perez joined Independent Newsmedia as editor of the Queen Creek Independent and Florence Independent in 2020. She started her career in 1989 with the Gannett-owned El Paso Times. In 1992, she moved to Tempe and has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio and television. She left Arizona for three years to work at New Mexico State University and Baylor University before returning to work at Arizona State University. Missing the business, she went back to journalism in 2017.
Community: A long-time pet owner, she supports animal welfare causes.
Education: University of Texas at El Paso with a BA in journalism and a minor in political science.
Random Fact: She had a head full of random facts.
Hobbies: Reading, watching documentaries, cooking and playing with her dogs.
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