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Last month we shared about the Shireton proposal being considered in Buckingham County. The idea took another step forward this week, getting approval from the planning commission after a few changes. 

Neighbors of the property raised several concerns during the Monday, June 24 meeting. Mainly, where will all the people park for events and does Route 622 have the capacity to handle all of that traffic? But beyond that, several of the neighbors envisioned a very loud scene when events would be held, especially since going into Monday’s meeting, property owners Matthew and Jessica Nicholas had agreed to cap the attendees of any event at 500. But what would 500 people sound like, residents asked, on a road they feel isn’t made for that amount of traffic? And beyond that, sound carries. So how would you like hearing all 500 cars as they wait in line, honking horns and getting frustrated with no places to park. 

“We can hear the cars that go on 622,” neighbor John Durham said. “We can hear every car that crosses Melita Bridge.” 

The developer also argued for a limited number of events allowed at the facility. Otherwise, he foresees people coming in and out of the property on a regular basis. 

“If you let them operate five days a week, they will book it five days a week,” Durham said. 

‘This is my paradise’

Hunter Maxey spoke on behalf of his 97-year-old grandmother, who owns part of the property right next door to this. He pointed out there’s no trees, no brush or no buffer at all between the properties, so any events at ‘Shireton’ would be definitely seen and heard next door. 

“I encourage the planning commission to think not of potential tax revenue or economic benefit from approval, but instead think of preservation of the beauty and tranquility of the rural county that we love, as well as protecting rights to that same peace and tranquility of its private landowners,” Maxey said. “I think paving the way for the approval of large event venues such as this in this area sets a poor standard for this and it also allows outsiders to come in and exploit this county’s land for their own profit at the expense of other adjacent rural landowners.” 

That was pretty much the response from a number of nearby landowners, many of whom said they didn’t move to Buckingham for something like this to happen next door. 

“We have just retired and this is my paradise,” said Carla Justice. “I don’t feel like it’s going to be a good venue out there. I would just like it to remain as peaceful as it’s been and not hazard us with all the traffic on 622 as a result. 

Describing Shireton

Before we go any further, what exactly is this “Shireton” project? It’s the idea of Matthew and Jessica Nicholas. The couple live in Powhatan, but own a piece of property in the Slate River District. Located on 23.92 acres, at 1025 Melita Road. Just after the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt and Jessica purchased the land and built a small, one bedroom, one bath ‘earthbound’ home. That is, one literally covered from top to bottom with dirt and grass. From the road, it almost looks like a small hill, except for one window.

That’s where the Shireton name comes from, as it resembles a Hobbit home in the Shire, from the Lord of the Rings books and movies. In addition to serving as a house for them and their two children, the couple want to use it in a variety of ways. That includes everything from an AirBnB to a campsite and events center, where weddings, reunions, parties, music events, and photo shoots could take place. They also want to consider wine tastings, dinner parties and similar projects to be held there. 

And here’s where the concerns come in. Originally, they had pitched the idea of allowing a max of 1,500 guests for events, before dropping it down to 500. But as planning commission members pointed out, there’s no way currently to make that work. 

“I’m just trying to be realistic,” said planning commission member Peter Kapuscinski. “I don’t know that (the) property will ever hold 500 people. You’d have to do something significant to even put 200 cars there.” 

Dennis Davis agreed. The Board of Supervisors member, who serves on the planning commission as the board’s representative, questioned the ability to manage traffic, as well as more than 100 vehicles for an event, with limited ways in and out of the property. 

“We knew that traffic was going to be a major concern for people, so we went ahead and sought a traffic determination from Mr. Charles Edwards, the permit manager and VDOT engineer,” Lisa Nicholas said. “(He) determined the traffic generated by the proposal does not exceed normal limits.” 

The main use for Shireton

The goal, Lisa Nicholas said, is for the family to eventually live at the “Hobbit” house, so they want to be good neighbors. 

“We want this place to be peaceful and tranquil,” Lisa said. “That’s kind of the whole point of the look of the house too. It’s covered in dirt and grass. We want it to continue to look like it blends into nature. We don’t want it to be anything other than happiness and tranquility that it brings us every time we go out. The same joy everyone here is experiencing, we want to give that to other people too.” 

After some discussion, the Nicholas family and planning commission agreed on a maximum of 150 people for events on site, with only four allowed each year. They also agreed that anytime there’s 75 or more people scheduled to be on site, the county sheriff and emergency services have to be notified. 

The revised proposal passed unanimously and now moves on to the Buckingham Board of Supervisors for a vote.