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The Marshall family wants to set up a country store and events center on Axtell Road. Before discussing approval, the Buckingham County Planning Commission majority they need to know an estimate about the number of events they plan to hold and how many people are expected to show up. 

During the group’s Monday, Oct. 28 meeting, members spoke with Stefanie Marshall about her family’s plan, just pointing out they need a bit more detail. Stefanie and her husband Shane own the Brickyard Bulls farm on Axtell Road, which is where this country store and events center would be set up. She explained this would be more of a specialty shop, rather than say a Mast General Store or something like that. 

“As far as a general store where you can pick up a pack of Nabs and a Coke? That’s really not what I’m going for,” Stefanie Marshall said. “We intend to sell our beef. We plan to have freezers with glass doors, to sell local honey, maybe some other products that local people have, that they would be willing to put in the store.” 

As for the events, the Marshall family’s plans cover a wide range. They want to hold cooking classes at the farm, micro weddings, Agriculture Tours, themed evenings with wineries, distilleries and breweries. Stefanie Marshall also said they would like to hold cattle industry seminars and tours, Wagyu Association meetings and some community events, as well as opportunities for local schools to send kids out on a field trip, to learn about the farm. 

And planning commission members didn’t have any problems with that. Some were just concerned because for previous applicants, they had required each one provide an estimate both on the number of events and how many people would be at each one. 

Buckingham County questions

The reason for the request about attendance is so the planning commission can look at what the proposal would mean for traffic on the road, to see if they have enough parking and make sure it all meets with the county rules. But Stefanie said she couldn’t give a number right now. 

“I’m trying not to limit it, because we don’t know how big this might get,” Stefanie Marshall said. “I’m kinda hoping it gets bigger than I think.”

The property is located at 3323 Axtell Road in Scottsville and it’s zoned agriculture (A-1). As per the Buckingham zoning ordinance, that means a retail store and events center needs a special use permit, which is why the family is coming before the planning commission. Stefanie said she would talk to her husband and try to come up with some estimates for attendance. 

“I would like to have as many events as I could,” she told the commission, adding that she’d like to be able to tell schools yes, anytime they call up and ask if they can bring students over. In terms of the cooking classes, she expected about 20 people roughly, maybe 50 to something like the Wagyu Association meeting. 

The case will now go to a public hearing at the planning commission’s next meeting. That’s scheduled for Monday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m.