CUMBERLAND – The County's Planning Commission will get to business at its first meeting of the new year by holding a public hearing concerning proposed amendments to Cumberland's Code for festival permits.

The changes would add certain events as by-right and conditional uses in agricultural and rural residential zoning districts. The amendments to the amusements, entertainments, and zoning ordinances would revise how large festivals and events in the county are permitted.

The public hearing is scheduled for Monday, January 9. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in room C-8 of the Cumberland County Community Center.

If the Planning Commission takes action on the proposed festival amendments, Cumberland's Board of Supervisors is already set to consider the changes and hold its own public hearing in February.

According to the information provided in the Commission's packet, the reason for the code amendment is “due to the recurring and intensive nature of some large events, the current practice of classifying all events as the same and permitting them through individual festival permits” which gives the County “very little ability to ensure the events are run in a safe and clean manner and that they do not detract from neighboring properties.”

The revisions are proposed for Chapter 6 Amusements and Entertainments, as well as Chapter 74 Zoning in the County's Code

“The proposed amendments would give greater detail to the type, frequency, and intensity of events, classify them in different categories, and restructure how they are permitted, either by Board approved festival permits, by-right, or by Planning Commission and Board approved Conditional Use Permits,” according to the information provided from the Planning and Zoning Office.

During the Commission's November meeting, Bret Schardein, planning director, provided that the Planning and Zoning Office and the Board of Supervisors are working with the County's Code to try to find a way to better manage events.