Marshall – The quiet country of Madison County seems ideal as a getaway. However, residents in the area have expressed doubts about the proposed site for such a protected area.
The Madison County Planning Commission held a quasi-judicial conference on March 19 for an applicant proposing to establish a meditation retreat center for corporate women. Ultimately, the hearing was continued until the April 16 board meeting so that the applicant, Saloua Lahlou, could provide an update on the application.
LaRue went before the board and applied for a special use permit to operate the approximately 11-acre retreat center at 112 Munaya Way in Marshall.
LaRue, who works as a life coach, said the retreat center facility will be called Dreamer’s Way.
“Women need to connect with nature, and the reason I moved to Marshall is to create a sanctuary for women to connect with nature, to rest and heal,” LaRue said.
Many of the proposed project’s neighbors, including Ayla Teague, a member of nearby Laurel Fork Baptist Church, were allowed to attend the public hearing, raising concerns about potential noise, increased traffic and out-of-town traffic. Visitors from across the country expressed their concerns. project.
“When it comes to noise, I teach my methods and discuss with the women in circles. We do breathing sessions, we do meditation sessions,” Lalu said. “We were talking about their hopes and dreams and how to create them. So it’s not about making noise.”
Brian Roberts and Scott Moore, two of the owners of adjacent properties, were also allowed to take the stand at the quasi-judicial hearing.
Roberts said one of his main concerns was that the project was proposed as a behavioral health center.
LaRue said the center is not a behavioral health center and that she is not certified as a life coach to run such a center.
Instead, the facility will be used for meditation retreats aimed at women working in the corporate world, with the aim of minimizing burnout. He said plans for the facility call for seven prefabricated domes, and the facility will also utilize workshops and programs.
Larue said he hopes to offer the property for campground rentals in the future.
Teague expressed concerns about visitors getting lost and having to turn back on church grounds, as well as the potential for light pollution.
“I don’t see any parking needed outside of my property. This should alleviate your parking concerns,” LaRue said, adding that the updated application includes additional parking for the project. It added that eight parking spaces would be reflected.
Regarding light pollution, LaRue said the only external light coming from the Dreamers Way property is LED or solar lights used to illuminate the walkways.
According to LaRue, they plan to hold four-day events about three times a year, but the stay is usually one or two nights.
Special Use Permit Questions
Another reason the public hearing was continued is because the application was submitted as a campground project, so that Development Services Director Brad Gass and the planning team could properly determine which land use the application most closely resembles. It was for the purpose of
But Planning Commission Chairman Jared Silver said he feels the project is more like something else.
“What you’re describing to me is not a campground,” Silver said.
Gass said the campground “was the best definition the planning team had in the ordinance for use.”
“Keep in mind that if there is no use and this occurs in the context of a biomass facility, the zoning administrator needs to find the most similar use if something is not defined in the ordinance.” County Land Utilization lawyer John said. Noor said.
The Madison County Planning Commission is scheduled to vote on whether to issue a special use permit for Dreamers Way at its April 16 meeting. The board will meet at the Marshall Library (1335 N. Main St.) at 6:30 p.m.
Johnny Casey has covered Madison County for three years for the Citizen Times and the News-Record & Sentinel. He won the 2023 North Carolina Press Association Award for First Place in Beat News Reporting. Contact him at 828-210-6074 or jcasey@citizentimes.com.
