The Guilford County Planning Board will hold a meeting with a quasi-judicial evidentiary hearing on Thursday, July 15 at 6 p.m. to consider a Special Use Permit to operate a special events venue on the west side of North Church Street. 

The hearing will be concerned with 10 acres just south of North Church Street’s intersection with Prima Drive on land that’s currently zoned Agricultural.

The land at the site of the proposed special events center is owned by Eddie McLaurin who runs “Woods Of Terror” ­– an extremely popular Halloween attraction off of North Church Street and south of NC-150. 

The site the permit is being requested for is just north of the Woods of Terror site.

Project backers are seeking the Special Use Permit to operate a “Special Event Venue” subject to a submitted site plan with several proposed conditions, including building 43 parking spaces and meeting certain setback and landscaping requirements.

 According to Guilford County Planning staff, the potential special events venue is in harmony with the area, and the proposed building is 70 feet from the adjacent residential lots on the north. There is also a berm to help buffer the site.

Guilford County Planning Director Leslie Bell said his department is holding the public hearing on the project at the NC Cooperative Extension-Agricultural Center – better known as the “Ag Center” – at 3309 Burlington Road in Greensboro.  He said that’s a building in a low-crime area with a lot of space that will allow social distancing. 

Bell added that it’s difficult to have this type of hearing virtually.

He also said that he expects more details about the project to come out during the hearing and people will get a better idea of the proposed use.

Limited seating will be available on a first-come, first-served basis, with social distancing guidelines and mask rules in effect.

To view the Special Use Permit Guidelines, you can visit the link:

https://www.guilfordcountync.gov/home/showpublisheddocument/11981/637588495341247655   

Those in attendance will be given an opportunity to be heard at this meeting.