Meditation retreat center, Dreamers Way, coming to Marshall
MARSHALL - The Madison County Planning Board approved a meditation retreat center in a continued meeting April 17.
In a meeting continued from March 19, the Planning Board approved Saloua Lahlou's special use permit application for a campground, the closest Land Use Ordinance criteria for the project.
The retreat center, which Lahlou said will be called Dreamers Way, is to be located along roughly 11 acres at 112 Munaya Way in Marshall.
Lahlou said she will be targeting women working in corporate environments between the ages of 25 and 55 and will be utilizing seven geodesic domes. She said the facility would also offer workshops and programs, and will offer amenities including cold plunges, hammocks and saunas.
"My goal is to create an environment for them to just be, and not have to go anywhere," Lahlou said. "It doesn't make sense to go to the land they don't know and not have them experience it. I'm creating a whole experience within my land that they don't need to venture out from. They come there for the experience that I create for them. It doesn't make sense for them to pay for an experience and not come and follow it."
A number of neighbors of the project, including Brian Roberts, Ila Teague, Brent Wise, Frank Sabatino and Scott Moore applied for standing in the quasi-judicial hearing.
Roberts, Moore and Teague were granted standing in the first meeting
Wise, an adjoining property owner, raised a number of concerns with the project, including light and noise pollution.
Wise said he purchased the property more than 20 years ago and hired a grader to come in and begin the process of building a home on the adjoining property.
But, according to Wise, when he heard about the plans for the retreat center, he had second thoughts.
"My retreat center would support women trying to escape to nature and to find peace, so my goal is to create a serene space that meets the mission of this sanctuary that I'm creating," Lahlou said.
"I will make sure the lighting will be downfacing so that it doesn't affect the neighboring properties."
Wise said he wished Lahlou would be deliberate about enforcing a no trespassing policy at their adjoining property line, where he built a fence.
"That would give us peace of mind, if you had that added to the restrictions. I would appreciate that," Wise said, who added that he and other neighbors wished to request a curfew for light usage as well, so that he and the neighbors could "see the sky without light pollution at night."
Lahlou said safety may be an issue if there were a no-light policy, but added that she was willing to find a middle ground to work with Wise.
Wise also said the parking lot's proximity to his property as laid out in the site plan was an additional grievance.
Teague is a member of nearby Laurel Fork Church, and said she was concerned about increased traffic and visitors using the church parking lot.
For Teague too, parking was a concern.
"You're parking not on a flat parking lot. You're parking on a steep slope, all the way up, to the top of that mountain," Teague said.
Lahlou said she recently accommodated 21 cars.
"I do care about the comfort of my visitors, so I would want them to be able to park their cars and have it be convenient for visitors," Lahlou said. "So, I assure you, I do have plenty of parking."
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Teague also raised the issue of environmental health standards, but board member Lee Wilds reminded attendees that the environmental health standards application will come later in the process following the Planning Board's decision.
Board attorney John Noor also mentioned to the board that it could impose a number of conditions in approving the permit.
"You can obviously make a condition on this application that she secure all environmental health permits necessary for the use she's proposing," Noor said. "But these are different regulatory schemes. One is for developmental approvals, which is what we're dealing with now, and one is for environmental health requirements."
Conditions
The board unanimously approved the special use permit, with a number of conditions:
An electric panel, well and parking area both be screened with a vegetative buffer, most likely trees.
The parking area being verified to be at least 200 feet from Wise's adjoining property.
Use of lights would be downfacing.
A quiet hours period of 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Adequate "no trespassing" signage/communication on appropriate property lines.
Environmental health standards permits will be received.
Board member Clayton Honeycutt reviewed the site plan and noticed the shared fence erected by Wise is actually on his property, according to the most recent survey done per Lahlou's application request.
"I just want to reiterate my commitment to being a good neighbor to my community, and addressing your concerns," Lahlou said. "Munaya is built from a vision of wellness and community. I hope that I get to host all of you someday, as well.
"Hopefully this will be a source of pride for the community, and will be a good addition. I'm here to listen, and I believe that together we can create something beneficial."
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Meditation retreat center, Dreamers Way, coming to Marshall
