The Board of Supervisors on Oct. 28 denied an appeal and upheld Planning Commission approval of a modification to the Ridgefield Events conditional use permit, allowing limited overnight stays and weekend "retreat" packages intended to reduce weekend traffic and sound impacts.

Applicant Scott Davies had asked to increase the maximum guest cap and to allow up to 14 overnight guests for weekend retreats (a Friday'Sunday stay built around a single wedding day on Saturday). Davies told the board the change "allows a small group of guests a longer time to connect with each other and spend time together and more of their money here in Humboldt County," and that the retreat format reduces the number of separate weekend events.

Appellant Ken Stumpf and several neighbors argued the change would increase amplified music, traffic and pressure on water and septic. Stumpf asserted the commission'approved weekend packages would effectively permit three separate gatherings to be treated as one event and "could increase the number of original events" beyond the original permit cap.

Planning staff and the commission had required additional conditions before forwarding approval: 30 events per season cap (mid-April through mid-October), limits on amplified events, an 80-dB property-line decibel cap tied to the county's short-term-rental noise threshold, a three-year supplemental monitoring requirement and other operational restrictions. The board accepted the planning findings, clarified the resolution language and added conditions (including requiring sound monitoring at remote locations and clarifying the 30-event limit). The board voted 5-0 to deny the appeal and approve the modified permit with conditions.