For the second month in a row, the Washington County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing Monday on a request for a special exception permit needed to reopen the historic Moonlite Drive-In Theatre in Abingdon.
The application for the permit by the Historical Moonlite Company LLC was tabled after a lengthy discussion Sept. 23 because commission members said they needed more information, including a detailed site plan.
The drive-in on Lee Highway is in a general business zoning district, which doesn’t allow drive-ins without a special exception permit, according to Stephen Richardson, the county’s zoning official. If the theater had never closed, it would have been grandfathered in, he added.
The once popular drive-in, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, opened in 1949 and closed in 2013, according to co-owner Renee Blevins. In addition to showing movies there, the new owners want to use the 13-acre property as an entertainment venue, for private rentals, music events, plays, car shows and flea markets.
Kyle Blevins told the commission that because there are so many platforms for movies today, drive-ins have struggled to survive. Many have diversified to include other uses to bring in needed revenue to continue operating, he said.
Commission members had a number of questions about parking, security, noise and how late the drive-in would be open.
Commissioners Dulcie Mumpower and Christina Rehfuss both said several times that they have wonderful memories of the theater and support its reopening, but vital information was missing from the application.
Over the last month, the owners have submitted a lot of additional information, Richardson said Friday.
The commission will make a recommendation to the county’s board of supervisors, which will also hold a public hearing and make the final decision.
The planning commission meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Monday at the county government building at 1 Government Center Place in Abingdon. The complete agenda packet can be found here.
