AUBURN — The father-daughter duo who proposed using a Fairview Avenue home as a wedding venue has withdrawn the application following considerable public opposition.

According to an email to city staff from co-applicant F. Stephen Ward, the number of requirements remaining to be met would make it impossible for the venue to operate for the 2024 season, and proposed restrictions on the property “may result in our not being able to operate the venue in the way we originally intended.”

Ward and his daughter Katharine Hall, who recently bought the property at 138 Fairview Ave., proposed using a barn to host intimate weddings. The proposal was almost immediately controversial among the neighborhood, who feared for excessive noise and added traffic.

In response to the concerns, Ward and Hall attempted to work with city staff and consultants on multiple ways to mitigate potential issues. The Planning Board was scheduled to discuss the application next week, a hearing that had been postponed from January.

“Given the updates to the property we decided that it was outside of our scope at this time,” Hall said Thursday. “The city was amazing to work with and showed strong collaboration, we are appreciative of the partnership they were able to offer.”

Asked if they might revisit the plan in the future, Hall said they plan “to enjoy the space and focus on some of the updates we would like to make inside for now.”

Auburn city staff said Thursday that new notices will be sent to update neighbors on the status of the application.

Eric Cousens, director of planning and permitting, said Thursday that since the application was for a special exception, there are often conditions imposed that limit elements of a project.

“It seems the costs associated with meeting the standards and the operational limitations that looked necessary to get an approval at the Planning Board led them to this decision,” he said.

The property is in the T-4.2B zoning district, where halls, private clubs and lodges are only allowed with a special exception of the Planning Board. The district was created as part of the controversial rezoning process in Auburn meant to give property owners more flexibility with their land and encourage more housing, but it was opposed by many, including now-Mayor Jeff Harmon, due to perceived impacts to residential neighborhoods.

The initial application from Ward and Hall said the venue would be designed for smaller-scale events, with attendees limited to 75 or fewer. The applicants were also proposing to use sound sensors, lighting and a parking plan that would lessen any impact on neighbors. The pair also argued that the wedding venue would have a positive economic impact for Auburn, bringing overnight guests to local hotels, restaurants and wedding-related businesses like caterers, flower shops, and more.

Cousens said planning staff worked closely with the applicants to “help them put together an application that could meet the standards of the ordinance.”

“We do this with all applicants and we work to help them overcome hurdles in a way that works with their business idea, meets neighborhood needs and that allows staff to provide a favorable recommendation to the Planning Board,” he said.

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