A request from Springdale Farm to host more events was denied June 9 by Planning Commission.[/caption] Springdale Farm was denied a conditional-use permit June 9 that would have allowed more events at the 5-acre East Austin property. Owners Paula and Glenn Foore are now questioning the future of the urban farm. “The city is either going to bless us, or we’ll just have to sell the farm and get out of here,” Glenn Foore told Community Impact Newspaper in March. “We don’t want to—we fought this for a year and a half.” Glenn Foore said in a letter this week to supporters that he and his wife are now regrouping and will soon decide their next move. The couple said they anticipated approval June 9 after gaining unanimous Planning Commission support late last year on a zoning change that set some parameters for events. Austin City Council further tightened those rules by restricting how many events of a certain size can be hosted each year, among other regulations. However, Planning Commission this time voted 3-2 to reject the request for an events permit, with Danette Chimenti, Brian Roark and James Shieh casting no votes. Commissioners Alfonso Hernandez, Jean Stevens, Stephen Oliver and Nuria Zaragosa were absent, and four Planning Commission seats are vacant. "I made sure the City Council and the Planning Commission knew all along we were building toward conditional-use permit approval," Glenn Foore said June 11. "So as they kept passing along and approving these things—only to get to this point, it's pretty harsh." Chimenti, who chairs the commission, supported the previous zoning change, but this time she said she empathizes with the nearby GoValle/Johnston Terrace neighborhood residents. "I'm unhappy only five of us are here tonight. ... But I live near South Congress, so I live that nightmare," Chimenti said. "The parking really does have a huge impact." This 2014 photo shows The League of Cities visiting Springdale Farm as part of a city tour arranged by the city of Austin. Members from the League of Cities expressed support via social media for Springdale Farm upon learning of its effort to host more events, according to co-owner Glenn Foore.[/caption] Parking concerns were also cited by neighbors despite an arrangement between Springdale Farm and Austin ISD to allow parking at the adjacent Allan Elementary School. Additionally, neighborhood representatives told Planning Commission members they would effectively be approving an event center within their neighborhood. "I am really concerned that in this largely hispanic neighborhood this is allowed," said Bill Aleshire, former Travis County judge and a lawyer representing the GoValle/Johnston Neighborhood. "It reminds me of Austin’s really nasty past on the way it treats people of color." Glenn Foore denounces claims of racism, calling it a political attempt to dissuade commissioners from approving his farm's permit request. "It's pretty disgusting to have people in 2015 playing the race card," he said. "Unfortunately we're in the crosshairs, and we're taking it for the whole gentrification thing." Planning Commissioner James Nortey said Springdale Farm "has bent over backwards" in seeking a compromise with neighborhood residents, a claim that caused opponents in the audience to disrupt the rest of his statement. Foore and his wife are yet to decide if they want to endure further scrutiny by asking City Council members to appeal the Planning Commission decision. "We've had an outpouring of support," Glenn Foore said. "People are ready to roll up their sleeves and go." Should they decide to appeal, Springdale Farm may be forced to also overcome claims that an events permit helps support an otherwise faulty business plan. Ex-officio Planning Commission member Jeff Jack said he generally supports the agriculture operation but not an increase to the six annual events otherwise allowed at urban farms.

"We’re setting a precedent here to solve one individual business’s economic problem by allowing them to have an entertainment venue that then is intrusive to the neighbors," Jack said. "We’re just helping them economically survive by allowing them to infringe upon the neighborhood."

Glenn Foore said he is still looking to see if any scheduled events may need canceled or what fiscal impact this decision might have on Springdale Farm.