To its supporters, the Inn at Peralynna Manor is one of Howard County's best kept secrets.

But to some of its neighbors, the inn's special events, like weddings and birthday parties, bring unwanted noise, traffic and trash to an otherwise peaceful residential area along Clarksville Pike near Columbia.

The future of those special events, and of the inn itself, are up in the air as the county considers a zoning regulation change for the property.

The Planning Board held a hearing on the proposal in October but did not make a final decision. A meeting on the issue is set for 6 p.m., Nov. 13 before the matter goes to the County Council, which has the final say.

Owner Cynthia Lynn, 55, said she decided with her husband David, 66, to turn their home into an inn about a year after they built it in 1996. At the time, county zoning allowed them to operate as a boarding house with four rooms, and they targeted guests seeking longer stays Eventually they gained approval for up to 19 guests in 2001.

However, the Lynns said the county told them they would need to become a hotel in order to house that many people. So they made changes, including adding fire escapes and a sprinkler system, and began hosting special events, assuming it was allowed under their zoning.

The Lynns said they learned earlier this year they were not able to host special events and decided to seek a zoning change that would allow them to operate as they had been doing as a "country inn."

The Department of Planning and Zoning has come out against the request, citing worries that allowing nonhistoric properties to become country inns would open the special category up to too many homes.

The Lynns' proposal has drawn fire from some nearby residents. Their nearest neighbor, Carole Klawansky, 61, said she briefly did some marketing work for the Lynns and initially supported the business when it operated as a boarding house. Klawanksy said she believes the couple has since deliberately flouted zoning rules by hosting special events and said the entire business should be shut down.

"They have never shown good faith in staying within what they were approved for," she said.

Others, including some in the business community, have written in support of the inn, saying they have used it as a meeting place and location for out-of-town guests to stay. Cynthia Lynn said the special events give a boost to other local businesses, such as restaurants and florists.

Richard McAllister, 70, who lives in Columbia but not near the inn, said he stayed there with his wife while work was being done on their home. They were hoping to host a small event for friends at the inn in May, and McAllister wrote to the county in support of the proposal.

"It's a convenient place for us to all to get together instead of trying to squeeze into somebody's home," he said. "I think it's a good thing to have in Howard County."

Joel Barry Brown, 64, a retired real estate developer who lives east of the property, said those special events have a negative impact on nearby homes. The inn adds traffic to an already busy stretch of road, the building itself is large and overwhelms other houses in the area, and there are problems with noise, outdoor lighting and trash connected to special events, he said.

"It's just out of character for the neighborhood," he said. "I would certainly hope, at a minimum, that they are not allowed to have meetings, outside activities, any type of events such as that."

If the County Council decides in the Lynns' favor, county staff recommend classifying the inn as a "boutique hotel" instead of a "country inn." The staff proposal would bar special events at boutique hotels under 5 acres, which would include Peralynna Manor.

If they do not get the approval they're seeking, Lynn said she'll have to "go back to the drawing board."

"We might have to sell it," she said. "I don't think we're going to fill up with enough rooms to support ourselves in this economy. We'd like to continue to do what we're doing and have good relations with everybody."

user comments (1)

user exinsider says...

Well, as long as we are criticizing this inn for operating as a commercial venture beyond what the zoning laws envision, let's take a similar look at the re-creation of the Enchanted Forest amusement park operating across the street in an agricultural preservation area. No offense to the memory of the late Senator James Clark, but that's NOT what either the state or county ag preservation programs are about.

Posted 9:44 PM, 11.13.08

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