County Planning Board backs event space near Benson

SMITHFIELD — The Johnston County Planning Board on June 18 gave its blessing to an event venue near Benson. The request now goes to County Commissioners on Aug. 5.

Neal and Dhanraj Pancholi want to build an event space on 13.15 acres at 726 Denning Road, where they have a home.

“Big-picture plans propose an enclosed event building and then another one that is an open pavilion,” said Donnie Adams, whose firm, Adams & Hodge Engineering, is working on the project.

“I think the end goal is for it to be a wedding venue,” he said.

But building up that business will likely take some time.

“So it’ll be a multi-use venue,” Adams said.

A boardwalk spanning wetlands will lead to the pavilion, the engineer said. “They will be able to cross the wetlands and streams without making any impact,” he said.

The Planning Board’s only qualm was with the requested closing time of 2 a.m.

On the one hand, staff might need time to clean up after guests left, said board member Michelle Pace Davis. “That’s probably where he got the 2 a.m. from,” she said, referring to Mr. Pancholi.

But midnight would be more in line with other event venues in Johnston County, said Will Letchworth, the board’s chairman. “I feel like midnight is much more consistent with what we’ve approved around the county in the past,” he said.

Board member Freddie Hudson noted that midnight was the closing time for The Farm at 95. “That’s where our daughter got married,” he said.

Adams said his client would be fine with midnight.

With traffic a mounting concern in Johnston, board member Tim Little thanked Adams for not putting the venue’s parking near Denning Road. “I appreciate you getting the parking as far away from the road as you can,” he said.

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