Attend the Community Meeting
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
6:30 pm – 8:00 pm
Whitted Building – Donna S. Baker Meeting Room
300 West Tryon St., Hillsborough
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Attend the County Board of Adjustment Hearing
Wednesday, June 11, 2025
7:00 pm
Whitted Building, 300 West Tryon St., Hillsborough
When you think of the Maple View Farm area in southern Orange County, you might picture rolling pastures, dairy cows, an agricultural center, locals enjoying ice cream on hot summer days, and quiet open space — as pictured above. For decades, Maple View Farm was a cornerstone of our rural community.
In 2022, that changed. Bob Nutter died and the family sold the working dairy that had served its neighbors and cared for the land. The Nutter family sold the land to Union Grove Farm (UGF), which has since set in motion a development plan that threatens the very purpose of the Rural Buffer.
What is Proposed?
The new owner is requesting to build a 2,500-seat amphitheater, a 40-person hotel with a restaurant, a distillery, a regenerative agriculture education center, ten casitas (small homes), and a garden with a 2000 square foot pavilion — all under the claim of being an “agritourism” operation exempt from county zoning laws. While the hotel must go through normal approval, the rest has already been greenlit as “agritourism” by Orange County Planning staff.
Why Does the Outcome Matter?
What appeared at first to be a zoning loophole has the potential to become a precedent-setting attempt to bring commercial businesses into the Rural Buffer, a protected area designed to preserve low-density, agricultural, and natural uses. This development would open the door to more commercial incursions, undermining one of the most important land conservation tools in the region.
It also violates a conservation easement held by the Triangle Land Conservancy, which was put in place to permanently protect the land’s agricultural, scenic, and ecological value. The amphitheater, distillery, and education center are proposed on land specifically protected under that easement that was once home to rare bird species and biodiverse habitats.
What Is the Rural Buffer?
Established in 1987 under the Joint Planning Agreement (JPA) between Orange County, Carrboro, and Chapel Hill, the Rural Buffer was created to limit urban sprawl, preserve farmland, and protect open space. It allows dense development inside towns while ensuring the surrounding countryside remains rural in character with no urban services like sewer or water expansion. In exchange, farms enjoy an exemption from county zoning, including protections for public safety, sanitation, traffic, and more.
Under the JPA, the Rural Buffer is intended for single-family homes on large lots, bona fide farms, and low-intensity agricultural support uses. Commercial venues like hotels and amphitheaters are not permitted. Through wise land use policies, Orange County leaders have continued our farming traditions.
What Is the Purpose of a Conservation Easement?
A conservation easement is a legal agreement that permanently limits how land can be used in order to protect wildlife habitats, water quality, and the natural rural environment. These agreements are foundational to long-term land and watershed protection.
Bob Nutter, the family patriarch, worked with the Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC) to place an easement on portions of Maple View’s farmland to safeguard it in perpetuity. Now, that easement is under threat as the new owner seeks to repurpose that land for private entertainment and tourism. TLC and neighbors are appealing the county’s decision on the proposed amphitheater to the Board of Adjustment.
A Disappearing Landscape…And Its Birds
Maple View Farm was once one of the top birding areas in Orange County. Over 180 species had been recorded there. In recent years, as the dairy was replaced with vineyards and sheep pastures, bird counts have dropped with only half as many birds and species observed last year compared to previous years.
According to its permit application, UGF has applied to install lasers to keep birds away, which is a stark and disturbing contradiction to its marketing of “regenerative agriculture” and “enhancing biodiversity.”
What Else You Can Do to Help:
Donate to the Legal Fund
defendmapleviewcommunity.com
If you would like to receive updates, send your email to this address.
info@bolincreek.org
Your Voice Matters
The outcome of this permit request will potentially affect the integrity of the Rural Buffer, the future of land conservation in Orange County, and what kind of development we allow in our rural communities. Let’s make sure that a loophole does not take away farmland meant to be protected for future generations.
