TRUMBULL COUNTY Owner seeks to reopen party site

Her attorney said she depends on the income from the parties to pay her bills.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
and STEPHEN SIFF
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HARTFORD -- The operator of an adult-only party business wants to reopen.
Kay Hovis' Country Home, located on state Route 7, has been shut down the past several weeks because township officials say she is operating a business in a residentially zoned area.
"Ms. Hovis' attorney has contacted me and said that she would like to open back up and they want a decision as soon as possible because this lady depends on the business to pay her bills," said Atty. Mark Finamore, the township's legal counsel. "I promised we would have some sort of decision by next week."
Finamore said that Hovis' attorney, Robert Buford, contends the business should be allowed to reopen because it was operating before a zoning amendment was established barring business in that area.
Neither Buford nor Hovis could be reached to comment.
What matters
Trustee Rebecca Whitman said she has not become familiar with all the legalities of the case. However, she said she hopes Hovis will be required to have a hearing before the township zoning board of appeals.
"If she has a hearing in front of the zoning board of appeals, the people who are her neighbors will come in and be able to say what they think about it," Whitman said. "To me, that is the most important thing."
In the 25 years that Hovis has been holding her parties, there have been few complaints, she said.
Whether a public hearing is required hinges on whether township officials accept that the parties predate the relevant zoning amendment.
"They are basically asking for the grandfather clause, which means they should be allowed to operate because they were open before the amendment was established," Finamore said.
"I have to research it and find out when the amendment was established. If we rule against them on that issue, then I am told they will apply for a home occupation permit, which would allow them to operate a business out of the home."
If the Country Home applies for the home occupation permit, the township zoning inspector can approve it without having a public hearing, Finamore said.
"Atty. Buford also explained to me that if the home occupation permit is also denied, then they would ask for a zoning variance and that would require a public hearing," Finamore said.
Hovis has said that her weekend parties were gatherings of friends, and included singing and dancing as well as sex between consenting couples.
The business was shut down for zoning violations after Country Home's Web page was brought to the attention of Trumbull County and township officials by press reports.
The citation issued by zoning inspector William Eckart called for an immediate stop to the parties.
sinkovich@vindy.comsiff@vindy.com