Couple Seeks Permit To Turn Barn Into Country Music, Dance Arena

If all goes well for one Valley couple, the area could have a new country music venue next summer.

Scott and Pamela Brownlee have asked the county zoning adjustor to grant them a conditional use permit, allowing them to turn their 7,000-square-foot barn near the Idaho border into a music and line-dancing arena.

The Brownlees would also host events such as horseshoe and roping contests, horse-drawn carriage rides and catered barbecues. The business would also include a petting zoo.

The property’s zoning allows for commercial use, as long as a conditional use permit is obtained. The property is located at 3912 N. Idaho Road, a quarter-mile south of Interstate 90’s Exit 299.

Scott Brownlee, a UCLA film professor who commutes by plane, said he is also a musician and has used the barn for concerts before. He saw a barn-turned performance hall operate in Colorado, and decided he could start one here.

He said the Spokane Visitors Bureau expressed interest in his idea, and he hopes neighbors will support him.

So far, he said he hasn’t heard of any complaints, and some neighbors have written letters to the county planning department in favor of his business.

“If you’re going to have a business here, this is what you want,” Brownlee said.

“We’re not going to change anything, except the paint on our barn. It will keep the area agricultural.”

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Public hearing The zoning adjustor will hold a public hearing Aug. 30 on the Brownlee’s request for a conditional use permit. The hearing will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Commissioners Assembly Room at the Public Works Building, 1026 W. Broadway.