The October 15 decision effectively ends the prospect of a jury trial in the case, although the farm owner still has the option to appeal. Alongside earlier coverage by WRAL and Chapelboro, the dispute centres on Union Grove Farm in Orange County, where plans for a 2,500-seat entertainment venue have raised questions about land-use restrictions and the legal protection of agricultural landscapes, according to reporting by The News & Observer. The ruling was issued on October 15, ahead of a jury trial scheduled for November. Union Grove Farm owner Greg Bohlen has 30 days to challenge the ruling before the North Carolina Court of Appeals.
Morris did not provide a detailed explanation of his decision in the reported proceedings. A long-running dispute over development on protected farmland in North Carolina has taken a significant turn after a Superior Court judge ruled in favour of a conservation group seeking to stop a proposed outdoor amphitheater. Superior Court Judge John Morris granted summary judgment in favour of Triangle Land Conservancy (TLC), the nonprofit that has been fighting the proposed development.
However, in June 2025, the county’s planning director determined that the proposed amphitheater did not qualify as an agritourism activity and could not proceed under that exemption. The decision also rejected plans for additional commercial facilities, including 10 cottages, a 40-room farm stay centre, event space and a restaurant. Bohlen initially challenged the planning director’s decision but later withdrew his appeal before a scheduled Board of Adjustment hearing in October 2025.
The dispute also involved Orange County’s rules governing agritourism, which allow qualifying farms to conduct certain public-facing activities without following standard county zoning requirements. His legal team had indicated that the farm could explore a revised proposal with a smaller venue and different activities. That development did not resolve the separate conservation dispute. TLC continued pursuing its lawsuit, seeking a legal determination that the amphitheater violated the easement regardless of how the project was classified under county regulations.