Developer aiming to turn Middlesex Township house into event space
MIDDLESEX TWP — A massive property on Monks Road in Middlesex Township may soon become home to the county’s newest event venue.
Kelley Perry, a real estate agent based in Cranberry Township, has spent the last three months seeking a conditional use from Middlesex Township to turn the 17-acre property on Monks Road into the Selenite Tea House and Event Venue, a catering and event space. Perry presented her plan for the venue during a supervisors meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 18, and has presented it at meetings of the zoning hearing board and the planning commission.
The Monks Road property is zoned AG-A for rural residential. Under the township’s zoning ordinance, catering/event venues are a conditional use in the AG-A zone.
According to Butler County property records, the Monks Road property was sold to Waldosia Holdings — a company named on Perry’s LinkedIn profile — in July 2024 for $725,000.
“I would say it’s been in conception since 2023, but we’ve been at this particular target location since August of 2024,” Perry said, while adding that she was previously considering other locations.
The Selenite would operate as a teahouse Mondays through Thursdays, and would host special events on the other three days of the week. Perry said she isn’t ruling out the possibility of using the four-bedroom, two-bathroom house as a short-term rental.
“There’s going to be baby showers, bridal showers, small dinners, birthday parties, other small celebrations. That's the plan for right now,” Perry said. “On the weekends, there could be short-term rental stays or small events, but not both at the same time.”
The plans for Selenite also call for a commercial kitchen to be placed in an already-existing outbuilding on the Monks Road property.
Perry said that noise complaints shouldn’t be too much of a concern, as none of the events held at the venue would generate much noise and the venue is in a remote part of the township.
“It’s in a rural country farmland,” Perry said. “There's not going to be any loud exterior music or anything like that, so I don’t expect there to be any noise issues.
In addition, there are no plans to sell or distribute alcoholic beverages at the Selenite, although there may be strictly “BYOB” events at some point.
Perry anticipates a maximum of between 60 and 80 patrons per day for the teahouse, and no more than 100 patrons for small events.
The supervisors are expected to vote on the approval of the conditional use permit at their next meeting on Jan. 15. Assuming the township grants its approval, Perry is aiming to have the Selenite open by the spring, dependent on receiving the necessary permits and licenses.
“The commercial building permit’s about to be filed. That’s about a two-week turn time,” Perry said. “Then the food license turnaround is about 60 days. So the goal is spring 2025.”
