Amid dispute with Pulaski County, Del. Marie March's Big Red Barn listed for sale

“I’m just praying every day that it does not sell,” said Brenda Blackburn, manager of the Big Red Barn, billed online as a community worship center. “We have been targeted.”

The 10-acre property at 4241 Lee Highway in Pulaski is owned by a company of state Del. Marie March, R-Floyd, but was posted for sale last week, amid an ongoing permitting dispute with county government. Blackburn blames one person for that dispute: County Administrator Jonathan Sweet.

“The main reason we’ve been targeted is because of Jonathan Sweet, and I’ll tell him to his face,” Blackburn said during a phone call. “This barn has cost Marie a whole lot of money.”

Sweet said Pulaski County has a tremendous amount of written record demonstrating its efforts to work with March and company in allowing the Big Red Barn to legally operate.

“We continue to want to see successful businesses that comply with our zoning ordinance operate and be successful there,” Sweet said during a phone call. “We’re happy to work with the existing owner or future owners to help make that happen.”

Blackburn said the barn was meant to become a place to host numerous events, from weddings to receptions to birthday parties, and March had envisioned it would become a local Republican headquarters.

“If it’s God’s will for her to sell that barn, then she will sell it,” Blackburn said. “But God is in that place.”

Sweet said the county building official, zoning department as well as his administration office have done everything they can to work with the Big Red Barn.

“We’re just trying to work with them to allow them to reach compliance, and be consistent with every other business owner, property owner in the county,” Sweet said. “We want them to comply with zoning, and we want them to be successful there.”

The barn property is zoned for agricultural uses.

“I was told when it’s zoned agriculture, and it is, you can have anything you want to,” Blackburn said. “You can do whatever you want to in the barn.”

The listed asking price of $715,000 for the Big Red Barn property is 78% higher than its purchase price last June for $400,000, according to online real estate listings.

Sweet said a lot of people in the county find this to be an interesting turn of events.

“We’ve had very little productive communication from the Big Red Barn, so we’re not certain what their plans are, or what the issues are,” Sweet said. “Looking at what they purchased the property for versus what they’re selling the property for, it doesn’t look like they’re very interested in selling.”

Likewise, Blackburn said she is unsure about future plans for the business. Church services that started a couple months ago will continue at least until the end of the year, she said.

“I don’t know why Marie done it, I really don’t. But I think she just got fed up,” Blackburn said. “You’re going to have to be a real rich person to afford this barn, with the price that’s on there right now.”

March did not respond to a request for comment. Blackburn said she hopes Sweet is satisfied.

“You can’t fight the devil so long,” Blackburn said. “But you know what, God’s still the winner, and I still feel like I’m on the winning side. And so is Marie.”