In the notice of protest, opponents are saying that lighting and noise coming from the Melton Family Rodeo will "harass" property owners and diminish property values. The appeal was submitted to the county commissioners Monday morning by Tim Joyce, the neighboring property owners' attorney. An appeal to the permit had to be filed within 10 days. Presiding Commissioner Arden Engelage said the commission has 30 days from when the appeal was received to schedule a public hearing to revisit the issue. The appeal was signed by Jerry Scheidegger, Don and Edna Whitmore, Cory and Jennifer Web, and Joe and Karen Gruber, all landowners who live within 1,000 feet of the property owned by the Meltons. Other nearby landowners who are within one mile of the Meltons' property and who signed the appeal are Samuel and Norma Allen, Jeremy and Carol Copenhaver, Jim Grassmuck, Verona Hodges, and Elmer and Luella Johnson. "People in Warren County are getting the short end of the stick," Scheidegger said. "The (Meltons) did it and don't have a concern for the rest of us. They are trying to throw this down somebody's throat." Two weeks ago, the county's planning and zoning board met and approved a two-year conditional use permit allowing the Meltons to operate their facility contingent on following several strict guidelines. Some of the limits include shorter hours of operation, the number of events that can be held every month and prohibiting alcohol on the premises. Neighbors want to know why the facility was built without first getting approval from the county. "This could set a bad precedence," Scheidegger said. In the appeal, the adjacent neighbors contend that the Meltons' conditional use permit is not allowed in the agricultural and forest management zoning district and that the application does not fit the definition of a public recreational facility allowed in the county's zoning order. In addition, opponents also mentioned that by charging a fee for participants, a rezoning should be required in place of a conditional use permit. The appeal also states concerns that Pin Oak Road, a county road, would not be able to handle the extra traffic. The Meltons have indicated they plan on fighting any appeals. Last week, they told the commissioners they planned on filing an appeal of their own in an effort to have the facility's hours lengthened. During an event, the hours had been set 5-11 p.m. on Fridays and 10 a.m.-11 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sundays. The Meltons want to see the hours lengthened to 1 a.m. Attempts to reach the Meltons this week for further comment were unsuccessful. Following the April 16 planning and zoning meeting, they said their main purpose in building the arena was to provide local entertainment. They don't plan on charging admission fees, but participants in the competitions would be required to be pay entry fees. The Meltons estimated they have spent $75,000 on building the arena. It currently does not have lights.