Short-Term Rental Ordinance Moves Forward In Cherokee County

CANTON, GA — Cherokee County is moving forward with a short-term rental ordinance, geared at regulating the use of home rentals for parties and short stays by non-residents.

The Board of Commissioners discussed the possibility of the ordinance at its annual retreat in January. The county planning staff drafted the ordinance with requirements that the property owner secure a short-term rental certificate, which reflects the same process of obtaining a business license in the county. It would require an initial application fee and an annual renewal fee; the fee schedule has not been set.

The ordinance would fall under specially licensed businesses and not within the county zoning ordinance.

As proposed, the ordinance defines short-term rental as less than 30 days. Limitations on short term rentals are proposed at five bedrooms and 16 people on the premises. No short-term rental can function as a special event facility, lodge, campground or similar use, and it cannot be a multi-family dwelling unit. Requirements include hard-surface parking only (no parking in a yard), and a local 24-hour contact person. Renters must be age 24 or older and responsible for the occupants of the rental.

A public hearing on the ordinance will be held June 1 during the regular board of commissioners meeting, which begins at 6 p.m. at the Cherokee County Administration Building. District 1 Commissioner Steve West made the motion to call for the public hearing, which was seconded by District 2 Commissioner Richard Weatherby. The board approved the motion, 5-0.

At the May 4 regular meeting, the noard of vommissioners also:

• Held a public hearing on changes to the Highway 92 Village Overlay prohibited uses, during which no one spoke. A request from Yanmar Evo Center to allow tractor sales at its location prompted a review of the prohibited uses, some of which date back to the 1990s. Following a review, planning staff recommended to remove drive-in movie theaters, farm/gardening equipment sales and hotels/motels with an outdoor entry from the list of prohibited uses. Planning Manager Margaret Stallings presented the proposed changes, citing higher land value in the overlay area that likely would not result in an extended stay motel being built. Additionally, a regulation already exists that prohibits outside entrances for hotels/motels at which 35 percent or more of the units have kitchenettes. She also said the drive-in movie theaters are not a viable use in the overlay due to a lack of suitable sites and land values. Related to the tractor sales, Stallings told the Board there are existing regulations for open vehicle display, and planning staff anticipates little demand for this specialized use since it’s not in an agriculture area. District 4 Corey Ragsdale made the motion to approve the planning department’s request to remove the those prohibited uses, which was seconded by Commissioner West. The motion was approved, 5-0.
• Approved, 5-0, to send a letter to the city of Woodstock supporting the annexation of 2.45 acres at the intersection of Arnold Mill Road and Dobbs Road. Commissioner Weatherby made the motion to approve, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, a payment of $500,000 to the Historical Society for the History Center project using excess SPLOST funds under Parks and Recreation (Cultural Arts). Commissioner Weatherby made the motion to approve, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.
• Approved, 5-0, a request by the Sutallee Fire Department to rezone 1.017 acres at 2833 Knox Bridge Highway from Agricultural to Neighborhood Commercial for a commercial entity. The request also includes a concurrent variance to waive the 35-foot buffer between the new Neighborhood Commercial zoning next to Agriculture and residentially zoned property to leave the site as is. District 3 Commissioner Benny Carter made the motion to approve, which was seconded by Commissioner Ragsdale.
• Tabled, 5-0, a request by Manor Restorations to rezone 73.79 acres at 7351 Knox Bridge Highway from Agriculture to R-20 single-family residential for a single-family residential conservation design community. The applicant heard the concerns related to the density of the project and asked that the request be tabled until the May 18 meeting. Commissioner West made the motion to table, which was seconded by Commissioner Carter.