Board of Commissioners will review land use plan for short-term vacation rentals at today’s meeting

DAHLONEGA, Ga. – The Lumpkin County Planning Commission will ask commissioners for guidance in making proposed revisions to the county’s land use plan that regulates small-lodging, short-term vacation rentals when the Board of Commissioners holds its working session Tuesday, Feb. 6, at 4 p.m.

Planning Commission members say they have received an increasing number of requests for variances to the land use plan which requires a minimum of two acres to operate a small-lodging, short-term vacation rental business.

In three years, the commission has received 20 requests for variances on property less than two acres and all have been approved without opposition. However, planning staff reports that recently, residents of two subdivisions have voiced opposition to requests and another request is on the Planning Commission agenda in February in one of the subdivisions that has voiced opposition.

Commissioners will also consider a resolution to pay per diem to the chairman and members of the Lumpkin County Planning Commission in the amount of $100 and $75 per meeting. In presenting the resolution for consideration, staff queried other Georgia municipalities to determine the average amount of per diem paid. Dawson, White, Hall and Forsyth counties pay an average of $94 per meeting.

The board will consider a request to waive late penalties, interest and non-filing fees in the amount of $2,304.95 due for the months of March through October 2017 for the Barefoot Hill Hotel, formerly Barefoot Lodge and Hiker Hostel.

Commissioners will also discuss adoption of the 2018 Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) Work Plan, an annual guide for the use of funds approved by the board based on the program approved by voters.

Commissioners will also discuss the appointment of members to the library board, hospital authority, public building authority, development authority, joint development authority of Lumpkin, White and Dawson counties, Upper Etowah River Alliance and the audit committee.

County contracts to be discussed include the lease for the Adult Learning Center, disaster debris removal, Canoe Georgia, Inc., canoe launch with Chestatee River Adventures and probation management services for Magistrate, Probate and Superior Court.

 

 

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