CLEVELAND, Ga. — A standing-room-only crowd attended Monday’s White County Board of Commissioners meeting for a public hearing on proposed revisions to the county’s short-term rental regulations.
The issue has become a hot topic for many residents, especially in the northern part of the county, where rentals have mushroomed.
Twenty of the approximately 100 people who showed up voiced their opinions to the board. Not all were critical of the work by the commission to get a handle on the situation. Many provided their ideas in hopes the board might use them in developing a final plan.
One of the proposals in the commission’s draft would prohibit short-term rentals in 609 identified subdivisions in the county unless their covenants allow for it.
Short-term rentals ‘drying up’ long-term rental opps
Commission Chair Travis Turner said there was a lot of misinformation circulated prior to Monday’s public hearing, and it is a challenge to dispel that information and work on providing a workable solution to this issue.
After the hearing, Turner said the board and staff have a lot of work ahead of them. They will spend the next few weeks going over the information and comments and, “with a fine tooth comb,” again go through the proposal submitted by staff.
Based on some of the comments made during the December 4 hearing, Turner said the board recognizes that “there are some areas we may need to tweak, look at, but also, in certain areas, we may be on the right paths.”
White County is a popular tourist destination. With so many short-term rentals popping up to meet tourists’ requests, officials say it has dried up a lot of the long-term rental opportunities. That has affected businesses and manufacturers who need affordable long-term housing for their employees.
The commissioners will discuss the issue further before issuing a final draft, which is expected after the first of the year.
SEE ALSO
Clarkesville City Council tables decision on short-term rental ordinance
