Lookout Mountain, Ga., Looking At Modified Version Of Vacation Rentals; Georgia Students To Help With Trails Planning

  • Friday, January 20, 2017
  • Gail Perry

The issue of vacation rentals is not going away, said Councilman Jim Sabourin at the Lookout Mountain, Ga., Council meeting Thursday night. He said in researching the topic, he and Councilman Arch Willingham found cities around the country are being forced to take action. The way it is trending, he said, is to allow the practice with a “tailored approach” and strict conditions. There is a distinction between “vacation rentals,” where entire houses are rented without the owner being present, and “home stays” also known as “home sharing,” where the owner rents a room in his primary residence.

His recommendation for Lookout Mountain, Ga., is to allow home sharing that is restricted and to modify the ordinance as the town gets more experience.

 

He said laws that already apply to all homeowners would also apply to the short term tenants. Conditions he suggested would be that the owner should be present at all times and a rental agent should be available 24/7 in case problems come up. The homeowner would be required to obtain a license, pay city taxes, and comply with safety and health codes. There could be no loitering and the house must have off street parking with only a designated number of cars allowed. The number of tenants would also be restricted and there would be no bed and breakfast rentals, only lodging. Appropriate insurance would be required and each permit would be reviewed yearly.

 

The next step will be for City Attorney Bill Pickering to draft a new ordinance for more formal consideration by the planning commission.

 

Jimmy Campbell presented the council with an update concerning the city’s trails project that is moving forward with funding from the Lyndhurst Foundation. The Lookout Mountain, Ga., project is one of three that the foundation will help this year. An arrangement with the University of Georgia is for 18-21 students to work on the plan as a quarterly project for 12 weeks. Mr. Campbell said this work has a value of $75,000 -$90,000.

 

There are four components of the project: Connectivity of trails that will be part of the Northwest Georgia plan involving seven counties. The goal is to connect all trails in those areas that will join Lookout Mountain, Ga., portion which will be the section of the trail from Covenant College to Lula Lake which would connect northward to downtown Chattanooga. The comprehensive plan also will aid in community development by advising about the planned Town Center and additional residential development around it. Internal operations will be addressed, such as the city’s website and to get the city in sync with the trails project. A long range plan will also be created for development of vacant residential property on the back of the mountain.

 

A grant from the state of Georgia is expected to provide $100,000 to which the city will be required to add $25,000. Mr. Campbell suggested increasing the hotel/motel tax by two percent to raise that money. Proceeds from hotel taxes must be used to promote tourism, so before the tax is increased, the city must make sure that the trails project would qualify as an appropriate use of the additional two percent.

 

Mr. Campbell has also researched using the company MuniCode to compile all of the city’s codes into a single book. If a question arises now, it must be researched. The book would be indexed and answers would be easy to find. The cost would be $15,500 with some paid from the planning commission and the sewer board’s budgets. There would also be a yearly maintenance fee and an additional $500 to make it available on the city’s website. Mr. Pickering told the council to also consider the time required for him to review the material. Mayor David Bennett said that all additional costs should be identified before taking action.

 

The mayor, giving an update on the planned Town Center, said that Greg Voges has withdrawn his proposal, but that he was aware of several other people who have shown some interest in putting in a bid. The council along with Attorney Pickering will work quickly to redo the request for proposal (RFP) in order to get it out quickly. The council still backs the plan and continues to expect that construction will be started in 2017, said Mayor Bennett.

 

The mayor said that logs left in ditches beside the roads were becoming a problem. The public works department does not remove logs larger than six inches. The police will begin issuing informational warnings for residents to have them removed. He also said that he believes it is very important for the city to communicate with residents on issues such as road closures, special events or meetings. He requests that all residents email their contact information to Brad Haven at citymanager@lookoutmtnga.com to be put on the list. The council was also informed that the city is in desperate need of a new garbage truck that could cost up to $200,000. It would replace one purchased in the mid 90’s.

 

The council also approved a new design for the Georgia city’s car decals. The new image will be the logo used for Fairyland, of Little Red Riding Hood with a wolf. Colors will continue to change yearly.

 

Caroline Williams said that letters have gone out asking citizens for money to support Fairyland Elementary School. She said good response is expected because the community has always been so generous. Planning has already started for the fundraiser Music on the Mountain. In February, students will be participating in Jump Rope for Health. Mayor Bennett suggested having a BBQ Cook-off as a benefit for the school.

 

Appointments were made to fill two open seats on city boards. Dean Lowrance will serve on the planning commission and DeeAnna Willingham was appointed to serve on the Board of Zoning and Appeals.

 

 

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