Two sharply divided factions on Wednesday morning debated whether or not there should be Short Term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) in residential areas in the unincorporated county.
The County Commission will hold yet another session on the topic on May 29 ahead of a vote on June 5.
The session started with discussion of an alleged rape at a local STVR. Commissioner Joe Graham called it "an horrific act," but said it could have happened at any type of residence. The incident is under investigation and the alleged perpetrator is still at large, it was stated.
Gene-o Shipley, sponsor of the resolution that would ban STVRs in R-1 and A-1 (except with five acres or more), said Chattanooga neighborhoods and those with HOAs "are protected, but in the outlying areas we have no protection at all."
He said the rentals "take more housing off the market" when the Planning Agency cited a need for 49,000 more residences in the county.
Commissioner Shipley said with the rentals "we are beginning to have a lot of trouble, let's say violent histories."
Commissioner Graham denied there are "big problems" with STVRs, saying the industry polices itself. He said problem sites are weeded out.
He said there was discussion of hiring an investigator who would have power to cite problem STVR owners to court.
Commissioner Graham said even if the resolution passes that the more than 70 STVRs out in the county operating now will be grandfathered in.
A Sale Creek STVR operator said she hopes "we can come to a compromise instead of a total ban."
Another speaker said, "If there are only one or two bad apples, let's deal with them."
Civic leader John Germ was first in line to denounce the rentals, saying they are disrupting neighborhoods. He said many are operated by absentees. He stated, "These are businesses, not residences."
Mr. Germ said, "Our neighborhoods are being divided more and more. Let us live in peace and quiet as we did when we bought our properties."
Jo Peckinpaugh of Hixson, who earlier brought complaints about a nearby rental with alleged Mexican drug lord connections, said of the County Commission, "I have never seen such an orchestrated circus in all my life."
Another speaker said, "We don't know who these people are coming in every few days."
She said there had been 422 incidents of crimes at STVRs since May 2019.