Supervisors OK series of short-term-tourist rentals after lengthy joint discussion on Rural Event Facility lodging rental parameters

On Tuesday, March 28, the Warren County Board of Supervisors held its recently added third monthly meeting to deal with the increased number of public hearings largely fueled by short-term-tourist rental Conditional Use Permit (CUP) applications. Seven of the eight public hearings remaining on the agenda were seeking permitting for short-term-tourist rentals. Three public hearings related to Rushmark Rockland Road LLC’s north-side Industrial Zone development plans, originally including a data center, were withdrawn from the agenda at the applicant’s request. The first, and lengthiest, discussion involved a joint supervisors/planning commission public hearing on a planning staff forwarded text amendment recommendation on lodging rentals tied to Rural Events Facilities.

The 6 p.m. open meeting followed a two-topic Closed/Executive Session discussion regarding legal matters related to the various FR-WC Economic Development Authority litigations, and a late added discussion on the “Disposition of Publicly Held Real Property”. There were no announcements following the closed session.

The results of the public hearings were as follows:

C. Joint Public Hearing – Zoning Text Amendment 2023-03-02, Ordinance to Amend Warren County Code Sections 180-8 and 180-55.2 Regarding Rural Events Facilities – presented by Chase Lenz, Zoning Administrator. Two options were presented by staff:

“Option A includes express language under subsection §180-55.2B(2) of the draft ordinance requiring the rental of lodging units to be only in conjunction with an event, implementing a three-consecutive-day duration limit for rental contracts, and prohibiting the use of the lodging units as Short-Term Tourist Rentals. Planning staff recommends this option as these requirements are essential to the classification of the use as accessory to the Rural Events Facility and it distinguishes the use from a Short-Term Tourist Rental.”

“Option B excludes the requirement for the rental of lodging units to be only in conjunction with an event, increases the maximum duration limit for rental contracts to seven consecutive days, and removes the prohibition on the use of the lodging units as Short-Term Tourist Rentals. This option allows for the rental of the lodging units to be independent of the Rural Events Facility. It is the opinion of Planning staff that such rental of the lodging units independent of the Rural Events Facility should be classified as a separate principal use and not accessory to the Rural Events Facility.”

The full county board of supervisors and planning commission discuss lodging parameters tied to Rural Events Facilities on Agriculturally zoned properties. Below, Shelly Cook responded to questions and explained her planned Rural Events Facility operations on her vineyard property. The board’s recent approval of Cook’s Rural Events Facility permitting raised the issue of what lodging parameters should apply to these operations.

Shelly Cook, whose recent approval of Rural Events Facility permitting on her operational Agricultural vineyard property raised the issues on planning staff’s text amendment initiative, was present and answered questions related to her planned operations. During discussion, North River District Supervisor Delores Oates urged her colleagues to take a “pioneering” role statewide in defining acceptable Agricultural-Tourism uses to help financially struggling Agricultural operations stay in business, as opposed to selling or transferring their uses to full Residential or Commercial development. And following extensive discussion, the board took the planning commission’s recommendation to allow lodging as an independent use with the longer seven-day maximum stay, as opposed to three days tied to specific events.

1. Discussion and Recommendation by the Warren County Planning Commission — After a nearly hour-long joint supervisors/planning commission discussion, first the county planning commission on a motion by Ms. Richardson, by a 3-1 vote, Mr. Huson dissenting, Mr. Henry abstaining, recommended Option B be adopted.
2. Discussion and Motion by the Warren County Board of Supervisors — On a motion by Mrs. Oates, seconded by Mr. Butler, unanimously approved Option B of the text amendment proposals.

D. Public Hearings

County Zoning Administrator Chase Lenz, left, and Planning Director Matt Wendling handled summaries of the proposals before the supervisors at Tuesday evening’s Public Hearing meeting.

1. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-01, Dominik Golczewski for a Short-Term Tourist Rental located at 398 Briar Lane and identified on Tax Map 15E, Section 5, Block 5, Parcel 443 – Chase Lenz, Zoning Administrator — On a motion by Mr. Mabe, seconded by Mrs. Oates, unanimously approved the request. There were no speakers at the public hearing.
2. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-03 Vitaliy Hayda & Oleksandr Mokrohuz for a Short-Term Tourist Rental located on 540 Bragg Drive and identified on Tax Map 23C, Section 8, Block 4, as Parcel 16 – Matt Wendling, Planning Director — On a motion by Mr. Butler, second by Mrs. Oates, unanimously approved the requested permitting. Again, no public hearing speakers though communications from neighbors was put into the public hearing record.
3. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-04, Thomas Ryan for a Short-Term Tourist Rental located at 944 Wilderness Road and identified on Tax Map 23A, Section 8, Block 45, Parcel 17A – Chase Lenz, Zoning Administrator — On a motion by Mr. Butler, second by Mrs. Cullers, unanimously approved the requested permitting. The applicant was present to answer questions.
4. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-05, David Bediz for a Short-term Tourist Rental located at 303 Marino Lane and identified on Tax Map 15D, Section 2, Block 5, Parcel 95 – Matt Wendling, Planning Director — On a motion by Mr. Mabe, second by Mr. Butler, unanimously approved the permitting request. No speakers addressed the board and the applicant was not present.
5. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-06, Nathan L. Phenicie for a Short-Term Tourist Rental located at 1264 Freezeland Road and identified on Tax Map 23I, Parcel 3 – Chase Lenz, Zoning Administrator — On a motion by Mrs. Oates, second by Mr. Mabe, approved the application unanimously.  Applicant was present, there were no public hearing speakers.
6. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-07, Kari Meyer for a Short-Term Tourist Rental located at 121 Cheyenne Lane and identified on Tax Map 26A, Section 7A, Parcel 18A1 – Chase Lenz, Zoning Administrator — On a motion by Mrs. Cullers, second by Mr. Butler the application was unanimously approved.  Applicant was present, again no one spoke at the public hearing.
7. Conditional Use Permit 2023-01-08, Matthew Williams & Jay Gilbert for a Short-Term Tourist Rental located at 12 Far View Lane and identified on Tax Map 15A, Section 1, Block 3, Parcel 103A1 – Chase Lenz, Zoning Administrator — On a motion by Mrs. Cullers, second by Mrs. Oates, the board unanimously approved the application. Initial opposition from the Blue Mountain POA was noted by staff, though Lenz told the board the applicant had met with POA representatives to ease their concerns. The applicant verified discussion with the POA chairman by email, working toward a mutually agreeable resolution still in the works.

The meeting adjourned at 7:33 p.m.

See the discussions and actions taken in the County video.