While the now-pulled trash service overhaul has gotten much of the attention, other proposed Cobb code amendments to be considered by Cobb commissioners have generated community opposition.
Among them are proposed regulations for short-term rentals, a matter that has come before commissioners twice before.
A final hearing on that and other code amendments is scheduled for Tuesday night, as is a vote by the Cobb Board of Commissioners.
Their meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.
The code amendment proposals cover a wide range of ordinances, including apartment inspections, smoking in public parks, and zoning.
You can read through them by clicking here.
The Cobb Community Development Agency hasn’t substantially changed proposed provisions for short-term rentals up to 30 days that would require a certificate for each rental through the Cobb Business License Division.
Each rental must have a designated agent available be contacted about parking, noise and other issues.
The regulations would allow up to one person for every 390 square feet and parking, building, health and sanitation regulations governing single-family zoning would also apply.
The rentals would be subject to hotel/motel taxes tourism fees and other local and state taxes.
Fines would be $500 for a first violation in first 12 months and $750 for a second violation in the same time span. A third violation would result in revocation of a certificate, and new applications for that property would be rejected for 12 months.
Cobb commissioners declined to approve the proposal in January and the opponents raised familiar concerns.
Richard Grome, president of the East Cobb Civic Association, asked commissioners at a Sept. 13 public hearing to hold the code amendment proposals.
The proposed regulations, he said, include “a great amount of ambiguous language and undefined terms, all of which are subject to interpretation.”
He asked whether a $55 license cost for a short-term rental would cover “all the work involved” in keeping four county agencies updated. Grome also asked who would be responsible for checking the maximum occupancy and if some properties could be grandfathered.
While recognizing the need for such a code, Grome said “work still needs to be done to tighten up the language and address certain specific issues.”
Jamie McCreary, a resident of the Weatherstone subdivision in East Cobb, also said that enforcement mechanisms “lack definition.”
He said the provision that short-term renters and agents are responsible for following, the health, sanitation and other regulations “sounds very fox and henhouse. In my opinion they’re always going to be in compliance if they’re the ones that get to say if they’re in compliance or not.”
McCreary said that notifications to be provided in the rentals of occupancy and parking limits “are good,” but he also questioned how that would be enforced.
He worried about the introduction of what he called “transient housing” in residential neighborhoods, and referenced a home next to his with 5,500 square feet that could allow up to 14 people.
“I’d like to see some control between families who are trying to make a little additional income to get by and make ends meet versus people who are setting up transient hoteling systems,” McCreary said.
The full agenda for Tuesday’s meeting can be found by clicking here.
You also can watch on the county’s website, Facebook Live and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.
Related:
- Cobb commissioners table proposals to regulate trash service
- Cobb trash haulers tell county officials: ‘We can fix this’
- Birrell asks for Cobb to delay proposed trash service changes
- Proposed changes to Cobb trash service draw citizen opposition
- $1 billion in 2022 Cobb property tax bills issued; due Oct. 15
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I lived next to 5 college kids once. It was hell. It took Code Enforcement months to get them down to two people living there. I also had to call the police 20 time for loud parties after 11pm. The police chief even got involved. Sad I have to say this but higher rent has improved the quantity of renters next door. Packing more people into Cobb isn’t going to improve quality of life.
Quality, no quantity.
Seems like an important issue without an easy solution.
People in quiet neighborhoods don’t want rental party houses there. What are the ramifications for setting minimum rental periods of 5 or 7 days?
Seems that different areas of Cobb would have different rules. One rule is unlikely to fit everywhere.
Please keep following this story.