Lion's Gate continues special events after 'misunderstanding' Archives

Lion's Gate continues special events after 'misunderstanding'

A request for a land-use permit at the Lion’s Gate Estate luxury rental home on Paper Mill Road has been withdrawn by the property owner.

That’s because such a permit isn’t needed to hold special events there, according to Dennon Smith, the representative of his family’s nearly 18,000-square-foot French Mediterranean mansion across from the entrance to Atlanta Country Club.

He told East Cobb News that a recent weekend rental there led to a noise complaint by a neighbor, who suggested that Lion’s Gate obtain a land-use permit for special events.

As a rental property, Lion’s Gate allows up t0 20 people to stay overnight (and up to eight couples on the upper floor), with a maximum of 12 vehicles allowed at any given time.

Smith said the property has received all the proper permits since it was converted from his family’s home to a rental estate in 2018.

He said that after filing for the land-use permit—which was to have been considered by Cobb officials this month—county zoning staff said the property was properly permitted for that use.

“It was a kind of misunderstanding,” said Smith, who grew up in the home and graduated from Walton High School.

“We realized that this was kind of redundant.”

He said the incident in question took place “on a weekend where there were guests in the home” but that the specific use of the home was not considered a special event.

Smith said neighbors have been notified of the matter and that “it’s not a big deal.”

The land-use permit would have increased the permitted parking to up to 50 cars, as long as those renting the facility hired a valet service.

The Lions Gate home (website here) was built in 2003 and sits well behind the gates fronting Paper Mill Road. The residence has 15 rooms, as well as nine fireplaces and space for dinner parties, weddings and family gatherings and weekend retreats.

There’s also a movie theater with a 3-D projector, a disco room, two bars and a wine cellar.

In addition to serving as a venue for weekend and holiday retreats, Lion’s Gate holds weddings and other kinds of special events, including dinner parties and family gatherings, as well as such events as post-prom parties.

Smith said the property holds a couple of special events a month, and is the setting for occasional film production work.

There are noise monitors all throughout the gated 3.21-acre property which includes a 40,000-gallon swimming pool, but he said there haven’t been many complaints.

“We know the neighbors well,” said Smith, who added that the family also operates a similar rental property in the North Carolina mountains.

When Cobb revised its short-term rental ordinance in 2022, Smith said Lion’s Gate updated its permit to conform to the new requirements.

Smith said the business generated from the rentals has been a healthy one, and “it allows us to keep the house in the family.

“We didn’t want to quite let it go, and [making it a rental facility] was sort of a compromise.”