County Planning Commission - Regular Meeting

Can you tell me?

Okay. We will now call the meeting to order the Rockdale County Planning Commission meeting dated 01/08/2026 at 6PM at Rockdale County Assembly Hall 901 Main Street, North West, Conyers, Georgia 30012. The meeting is now called the order. Let us stand for the invocation.

The indication. Minds, patient ears, and open hearts to understand the challenges before us. Give us the courage to pursue your will and the wisdom to discern it. Not relying on our own strength or expertise but on your guidance. Thank you.

Amen. Amen. Can we now have the pledge of allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Okay. We have everyone here of quorum. Okay. Let's have roll call. Okay. We'll have the roll call at this time. John Lee Peterson junior chair, I'm here. Miss Melissa Yancy, vice chair?

Here.

Danny false Forrester? Here. Ernestine Stovall Goldsby?

Here.

Angelique McClendon? One the Now, we need a motion for the approval of the minutes of the agenda. Is If you've had a chance to review the agenda, everyone at this time had a chance to review the agenda. Okay if everyone has reviewed the agenda we need a motion for approval of the agenda

Okay.

Okay. The motion to approve the agenda was made by miss Melissa Yancey, vice chair the second second by mister Danny Forrester and so the minutes all in favor of state sign ify by saying

aye aye

any nays any ups abstain okay the motion carried the approval of the agenda has been passed okay the next item on the agenda is for the approval of the minutes for 10/09/2025. Okay. Have everyone had an opportunity to review the minutes?

I have. I do have one. It's not really a change, but just under the let's see. Under item o nine, where it has commissioner McClendon question whether there would be any popped hoods or auto repair activities. I don't know why that needed to be italicized, but that's not really not a big deal. But just just pointing that out.

But

other than that, I have nothing else. So, I'll make a motion to approve.

Okay. The motion for the approval of the minutes for 10/09/2025 has been made by miss Angelique McClinton. In a second second the motion for approval has been second by mr. Danny Foster all in favor of the approval of the minutes for 10/09/2025 signify by saying aye those opposed nay any abstain the motion to pass for approval of the minutes by the 10/09/2025 okay at this time we'll have the rules of procedure for

appropriate zoning case sheet and fill out a public comment card to register your intent to speak prior to the start of this meeting. Each item of business shall be handled in order that it appears on the agenda. Unless upon motion of the planning commission, the order is changed. A member of the planning staff will present each item to the planning commission and will further provide recommendation upon each item of business. The zoning applicant or the agent will state their name and address at the podium and will have ten minutes in which to make his or her presentation.

Any portion of their ten minutes may be reserved for rebuttal following the opposition to the application. After the applicant's presentation, all registered speakers who wish to speak in favor of the application will then be heard. Prior to speaking upon the item, each registered speaker will state their name and address at the podium. They will also be limited to a total of ten minutes. Once the applicant has made his or her presentation and the speakers in favor of the application have been heard, the secretary will then call upon the registered speakers in opposition of the application.

The opposition shall likewise be limited to a total of ten minutes. Once the public hearing portion is closed, no other speakers will be heard. As a reminder, speakers are to address the planning commission, not the applicant or the audience, and are expected to conduct themselves in an appropriate manner. The use of abusive or profane language shall not be allowed. No debate or argument between speakers shall be permitted.

After all public comments have been heard, the planning commission may elect to hold general discussion. The planning commission will vote upon a recommendation that will continue forward to the Rockdale Road. To you're

Alright. There's no unfinished that. Business at this time, so we'll proceed with new business. The first item on the agenda is item r one r e z two zero one two five dash 10. Purpose is to rezone 1.46 acres from one c one local commercial district to C 2 General Commercial District to permit an expansion of allowable city of

Ers. Happy New

Year. York Good to see you all again. York My name is Ryan Sadler and I will be presenting rezoning case 2025 dash 10 and future land use map amendment twenty twenty five dash four. The site address is 2992 Highway 155 Southwest, and the applicant is D and G Atlanta LLC in care of mister Singh. Again, this rezoning is request is to rezone 1.46 acres from c one to c two, that's from local commercial to general commercial, to permit the expansion of allowable uses on-site.

And the future land use map, category for this site is low density agriculture residential, and we want to amend he would like to amend that future land use map to commercial. Here is an aerial view of this site. And just a little background zoning history. These site received an approval for administrative variance to reduce the required buffer from 50 feet to 25. The administrative approval was approved because the request met the standards of that, that ask.

And in March, the applicant has combined, I believe it's like a, I think it's another picture. As you can see, this is the zoning map and I'll touch on that a little bit more. But you see how it's like a little line kind of on the left hand side of the parcel? Mhmm. Back in March, the applicant did combine those two lots making it a full one lot. And that went through Planning Commission and was signed for on 03/07/2024. So he has received an administrative variance and, combined those two lots. Getting into the zoning. The current zoning of the site is C 1 local commercial. To the north is AR, and it's just wooded in a vacant area.

To the east, it is AR as well, and it's wooded, and it's a vacant site. To the south is 5400 East Fairview Road, and that is the Dollar General, and that zoning is c one. And to the west is 6105 Georgia 155 North, and that is Henry County, and there is a convenience store and gas station at that site. Here is the future land use map. As mentioned before, it's currently the designation is low density residential, and his request is to go to commercial.

So the C 1 zoning district is permitted in the commercial future land use designation, and that's just a showing the graph of kind of what designations fall into which future land use category. And I've highlighted where the C2 zoning meets the commercial designation. And here is a site plan of the proposed admission station. The applicant is requesting to rezone the 1.46 acres from local commercial to C1 to general commercial C2 to permit the expansion of allowable uses. The applicant's main commercial proposed use is an emissions inspection station as a complimentary use to the gas station and to the convenience store of the property.

A use not permitted in the c one zoning. The nearest emission station is 5.5 miles away requiring residents to travel outside their immediate area for service, for mandatory service. The emission station will require only minor site adjustments and equipment installation. The project will complete will be completed in one single phase ensuring that the facility will begin serving the community quickly and without disruption. So, as mentioned, in the far, I want to say top corner or north of the property or the west of the property, highlighted in yellow is where the proposed emission state station will be placed.

Here is current site photos of the current site. Again, it's a it's a gas station and convenience store. And, again, case summary. They proposed commercial use is an emissions inspection station. The site is currently developed with the convenience store and, a gas gas station pumps.

The site will remain unchanged and the emission station will require minimal site adjustments. We did circulate this rezoning application to all, prudent departments. Fire, this location has a hydrant in close proximity. No threat of fire exposure nearby. In the event that there is a fire, little to no hazardous materials are expected to be on-site.

Rockdale Board of Education, no impact on, this one. Water and sewer, the site has access to a 12 inch or 12 foot, DIP water mains along Highway 155 Southwest and East Fairview Road, and there is no wastewater available. Storm water, based on the submitted rezoning documents, there is no existing state waters or wetland requirements. The tree protection, will not be required for this project due to there be being no disturbance of the land or anything like that. And transportation, a desal land currently exists along Fairview Road, which aligns with the county requirements for access management and road safety.

The current condition of this lane will need to be evaluated prior to the next submittal to determine if any resurfacing, restriping, or reconstruction is required to meet the current standing county standards. The proposed access points are on and off of Highway 155 are located in a GDOT owned, and maintained roadway. Therefore, a formal submittal, to GDOT will be required for any access modifications or improvements. Once GDOT approve approval has been received, the documents should be submitted to the county and for verification and record keeping purposes. So if he does any other adjustments or anything major, he would have to go to GDOT and get that approval from them.

Based off of the request, the plan department does recommend approval for future land amendment, for the future land use maps map amendment from future land I'm sorry. From low density to commercial, and we recommend approval with conditions on the rezoning from c one local commercial to c two general commercial following conditions. The emissions testing facility shall be limited to vehicle emissions inspections only. No automotive repair, maintenance, body work, or mechanical services shall be conducted on-site except for activities directly required to complete an emissions inspection. The facility must obtain all state emissions testing certifications, business license, fire inspections, and environmental compliance prior to operation.

Approval of the ambitious statement emissions testing facility shall not authorize additional fuel pumps, expansion of the convenience store footprint, or additional automotive uses without further zoning approval. All waste generated from testing activities, including fillers, rags, and any other hazardous materials shall be disposed of in accordance to the local EPD and EPA guidelines. Dumpsters shall be fully screened. And finally, all items related to the testing operation shall be stored indoors within a closed structure. No temporary outdoor storage, including boxes, containers, carts, or testing equipment is permitted anywhere on-site except for items actively in use during the inspection.

Again, staff does recommend approval with condition these conditions. The applicant is here to speak to this request. And if you have any other questions for staff, I'm open to taking those now.

What what are

the hours of operations, for this?

I'm sorry?

What are the hours of operations?

That was not provided to us, but I'm sure mister Singh will be happy to let you know of that information. Okay.

I do have one question. I'm looking at the evaluation of future land use request, and it's, paragraph c. I'm assuming it's probably a typo, and I I think I'm reading the right. It just says the proposed nursing home will be required

to utilize it.

I'll make that change.

Okay. My apologies. Kinda

excited. Assisted

living or

something that we need Yes. I will make that change for you.

My apologies. That's fine. That's that was the only question I I had. I I do have I'm sure I have questions for mister Singh, but yeah.

Any other questions for staff? No. Alright. Well, I'm gonna turn it over to the applicant, mister Singh.

Hi. Good evening, everyone, and happy New Year.

Happy New Year. Good evening.

My name is Kuljinder Singh, and I own this facility since 2017. There was a really run down place, and we really take good care and invest a lot of money on it. New parking lot, new pumps, and fixed the convenience store. The facility looks very nice now. There was a cross street, a Chevron station.

They have a mission station before, but that was shut down over two years ago. Now around five and five a half mile radius, there is no emission station around the area. Even our regular customer asking that if you can open emission station in this facility. So then we decided to do that. So to add emission station, we need to be rezoned from C1 to C2.

Thus, we are requesting that if we can have you approve that. Now a lot of our residents go to the other county like DeKalb on the 155 to go get their emission done. So if we have the emission station here, this is considered like one stop shop. As they come for the gas and convenience store, they can have a done on this one here. So that's why we want to request to you that if you can rezone from C1 to C2, approve the mission station there.

So I'm looking at the images that were submitted. Can you tell me how the structure will be? Is it a garage type that you plan to build there? Is it because I don't see where there's a space already included where the emissions will be done. So this is something additional that you're building on-site or having delivered in, like, a garage type that they would drive through. How how is the emission how will they be tested?

You mean the building of the emission? Yeah. I we have submit some pictures to the probably I don't have with me. So, basically, we need a very limited space for the the equipment, the computer from the state, which is gonna stay inside.

Mhmm.

And on the front of that, we will make it like a shed so the vehicle can pull in, and they can get the wire hooked up and get the emission

It's so basically, it's a drive drive through type. It's covered.

Like yeah. Right. Okay. So the the vehicle can came in, and when he done, and they can just come off.

Sure. Okay. Thank you. Mhmm.

Well, I I do have a question on that because it was that was the question I had in my mind. But just to expand on that. So just to clarify, so will it be a stationary building or will it be more of a sort of a portable type of because I've seen those emission stations that are like a portable awning type of thing where you can kinda move it here or there and you know, you still have the equipment under there, but will it be a stationary add on to that building that will look similar to the structure that's there, so it won't look piecemeal. This is these are purely aesthetic questions. So it will look like it's part of the building or that those buildings belong together, not that it's just a, you know, a shed you bought from Sam's or something to put over to to make an emission station.

Right. First, propose that we can have a the containers, you know, we can buy that. But then ContiPalanda told us, you know, they're not allowed to be container. So is is going to

to speak to that. He did submit the first

you. I'm going back to my question about hours of operations because I know of two in particular and they're off of Sigmund at the corner of Sigmund and Highway 18.

Right.

And both of them have they don't open all night and and, you know, they have hours of operations. I'm not sure if their hours of operations are administered guidelines by the state, but it's not a facility that is open all the time. That's why I'm asking the question. What are your hours of operation?

Right. Our current operation is twenty four hours for the gasoline and for the convenience store. But for the station, we are going to be nine to five, Monday to Saturday. And Sunday, in case somebody have, you know, expiring the their registered something, So we will do for the facility of the people there for Sunday appointment only.

Appointment. Okay. Thank you.

Basically, yeah, it's gonna be Monday to Saturday.

Because I thought there was some kind of state guidelines or something as to when okay. Thank you. So you would adhere to the state guidelines as far as hours of operation? Yes. Okay. Yes. Would

it be admissions only? Would you also you'd be able to get the admissions and the decal there. Correct? The decal for the vehicle?

No. Just the emissions.

Just the emissions.

The emissions probably you know. So basically, the car come and they put two plugs in there. And then they start the computer. Within two, three minutes, they give the results that car has any mechanical or any issue. They print a paper, we give it to the customer, it's pass or fail. Okay. So it's missions Okay. Then if any issue or any mechanical defect, he have to go to the mechanic shop and bring back to us. Okay. And one time, we are going to try to one time, you know, he bring it back, fix it one time, you know, next one time, we give him free, you know, next If he's failed the second time, then we charge him a fee for that, like, you know, $15.18 dollars. Yes. Okay.

Okay. The reason I asked that because the $1.00 $1.38, you can once the vehicle passed inspection, you can get your decal there also. That's why.

That's that's only one like that.

One. Yeah. Okay.

I've asked about that. Yes. With my day job.

Yes. Our driver's service. Day job.

It shouldn't be it shouldn't be anymore like that. It should be the

only I think state are doing they are making like a

You do have the the machines,

the kiosk. Yeah. They're making now instant machines that you can, you know, add the money and they can have you decal, you know. Right. Yeah. Like, programming.

Right. Right.

Exactly. Right. I think they start offering to the private also. Okay. But we don't have any plan like that. Right. Yes.

I I just wanna ask this question because you you said back in 2024, you came here and you combined the lots. Is that a correct statement? Like, you you came in and there you you combined lots to make them 1.46. Is that correct? Or I'm Yeah.

They combined a lot. It's a small small lot there.

Okay.

So they combined the lot.

So, like, if, you know, changing this to c two, would it create an opportunity for smoke shops, bike bike shops, anything like that? It won't allow that. That was that's a concern.

Yes, ma'am. Alright.

Yeah, because this reading that was one of my concerns too and I do see that that was germane to just this particular property. Okay.

Any additional questions?

Okay. No additional questions. Thank you, sir. Thank you, ma'am. Are there any more hearings on? And

if we have anybody to speak for the project, you can come up to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you have your time to speak. Do we have anybody for against? Okay. Well, that said no nobody for or against her at the moment. So Okay.

So if there's no more comments on this, we will move this item R1REZ2025Dash10 to rezone 1.46 acres from C 1 Local Commercial District to C 2 General Commercial District to permit an expansion of allowable commercial use on the site. We need to have a motion on this issue for approval

this

is for the item r one. Alright.

I I move for this item R e z two zero five dash one zero to allow the change.

The yes. Okay we have a motion by miss Melissa Yancey our vice chair in a second second okay are there any unreadiness in discussion okay we'll move the vote on this item all in favor of the rezoning for item r 1 r e z 2025Dash10 all in favor signify by saying aye aye Those opposed nay. Any abstain? The motion to rezone item r one r e z two zero two five dash 10. The motion is carried and have been approved.

Okay. Next item on the agenda is R2FLUM2025Dash04. The purpose is to amend the future use the future land use map category of subject property 2992 Highway 155 Southwest from low density residential agricultural to commercial to permit an expansion of allowable commercial uses on the site. Location is 2992 Highway 155 South West.

So it's the same thing, right? Yes, ma'am.

Yes. So you would just need to make a motion on

this. Okay. So

I make a motion to approve r two f future land land use map twenty twenty five dash o four.

Okay. The motion to amend this the land use map has been made by miss Ernestine Stovall Gooseby. It's in a second. I need someone to second. Second by mister Danny Forrester. Okay. Are there any readiness on discussion on this item? Okay. We'll move this to vote. All in favor of item r two f u f l u m two zero two five dash zero four to be amended, you could state by saying aye.

Aye.

Those opposed, nay. Any abstain? The motion to amend item r two f l u m two zero two five dash zero four has been carried and approved.

Thank you. Okay.

We'll move to the next item on the agenda, which is our final item for tonight. Item r three, text two zero two five dash 14. Purpose and ordinance to amend the text of section one two two one eight dash one permitted use table and section two one eight dash one three standards of use and developments subsection m m m two of the unified development ordinance of Rockdale County, Georgia as amended regarding short term rentals and amending the supplemental regulations related thereto to appeal conflicting ordinances and for other purposes.

Good evening. Planning Commission. My name is Jessica Povet, project manager with planning and development. Thank you all for being here tonight. We are bringing this cement before you, because last year in April, we approved our short term rental ordinance that became, came for the planning commission back then.

And as we work through our SOP process and our application process, we found, some things that we could amend to, take out of the ordinance and then change some of the language within that ordinance. So this will be the first amendment to the short term rental, ordinance. So some of the changes, we made. So the language was updated from a short term rental permit to a short term rental license. We did this because in the original ordinance, it was going to be required a special use permit if someone would like to have a short term rental.

And thinking about that process, that would bring every short term rental in front of you all. And that would be a four meeting process that would take the applicant ninety to one hundred and twenty days to be approved. And that would also our agendas would be lengthy at all of those meetings. So we decided to change it to a licensing to a license so that it could follow the process of our alcohol licensing. And so with our alcohol licensing, we take that before the board of commissioners as a list of addresses, and the public can commit comment on those addresses.

And then the board of commissioners can approve or deny each of those licenses. So we've updated the language to for to reflect that sort of process with our short term rentals to reduce the waiting time for the licensing from that ninety to a hundred and twenty to thirty days so that we can bring people into compliance. We also, decided to add language that would limit the number of short term rental licenses within the county. And so we proposed 350 at any given time that would be the max amount of short term rentals allowed within the county. And since we decided that, we also needed to include a process for a wait list.

So that language has also been added. We also removed some of the more stringent language that talked about bedroom, bathrooms, and closet heated square footage standards. That language wasn't necessary, as it's already written in our international building code. So when the homes are built, they're already built to those standards. So we thought it was just redundant to have it within this ordinance as well.

We also decided to prohibit all special events and private gatherings in short term rentals. The previous ordinance stated that folks were allowed to have two times the number maximum occupancy guest as a gathering or a party. We have changed that to limit it to two persons per bedroom is the maximum occupancy day or night at the short term rental to prohibit those special gatherings and parties that happen at short term rentals. And so those were the the changes within it. We did take this for a first read with the board of commissioners, and we took comments from them as well at that point.

And they would like to reduce the three fifty to 200. So that is the recommendation from the board is just to reduce that three fifty. So you're welcome to make your comments and your recommendations as well for it to go back to the VOC. Any questions?

I have a question. So the three fifty and even the 200, how were those numbers derived?

So we drew the three fifty from other ordinances around. So we looked at Putnam County. We even looked at Newton County, City Of Covington, how they do theirs. And the general number was about three fifty for that size. We also we had a program about two years ago that was called Rentalscapes.

And at that time, that program would scrub all of the websites where short term rentals register, or advertise their short term rentals. And at that time, the county had close to 200 operating outside of the Orbitz anyway. So we increased that to three fifty to allow more. What's what's considered your short term rental? What's that time frame for Less than thirty days. So Okay. Yep. Any stay less than thirty days.

Okay. Those homes that now are are doing Airbnb. Airbnb. Mhmm. Okay. Anything that's gonna be grandfathered in or are we gonna just keep you know, there's nothing on the books right now. They're just doing it on their own. I'm just asking for

this. We didn't have an application process in place for those short term rentals or an

ordinance until last year. So we did implement the ordinance, and then again, when we went through the application, the SOP process, we decided that we needed to amend the ordinance. So they can come in and fill out an application. We have not enforced the ordinance at this point because we did wanna take it through this amendment process and ensure that our SOP was in place with our department. And we had to wait for our software to be updated to take those registrations. So now everything is ready, and we will begin taking applications on February 1. And all of those short term rentals that are currently operating will be notified through a letter campaign, and they will be notified that they do need to come in and fill out an application and pay the short term rental fee at this point.

What if it's more than 200 at that time?

That is where we begin our wait list.

That time And serve, something like that? I'm sorry? First come, first serve would

be It will be a first come, first serve for applications. Absolutely. So that So once we reach that number, you will be waitlisted. And if you are currently operating a short term rental, we do have enforcement now to you will be asked to close down your short term rental and obtain that license when the waitlist is open.

How how would that be enforced? How is that being enforced?

Under code enforcement and sheriff's department.

Okay. So you're gonna have to have that. If they come to your occupant, if you you use the Alcare Rent, you gotta have that.

Yes. They will be expected to stop operations because you will also be required to obtain business license, So you'll be paying your occupation tax. The tax assessors will also be notified of all short term rentals so that we can ensure that they're not getting homestead exemption and that they are paying a commercial tax rate.

Will all of those be connected? And I'm I'm asking I opened a business a few years ago and being new to this area, it was difficult to locate all the different areas of who needed to be connected with what. I put a big giant sign outside my building before health department came. I didn't know. Yeah. Right? So with this getting a business license doing these things, will there be some type of guidelines or There will. For them to follow so there's not a misstep and they missed their place?

Absolutely. So, yes, our application will come with a complete checklist of all required documents. There are quite a few stipulations that they have to adhere to to receive their license, and most of those are not local ordinance related. They are state related. So those things, they're also state regulations that they must follow to be a short term rental. So we've included those in our application process. And, yeah, they'll be given a packet with all their dos and don'ts and what documents are needed, and they'll have time to submit all of that.

Can this be transferred to if y'all buy your home, and can it be transferred to a new homeowner or has at that time when you sell your home that that short term rules?

No. It it is only with that applicant. It was nontransferable. Okay. Alright.

That was a good one. Okay. I just wanted he

could be selling point, you

know. Yeah. That's a great question. So

do you see any, like, loopholes? For instance, you say you can when she asked what was the short term rental. Right? And you said, you know, but

We do have definitions within our ordinance of the short term rental. So we have that to stand on with the ordinance. This is what a short term rental is, and this is what's not. So those definitions are there, and we do have enforcement and violation violation procedures within the ordinance as well. So those will be enforced once this amendment has been passed.

So do the the short term renters or the landlords short term landlords, are they required to pro submit some sort of logs so they're not Mhmm. Getting back to back to the same people and it's really presented as So they

can be but not really. Yeah. By state law, they have to keep a registry of anyone who stays in the short term rental, that person's name, contact information, and city state that they're from. We have it written in the ordinance that they must give those records over to the county if requested. So if we do hear of, oh, well, this isn't a short term rental. They have long term residents here. They have to provide that. If they do not, then there will be a violation of the ordinance, and that's when we would start the citation process with code enforcement.

So what if it's forty five and I'm corporate housing? I'm sorry? What if it's forty five days and I'm corporate housing? How is that how is a person lease their home to me if it's a corporate environment? Forty five days is is my

They have to provide the deed and ownership of their home. Okay. It cannot be you cannot I'm thinking of all the things that No. And we do we have these things. Okay. Before I was over in planning and development, well, I am planning I was with planning and development over in code enforcement. So I understand the enforcement piece. So when when I wrote this, I thought of how are we enforcing this? Because there are going to be, you know, loopholes. This is gonna

be a shocker. Yeah.

You know,

it's a lot of you all the counties around us now have short term rental ordinances, so we are we're ready to start accepting our applications as

well. And a lot of the guys weren't here when we first brought it up, and a lot of people came out to speak against it. It was a full house because a lot of people are doing this and then they're gonna have to be in compliance with it. Mhmm. But it's needed in Rockdale. I just hope it's something that's doable for Rockdale County because, you know, the guidelines are can be implemented, you know, requirements can be met by Yeah.

Absolutely. And we've met with code enforcement, sheriff's department, and fire on this ordinance. Like, right now, fire cannot go out and inspect residential properties for fire extinguishers, smoke detectors, things like that. That's the reason that we would move these these properties to a commercial tax base because that also gives fire some backbone to go in there. They have something they can stand on too and say, hey, you know, we need to have these smoke detectors Right. Working and, you know, safety Mhmm. Features. So that's the reason that we're making them commercial as well.

And so the max is thirty days. You have to stop. Could you leave leave the property and have to come

back? You

can. Yes. You can leave the property and come back. That would still be considered

a short term thirty day. Okay.

That'll reset to thirty days.

It does. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. So it just can't be any longer than thirty days.

Okay. Alright.

So that's one of the loopholes. Yes. And we can't write that one in.

So it went pretty good. Keep in mind. Has to be a

three So it won't be a grandfather then type thing. So say if you have about 300 people and you've limited to 200, those 300 will be grandfathered in and then you start from there. It'll be cut off at 200.

Correct. That's correct. How do you decide which 200 make the cut? Is it first

Well, that was a request by the board of commissioners when they, read the ordinance on the first read. So, we can always take a recommendation back to the board of commissioners. So they'll hear this again on, the zoning public hearing in two weeks. And then again gosh. What's the date for the approval? One second. And it'll go for second read on January 27. So at that time, any conditions that need to go along, any changes that need to be made, we can accept those at that time as well from board of commissioners.

So do you have an idea about how many it could be so you can get to a number where you wouldn't have this conundrum of what what do we do? Because you have 500 people and then you I limit it to two

would say, I I did meet with Rentalscapes. We are looking at, we're looking at quotes from different, companies that do this scrubbing of those websites to let us know where the short term rentals are in the county and how many we have. And they just gave me a demo last week and they showed us Rockdale County and we had right at 200 in the county right now advertising.

So you know you'll probably We know You know 200 probably isn't the right number. I guess so guess

That's 200.

Yes. We know we do have 200 at least.

Yeah. Okay.

Yeah. Because I'll make a recommendation. I know you know, eat to make it at three hundred. I understand why the $3.50 maybe a little a bit much, but I, know, 200 is that minimum and considering the the economy and what's going on in the economy, I just think something more feasible, maybe 300.

Yeah, I would definitely take

that to the Board of Commissioners. I think

a good recommendation is to use some research to know how many you have so you don't create an automatic problem by setting the number too low. Because that's what you would do. A wait list has to be maintained. Mhmm. So why start any program out with a wait list? Mhmm. And it doesn't that's like building a school with a then you have a wait list or you have

trailers I do think we will hit our wait list very quickly. Sure. With the short term rentals. Just you know, the original ordinance said we could have as many as we as there were out there, and we didn't I believe the the notion behind that was we didn't want or to limit some of these, we didn't want to turn into a short term rental community. When you open it up with no max, you're really inviting short term rentals here, and that could lead to just an influx of short term rentals that are maybe out of control. So I think a number is a good idea. We should have some sort of limit, but it's just finding that good balance for

the county. I think $3.50 that's on there might be high. I agree with that. But also if the records that you the information you received said that we're about at about at 200 now.

Right about at it. Mhmm.

I would go a little above that. I would do more of a two fifty. Two fifty? Because that gives you room to build that buffer in while you're working on the processes and how the wait list is gonna work. Mhmm. If you automatically start out with 300 then there might be a mess in that extra that's So in if you go above the 200 just get a little shorter max in it. And that way when you do all your your detailed and the the applications that are coming finalize, you'll see where there's a bigger gap. Because if not, we can come back this way again and say, you know what, we looked at this, the meeting was a little the number was a little short, let's raise it a little bit or decrease it however, but

Correct. Yeah. We can always bring this back for amendment later on if we do run into those issues. Yeah.

So But I think it shouldn't be every time, you know, you somebody comes in and wanna you know, you got 50 applicants to come in and want to you come in present before us and then we could do another 50. I just really think is is there the ordinance is there for a reason. We don't wanna come a short term community. Right. And so I I I think we should, know, probably shouldn't be presented before us no more than every, you know, two to five years, some kind of stipulation on how often you come for the board and get it expanded because, you know, every time you get five or ten, twenty more, 30 more, 40 more applicants that wanna get in, you come here I think.

No, you wait to get on a wait list for somebody to get off because, you know, I just see it's the same thing as a, you know, we we they build these new communities, they say we got a 5% rental cap.

Mhmm. Right.

So, know, you got you you know, our community is three fifty or 300 rental cap. Right. For short term. Right. Keep like that and put some kind of stipulation as to it can't be proposed to change the wording, you know, every five years.

And this is an annual requirement that every year

they They full licensing. And so if they do not, receive their, this will be part of our standing operating procedure. We didn't place this verbiage into the ordinance. But what we're discussing with the SOP is if they do not renew their license within seven business days of their expiration, they lose their license and so that opens it up for another person to have one. So there will be things like that within our SOP, we just didn't codify it. So

so we you mentioned rental caps. So is there a limit to the number that any particular corporation could have? Because you also don't want it to turn into a community where two companies own most most of of the, the, you you know, know, short short term term rentals rentals or anything like that?

We did not do that, but we did write in the ordinance and that and this is also in the current ordinance that we have is that they must produce give us a homeowners association approval letter. So if there is a homeowners association, we have to have approval from them as well to ensure that we don't exceed that 5% cap in some of our neighborhoods. Or that if we do see an influx of the same company coming, we could address that as well and just depending on which which neighborhoods they're in. And then just also getting the support from the homeowners association to help us out with that piece too. Is there any

opposition to limiting the number that a corporation could own out of that 300 or three fifty or

We'd to look at state law because then you get into limiting business and that's you you can't do that. Yeah. So we can tell people what they can and can't do on property, but we can't say you can at all. You know, if it's a permitted use. This is a permitted use and that's also it's a permitted use only in AR and R 1 districts and in the Waters Non Reservoir zoning district. So those are the only districts that short term rentals are even allowed in. So that that will limit them as well.

I guess I'm thinking about any particular owner. I mean, there's probably some way you could play around with the language is is my suggestion in addition to having a higher cap than 200 and not starting off with the wait list like other commissioners have suggested. Mhmm.

So, yeah, we can definitely take that recommendation back to the board of commissioners too, you all want to make that part of your approval with condition. If you wanna decide on a number, we can take that back to the board of commissioners.

Because there is a balance we have to do with economic development business, but then also looking at the community as well. So I think the suggestion about not starting off with the wait list, not starting off with a bunch of red tape to begin with Yeah. Is is a good suggestion.

And, yeah, it's building our commercial tax base by switching these properties to commercial.

It's needed. I I welcome it. It's really really needed. What

what sort of notice? I guess, is there the same notice of that other like neighbors would have as you would if any other changes happen or I mean how would Then notice know?

So so if that's where it's going to be similar to our alcohol licensing process. So you will see these addresses on the board of commissioners regular meeting agendas. And so they will be grouped together as just the property address with the parcel numbers. And at that time, at that meeting that is on the agenda, that is when you would need to come and make your comments at that commission meeting if you would like to oppose the short term rental in your neighborhood. So just keep an eye on board of commissioner agendas when they go out and when beginning, like I said, February 1 is when we would begin accepting applications.

So probably, by the last meeting in February will be our our first time that we bring them a list to the board of commissioners because it 'll take roughly twenty five to thirty days for them to get through the application process internally.

So we can't put that big roof sign in front of your house like

Well, if we did that, then we yeah. Would just

And that's what the ordinance. The way it's written right now,

that's what we would be doing. We would be putting special use permits on all of these properties so they would get a big sign from our lovely sign shop over at Ardot. They they do all of our great work on our signage. And they would have to go post 200 signs for special use permits. So when we thought about the manpower it was going to take and to to issue special use permits for all of these short term rentals.

It it was it was a little much. So that's why, like I said, we brought it back to a license instead of a permit. So which, like I said, you'll still get a list. People will still know where the short term rentals are going, and they can still come and make comment at board of commissioners meeting meetings on those properties. So they'll still be heard.

Okay. Mhmm. That's good. K.

Any other questions?

Okay. So for the purpose of so to be clear, we were that we were discussing probably moving it to 300 as opposed to 200. It wasn't 250.

I've I've heard $2.50 and 3 100.

You know, I I kind of rolled it back to $2.50 too because because they're like, that's a short term. I mean, instead of the 300, I'm kinda think to $2.50.

So I'm gonna just You know how you check the inventory at a store and they say we got three left and then you go and they really have zero. There's zero. So you know, there's a margin of error I think. I'm more in favor of 300 because they give you that margin of error that that 200 that you've seen might be little low.

Maybe that's Correct. And like I said, that was just from a demo of Right. It wasn't solid numbers. That's why I say about 200 is what they showed us on that demo that we were looking at with the

scrub site. Condominiums, any type of No.

These well, they could be. What's is listed on the website, that's our next piece too is once we have this ordinance in place, now we can, go through that software and find out what kind of short term rentals, because short term rentals are not allowed in accessory structures. If we allow, in the future accessory dwelling units, short term rentals will not be allowed in accessory dwelling units. They will not be allowed in multi family. So none of your town homes, none of your apartments can have short term rentals.

And that's that's the the way we're writing the ordinance at this time. We may revisit that especially with townhomes and condominiums. We understand that those are owned. So we may revise that at a later date depending on on how this goes. But this is our first time with the short term rentals. So we're just allowing them in the AR properties in r one at this time. So single family residential.

Okay. So to make it clear what we're doing here is we're we're voting to amend the ordinance with the exception of the change in section one of the from three fifty. What's it say? We're making it to 300 am I clear on that is that what we're doing

because

that's one of the the 300 is gonna be a recommendation.

Recommendation. Yeah.

Other things are the things that she presented for, but we we want to agree to those.

Right. So these are the amendments that we made to the ordinance. So you can recommend, the number change for the three fifty, but with approval of the other amendments.

Yeah. Okay.

And we do need to allow public comment as well.

Okay.

If there is any? No public comment. Okay. Well, no public comment. So you can Oh,

Oh, I'm sorry. We do have public comment.

Okay.

If you can Well, let's come up here.

You please state

your name for the record.

My name is Bridget Williams. So on the number of 200 to 300, what I'm hearing is you really don't know what you're having. So I wouldn't be opposed to making your number reasonable, and then those who do not have, if they do not come and register, then they don't participate. Because you're going to have a lot of folks who are not going to register, and they're still going to operate in this So you don't know what you have, so to set a really high number, then you allow everyone who still don't want to participate and register to operate freely. So set the number, force everyone to come out and register properly, then make sure you may find out that you have more, like you have 200 or a 100 more who want to register.

Now when you set your three fifty, you're setting it based on demand. Right now, you're just given an opportunity for everybody to exist and to give cover. But set your 200, two fifty, and force everyone to come out and register properly.

My name is Rohendeep Sikhel from 2992 Highway 155 Southwest. I agree with Missing yeah. I'm sorry, miss lady. Over here's to that, kinda mentioned about that that doesn't seem like you guys have a clear number in mind quite yet, or even if you do, there is gonna be some gap of error. And so rather than doing a flat out number, I would suggest rather do do a multiplier.

You guys are kind of sitting at a 200 mark and thinking one times 1.5 times it and sitting at 300. And so when they come up with data and you come up with a two fifteen and you instead you have a multiplier sitting there for that error. And then the other thing is if power notice is gonna go out for the people to register and if it's somebody who's not in your data existing that actually was a business owner prior to, they never get that notice, it's kinda not a fair game. And so I would also try to have some sort of leniency towards somebody who can prove that they were already existing in the business if they didn't get notice and could not in a fair manner, get their application in as well after you guys meet the maximum. So that there is some form as long as they provide through certain guidelines, certain proof process that they were in the business existing for, I don't know, x amount of time.

That's just so that, you know, you kinda don't

So is it do more research before you come up

Essentially, that's that's part of it too. You know, right now it's just throwing numbers is what it seems like. But beyond that, I mean, you're gonna miss somebody. It's natural. It's gonna these data points aren't the way they do it is not always accurate. So that just so that nobody gets missed out. Because at the end of the day, if I'm running the business and I don't find out about these things and or in some cases a lot, Some if the core companies are working out of state, and, if they're bigger corporations, if they can't get notice, rather than this become like a legal issue or that kind of thing, I think being a little proactive on that side helps all parties. That's my suggestion.

Like it though. Thank you very much.

Then I just wanna make one more comment. Okay. Because the thing is we have two two different things. We have those that are existing now, short term rentals, and we have those that desire to become.

Correct. So the ones existing prior to April 2025 are not permitted. So prior to April 2025, no short term rentals were permitted in Rockdale County whatsoever. So when code enforcement did find them, they were shut down. We did not have it. If it was not in our permitted use table, it was not permitted. So we did not permit short short term rentals at that time. Of course, there were some operating anyway. But when code enforcement or sheriff's office got calls about them, that's when code enforcement would go out and tell them they could not operate, because it was not permitted within county. And then in April 2025, when we did approve the ordinance, we did not have folks come in to fill out applications.

But also at that point, we were not ready to start enforcement of the ordinance. So we still needed to build out a few things with the program. Now we do have those things in place, and we will have a program in place by February 1, as well as a website scrub agent that will assist in the letter campaign. So all of the Airbnb, Vrbo sites will be scrubbed to find all of the unincorporated Rockdale County short term rental ordinances or rentals and letters will go out. They'll get three letters that will go out to notify them that they need to come in and fill an application and and come into compliance.

And at that time, once we have that, the software will be up and running to let us know where they're at. And then that's when, if they don't have an application in or a license, code enforcement will be dispatched out to, shut them down.

My my concern thank you for clarification. My concern is I I like what we're doing now and I think we should tell back the number because one of the remember, one of the issues is people were doing it noncompliance and we were we were becoming a short term rental community and nobody was investing in Rockdale County. So I just really think the number should be limited. I don't think it should be revisited every year. I think it's a number that we should stick with.

Like I said before, you know, every five years or every two years. But just to as a as a rolling number based on what I make the need, Why have a that's that's why I have a ordinance. I mean, if we're trying to make everybody licensed, this man that that wants a short term, that's that's not good. Yeah. We need home ownership. We don't need short term rental in Rockdale. Mean, that's just my thought.

Okay. So, I mean, I I I think we should, again, I don't think we should just randomly pick a number. I think it'd be great to have more research before a number's chosen. I also think it would be good to make sure, sort of on the same vein, you don't want to have the same entity owning all the short term. And I'm sure that there is some way that can be limited. It doesn't necessarily have to be

for corporations. Yeah. We would just have to a little more research on that to see more ways.

It just sounds more you think there's a you know, there are attorneys that the county pays to play around with with language. So I do think seems like a little more research needs to be done on what we're

your program starts on the first, let us go out on the first.

February 1 is when the program starts. Yes. When we will begin. There has to be

a number by February 1.

We would like there to be. If not, it will push the date. Project question, we don't push dates. Right. Do we do not like to.

January. So plan right now is to start your pro this program on the first. Letters go out. First goes out. And I don't know what your time frame is between the three, but your first one is hopefully that February.

Will be. Yes. Yeah. Letters will go out the February.

Also based on the commissioner's meeting on the twenty seventh?

Correct. Because this will still go through their the board of commissioner zoning hearing and then again to the board of commissioners for the second read and adoption. And at that time, they'll adopt the recommendations or deny. But either way, we do have the ordinance. We already have a short term rental ordinance. The ordinance is already out there. So this is amending it because the ordinance has already been approved last year. So now we're amending it. As it is right now, anyone could mean, there could be as many as they want.

Potentially as a compromise between the the community that's speaking up in our in what we're saying between pick a number, not pick a number, high number, low number.

Is it possible

to take it a year, the first year? This is the the entry into this project.

This

is where we are. We're trying to find everyone who has these properties out there. So, if it's 500 that's out there, then, we found 500 people giving them an opportunity. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely.

After the end of

I know it's a lot. You know it's a lot. Just bear with me.

Yeah. That is. But I mean, are a lot. I'll tell you right now. There's a lot out there.

Student with Hirstead, they may not have reached the information. I'll probably be an out of town. Right. Person and I, you mail me something from Atlanta. It takes two weeks for

me to get.

So, it could take a while for me to get there, right? So, let's just say there is a higher threshold to figure out everything for year one. Right? So I'm sure you haven't figured out how the wait list is gonna work yet. That's still kind of baking in my mind. And then after going into that second year, here is a revision to the process and then you have able to scale back on that number.

Yeah. Well, I every ninety days, we'll be going through the data that we have that we've collected for this first year to see what the increase is, how many are on our wait list, how this is working. Because this is the first time Rockdale County is doing the short term rental ordinance. So I mean, we need to see how it works for our county.

I see we have a target, but it looks like we need to figure out what glide path we're gonna use to get that.

Absolutely. Because

right now, know, you don't know what's out there.

Mhmm.

And you're you're hoping for the use of software to help pinpoint. But what if I have mine listed on another type of website, not you know what

I mean?

Yeah. It scrubs, from my understanding, I believe it was eight to 12, she said, different sites out there.

Website from my press

It can't be.

Can't find me.

It has so to be this is part of the ordinance too. This is part of the current ordinance. It has to be listed on a major website because it has to collect hotel lodging taxes. You have to prove that you're advertising there, you have to post your license number on there because we do not collect Planning and Development does not collect your hotel motel lodging taxes. That's collected through the website that you advertise your short term rental on, And so that's a requirement that you have to show us your advertisements on all of your different website.

Whoever you're advertising, we need to know where you're advertising. So and then like I said, there's several websites out there that operate short term rental, registry. We're working I said like I said, we we have a few I think it's two or three that we're looking at different, companies to, assist us in this process and scrub those sites so that we can find the short term rentals. We won't find them all, but we'll find a good chunk.

Okay.

Alright. We're back here again.

Okay. So to be clear, we're going in for this item, text 2025Dash14. We're going we want to fold on the amendment of it with the recommended change of 300. That's what we're doing. Okay.

Alright. So we need a motion for our item r dash 3, text 2025Dash14. Ordinance an ordinance to amend the text of section two one eight dash one permitted use table in section two one eight dash one three sections of the use and development subsection m m two of the unified development co ordinance rather of Rockdale County, Georgia with the recommendation of 300 with amendment of the recommendation of 300. Are we clear? Okay.

Alright. So we need a motion. For the amendment.

I move.

Okay. There has been a move for For to for the amendment of

Miss Chancey, if you could just speak into the mic and make your motion again, please.

Yes. I move to approve the amendment text twenty twenty five dash 14 with the conditional of recommendation for 300 total.

Okay. That's been a motion. Is second?

I second.

Okay. Miss Ernestine Stovall Goosby has second for that motion. We'll bring that motion up for a vote at this time. All in favor of text twenty twenty five dash 14 amendment with the recommendation of 300 on the amendment. All in favor state aye.

Aye.

Opposed all those that oppose, nay.

Nay.

Any abstain? The motion for item r three text two zero two five dash 14 for the amend this item has been with the recommendation of 300 amendment has been approved. The motion is carried.

Thank you.

Alright. If all hearts are clear and we've we've completed our agenda and we need an motion for adjournment of this Planning Commission meeting.

Make a motion that we adjourn.

Hey. The motion discussion. Who's our who's our new leadership? We lost miss oh, yeah. Miss.

The the motion has been Okay.

Oh, before we adjourn. I'll

I'll Okay. We haven't adjourned yet.

Yep. So we do have a new director for planning and development, and I guess we should have started with that. So director Brandon White.

How you doing? Hello.

How you doing? Welcome aboard. Inquiring minds wanted to know. Yes. I'm

here with myself.

Okay. Alright. Again, all hearts clear. Okay. Let's Clear now. Okay.

Let's try. We need a motion for adjournment planning meeting commission meeting.

Oh, motion I motion we adjourn.

Okay. Second. Second. Okay. We've been seconded. This meeting is now adjourned. Thank you.