In this edition of Henry Minutes, I cover the upcoming Heritage Park town hall meeting and board of commissioners meeting on Tuesday. During the meeting, the board will consider regulations for short-term rentals and discuss a new buffer requirement between auto car washes. Henry Minutes is a collection of news from around Henry County.
Short-term Rentals
Henry County is considering new regulations on short-term rentals. Presently, county code does not address short-term rentals. The board will hold a public hearing and consider voting on the proposed ordinance during the upcoming Tuesday morning meeting on October 4. The meeting starts at 9 am.
The proposed ordinance would require owners of a short-term rental to apply for and receive an occupational tax certificate. In addition, short-term rentals may not be leased for the sole or primary purpose of a party venue. Other requirements found within the ordinance include a local contact available 24/7 and parking limits on the number of cars. The full draft ordinance is available to view by visiting the county website and selecting “packet” beside the October 4 meeting. The draft starts on page 110 of the meeting packet.
Heritage Park Town Hall
Don’t forget this next week will be the Heritage Park town hall meeting. Should the county repair the historic buildings? or demolish the structures to make room for another use? That is the question being asked to determine the future of Heritage Park.
Be sure and attend to provide your thoughts on the park’s future. The town hall is Wednesday night, October 5, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. The meeting location is the Heritage Park office beside the arena. Heritage Park is located on Lake Dow Road in McDonough.
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Auto Car Washes
Finally, county staff are recommending the board adopt a new buffer requirement between auto car washes. The proposed buffer would be 13,200 feet or 2.5 miles. If the county adopts staff’s recommendation, then new car washes could not build within 2.5 miles of an existing car wash.
The county has seen a recent increase in proposals for new car washes. For example, new car washes are under construction near the Ola Publix and Union Grove High School. Last month, the zoning advisory board heard zoning requests for new car washes at East Lake Parkway and Springdale Road, and state route 81 at Upchurch Road — both a short distance from the aforementioned construction sites.
The board will discuss the proposed buffer during their October 4 meeting. Any board action would follow at a subsequent meeting.
Featured image shows the steam engine at Heritage Park. Clayton Carte photo.
