City sets moratorium on townhouses till Sept. 15

Such properties will soon face $ 500 fines for some violations.

Atlanta’s short- term rental properties will soon be subject to $ 500 fines for loud parties or other violations, after the City Council voted Monday to regulate an industry that has drawn complaints from across the city.

The legislation was approved after Councilman Howard Shook initially proposed a ban on short- term rentals, which are reserved on websites like Airbnb. The ban legislation is pending in a council committee, and it is unclear if it will ever be considered by the full council.

Shook flooded the meeting with a dozen proposed changes to the ordinance, but five proposals failed to gain traction with a majority of the council.

One amendment that did pass was Shook’ s idea to increase fines from $ 300 to $ 500. He withdrew two before a vote, and three other amendments, such as a proposal to limit the number of shortterm rentals in each community, died on the vine.

Councilwoman Marci Collier Overstreet called Shook’s incremental changes“a trap.” Council President Felicia Moore voted in favor of Shook’s desire to change language in the ordinance to read “an overabundance of shortterm rental units in a community introduces a commercial element” within neighborhoods.

Moore’s vote broke a tie on the inconsequential matter.

“What we did here today has no limitation … I think it’s a bad way to go,” Shook said, referring to the rejection of his proposal to limit the number of rental properties in neighborhoods. He cast the only vote against the ordinance.

Homeowners use Airbnb to rent rooms or entire houses for 30 days at most. Airbnb previously removed dozes of houses from its listings because the rentals created “party house” nuisance complaints. The ordinance drafted by Councilman Andre Dickens requires houses to be limited to two adults per bedroom.

The ordinance will also tax rentals at the same 8% rate as hotels. Homeowners will have to apply for a $ 150 certifificate to operate rentals in the city.

The council listened to prerecorded comments f rom homeowners who supported the legislation and use the site Airbnb. Other members of the public lobbied for stronger regulation or an outright ban.

Nancy Bliwise, a Buckhead resident who heads a Neighborhood Planning Unit, said the council should strengthen the ordinance with more penalties before it is enacted.

Resident David Pelton said short- term rentals give families additional income, and a ban would “cripple” the responsible property owners.

The Georgia House recently passed a bill to impose state and local taxes on short- term rentals. House Bill 317 is pending in the state Senate Finance Committee.

The ordinance will go into effffffffffffect Sept. 1.

Through Sept. 15, there will be a moratorium on townhouses in Smyrna.

The Smyrna City Council voted 6- 1 on March 15 to refuse to accept rezoning and variance applications seeking to develop or use property as a townhouse or a townhouse development. One reason is that the City Council has received complaints regarding the lack of development and architectural standards for townhouse developments, according to a city statement.

The moratorium will provide city offifficials the chance to evaluate existing design standards for new townhouses and to consider amendments to zoning ordinances regarding such developments.

Information: smyrnaga. gov

The Dekalb Human Services Department will host a virtual workshop for parents and other stakeholders at 5: 30 p. m. March 24 to discuss the potential impact of trauma and stress on students, according to a news release.

This workshop, titled “RISE UP,” will be held in partnership with Kaiser Permanente and will feature theater, experiential learning and arts integration techniques to engage participants.

The workshop’s intent is to give parents and those who work with students the tools needed to navigate the diffifficult situations that students face with distance learning and the lack of social interaction due to the ongoing COVID- 19 pandemic.

Parents of Dekalb students in grades K- 12 are encouraged to participate in this virtual webinar.

There is no charge to participate; however, registration is required. To register, visit rb. gy/ so3crw.

Dekalb County’s Human Services Department is responsible for leading a network of county professionals, programs, services and community partners that support the well- being of all Dekalb county citizens spanning over 750,000 persons.

The department’s staff members and network provide a wide array of services that address the essential needs of families, including infants, school- aged children, youth, adults and seniors.

For more information on this webinar, contact Mussettee H. Hill, senior coordinator, via email at mhill@ dekalbcountyga. gov or call 470- 599- 3328.

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