Wilson County BZA approves Tate Lane short-term rental with strict conditions after neighbors object to event activity

The Wilson County Board of Zoning Appeals on a 3‑2 vote approved a one‑year renewal for a one‑bedroom short‑term rental at 1325 Tate Lane, limiting stays to two guests and requiring an amended business plan and contact information for the caretaker and sheriff's office. The board said the approval was expressly conditioned on the owner’s statement that the property will no longer be used as an event venue.

The action matters because neighbors said the property operated events in the past that produced heavy traffic, noise and public‑safety concerns, and several neighbors urged the board to deny the renewal. The board considered both the applicant’s assurances and several sworn neighbor statements before voting.

Bobby Jo Caldwell, who identified herself as an owner, asked the board for permission to use the house for short‑term rentals and said, “We have a beautiful home. We wanna share it.” She and her husband, Mike Carlton, told the board they would remove advertising for the event business and would not advertise or rent the second bedroom that had previously been listed. “It's done. I've taken all my social media off. They'll all my advertising. Everything's gone,” she said.

Neighbors and nearby property owners said they have seen the site used for events and large gatherings. Scott Thompson, a neighbor, said the owners “have an event scheduled in later in September. They just had one last weekend, a baby shower, and they have one coming up sometime in November.” Susan Larson, another nearby resident, said she filed the zoning complaint that led to enforcement action and described “50 cars on Tate Lane, excessive noise, microphones” during earlier events.

An independent engineer, Trent Smith, testified about road safety near the site, saying portions of Tate Lane are “barely over a single lane” and that “almost any increase would not be recommended,” although he described the traffic impact of a single one‑bedroom, two‑guest rental as “probably pretty negligible.”

Staff told the board the property had been cited previously for operation of an event venue and that the short‑term rental request must include a business plan and caretaker contact information. Board members noted the property’s prior violation history while weighing the applicant’s pledge to stop events.

A board member moved approval with conditions that the rental be limited to a one‑bedroom unit for two guests, that the business plan be amended to reflect the limit and that the business plan be made part of the record. The motion was seconded and carried 3‑2. The board also required the applicant to submit the amended business plan to the zoning office and to provide the sheriff’s office with contact information.

The board indicated it will treat the approval as a time‑limited permit: “This is for one year. And it's our option if we renew it for additional time,” the chair said, noting the board may decline to renew the permit if complaints recur.

Neighbors were advised to report violations to the zoning office so that complaints are on the record; board members said formal complaints and documented incidents help enforcement and renewal decisions.

The decision does not authorize any event activity and expressly disavows the event venue use that prompted prior enforcement action.