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Board approves short‑term rental at Smith Road home after neighbors oppose; garage septic must be disconnected
Summary
The Franklin County Board of Supervisors approved a special‑use permit allowing the main dwelling at 105 Smith Road to operate as a short‑term rental, adding a condition that the detached garage/apartment not be connected to the house septic and that county inspectors confirm the disconnection.
The Franklin County Board of Supervisors approved a special‑use permit that allows the single‑family dwelling at 105 Smith Road to be used for short‑term tourist rentals, with a condition intended to ensure the detached garage/apartment will not rely on the same septic system.
Staff and planning commission: County planning staff told the board the dwelling is a single‑family home built in 1990 with three bedrooms and a septic sized for three bedrooms. The Planning Commission recommended approval (7–0) with standard conditions that include registration, an inspection and proof of at least $1 million in liability insurance for guests.
Public comment: Opponents — neighbors who live on nearby rural roads — spoke at the public hearing, citing traffic and safety concerns on narrow rural roads, prior problems on the property under past ownership (noise and alleged criminal incidents), and uncertainty about whether the detached, two‑bedroom upstairs garage/apartment has a separate septic system or had previously been occupied as a rental. The applicants said they live on the property and do not currently intend to rent the detached structure; they described it as in poor condition and said they have invested in renovation of the main house.
Board action: After initial votes failed on one motion, the board ultimately approved the special‑use permit with a condition requiring that any septic connection serving the detached garage/apartment be permanently disconnected and that the county building official inspect and confirm the disconnection before issuance of any short‑term‑rental registration or occupancy related to the permit. That condition was added after supervisors expressed concern that a habitable accessory unit could be returned to use without county oversight and that the property may not have documentation showing a separate septic for the accessory unit.
Permit scope and limits: The approval applies to the primary dwelling only; the accessory garage apartment is not authorized for short‑term rental under this permit. Staff said any renovation of the garage/apartment that would make it habitable would require building permits and zoning review and, if intended for rental, would require a separate short‑term‑rental approval.
Why it matters: The decision balances neighbors’ safety and community character concerns with property owners’ requests to operate a short‑term rental on a rural parcel. The board’s septic‑disconnection and inspection condition is intended to give county staff a clear compliance point before guests are allowed to occupy the short‑term rental.
