Opelika planning commission tables bed-and-breakfast zoning changes after large public opposition

The Opelika Planning Commission on Wednesday voted to table a proposed zoning text amendment that would change how bed-and-breakfasts are defined and regulated in the city, including adding rules that could permit outdoor events at older houses.

Commissioners said the item needs more work after more than a dozen residents urged changes or opposed the proposal at public hearing. The vote to table was taken after residents argued the draft would amount to spot zoning and remove crucial protections such as an owner-occupancy requirement.

The commission’s proposal would revise definitions and procedures for bed-and-breakfast operations, move bed-and-breakfasts in some sections of the code into the list of uses that can host celebrations or events, and add a new section (8.28.4 in the draft) covering operational rules. Among changes described in staff materials were: permitting bed-and-breakfasts on properties at least 1 acre; limiting outdoor events to no more than 10 per year and to a maximum of 200 people unless further limited by parking or safety codes; requiring properties used for such events to be on an arterial or collector street; a…