Hocking County zoning panel discusses draft short-term rental permits, emergency-access and nuisance rules

Hocking County Zoning Commission members on May 29 reviewed draft land-use tools intended to regulate short-term rentals and other visitor-focused uses, focusing on public-safety requirements, nuisance controls and possible impact fees as the county sees growth around the Hocking Hills tourism area.

The commission discussed a set of proposed measures prepared with consultant American StructurePoint, including a short-term rental permit/registry, a required 24-hour local contact for each rental, clearer address-numbering and signage for emergency responders, driveway and turnaround standards for fire and EMS access, occupancy limits and contract-based enforcement, parking standards, proof-of-insurance requirements and countywide noise and nuisance rules. Commissioners and staff said they will research impact-fee programs used elsewhere and consult first responders and the county EMA before drafting final language.

The issue gained traction after the commission and consultant reviewed public responses from a county questionnaire and stakeholder meetings. “I think we had 400 plus responses, which I thought was very good,” the commission chair said during the meeting, and he later summarized the broader reaction: “all of those showed over 90% of the people that responded and attended feels like there's a need for something.” The commission also noted a separate mail survey distributed by the Hocking Hills Tourism Association that yielded about 700 returns from roughly 17,000 households contacted.

Why it matters

Commission members framed the proposals as tools short of formal zoning that would require specific uses to meet standards rather than immediately reassigning land uses. They said the proposals respond to recurring complaints from residents and concerns raised by first responders about access, large parties, noise, and uncollected lodging taxes.

Details from the discussion

- 24-hour local contact and emergency notification: The commission emphasized requiring a local 24-hour contact who can respond within a short window when renters or first responders need assistance. “A lot of these cabins, I'd say 90% of cabins don't have phones,” the chair said, arguing a local contact or an on-site phone could be necessary in places with poor cell service. The group discussed allowing emergency notifications by phone, text or radio.

- Address numbering and signage: Commissioners reviewed the county’s house-numbering grid and said a clearer, standardized system for numbering buildings and marking private access points would help 911 dispatch and responders locate cabins on narrow private drives. The commission recommended coordination with Sandy Wintermute at the county 9-1-1 center on signage and sequencing conventions.

- Driveway, turnout and access standards: Commissioners asked that proposed permits include a review for first-responder access — for example, minimum widths, turn radii and turnarounds, limits on grade, and evaluation of stream crossings or culverts — with initial review before a property owner undertakes major site work. Several members recounted past incidents where emergency vehicles could not reach remote cabins because of narrow or steep access.

- Occupancy limits, contracts and enforcement: The draft would require clear occupancy limits in rental contracts and allow enforcement measures if limits are exceeded. Commission members said owners/operators were generally supportive of clear limits, and discussed contract provisions such as security deposits or extra fees for over-occupancy.

- Registry, bed tax and platform remittal: The commission discussed requiring owners and managers to register and to remit the county lodging/bed tax through an established system administered by the tax office. Members noted some short-term rental platforms automatically collect lodging taxes in a few Ohio jurisdictions, but that is not universal; commissioners said any permit/impact-fee program should require registration with the county tax office.

- Building-code enforcement: Commissioners discussed relying on the Ohio building code and the state’s inspection processes for structural and life-safety issues, while asking staff to check how consistently those standards are applied to transient housing and to confirm what state inspections cover.

- Parking and insurance: The commission discussed parking minimums tied to advertised occupancy and requiring proof of liability insurance as part of permit registration.

- Noise and nuisance controls: Members proposed countywide nuisance/noise rules that would apply to short-term rentals and other uses, and discussed examples raised by residents — including late-night parties, continuous target shooting and fireworks — that alarm neighbors and may present safety hazards. Commissioners mentioned previous litigation in the county and neighboring townships as precedent for nuisance claims.

- Impact fees and emergency-run costs: Commissioners said they will research impact-fee programs used in other counties and states and how fees might be calculated to help fund county and township emergency services. During the meeting commissioners cited local emergency-run totals discussed by staff — for example, the Logan-area fire district recorded roughly 900 runs last year and is on track to exceed 1,000 runs this year, while county EMS was described as having about 4,700 runs in the prior year; commissioners noted about 16% of those runs involve out‑of‑county residents.

Next steps and staff direction

Commissioners instructed staff to continue drafting the regulations, coordinate with first responders (including EMA, township fire chiefs and the 9-1-1 center), consult the county prosecutor’s office and research impact-fee models and enforcement options before presenting formal draft language. The chair repeatedly emphasized that the group was not proposing countywide zoning at this stage but rather a suite of land-use tools and standards that could be adopted administratively or by ordinance later.

Meeting procedure

The commission approved the meeting agenda by motion at the start of the session and adjourned by motion at the end; no formal votes were taken on any short-term rental regulations at this meeting.

What’s next

Commission members said staff will return with more detailed draft language and research at a future meeting; commissioners tentatively noted the next meeting in late June for follow-up.