Friendsville council votes to begin public review of zoning rules for tourist/visitor rentals

The Town of Friendsville on July 15 voted to start a public review of the town zoning ordinance to address rules governing tourist/visitor rentals (TVRs). Council member Edward Kelley moved the action, seconded by Council member James Hook; the motion passed 4 in favor, 0 opposed, 2 abstentions.

Residents Doug and Lou Ann Sines urged the council to reconsider the current zoning approach, saying the ordinance is “not fair” and needs change. Council members and staff noted that under the existing ordinance most residential districts (RD, SR, TR, TC) require a special exception for TVRs while commercial districts (GC and EC) do not, a discrepancy that prompted the motion to initiate a public rezoning and ordinance rewrite.

The council’s vote does not itself change zoning or grant exceptions; it directs the town to undertake a public process to consider rezoning and to draft ordinance changes so the town will not have to rely on special exceptions for TVRs. Edward Kelley explained the rewrite will be a multi-step process involving public input and likely rezoning of affected parcels.

Supporters of the motion described the review as a path to clear, consistent rules for residents and prospective property owners. Opponents who spoke during public comment asked for protections for neighborhood character; specific safeguards, permitting standards, or enforcement details were not adopted at the meeting.

Next steps listed in the discussion include forming or continuing a committee to collect community input and drafting ordinance language for subsequent council review. The council did not set a firm timeline during the July 15 session.