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Planning Commission denies short‑term rental permit for Morewood Road property
Summary
The Franklin County Planning Commission voted 7-0 to recommend denial of a special-use permit for a short-term rental at 1892 Morewood Road, citing safety, driveway access and shoreline proximity concerns raised by neighbors and commissioners. The Board of Supervisors will hear the case on July 21, 2026.
The Franklin County Planning Commission voted 7-0 on June 9 to recommend denial of a special‑use permit that would have allowed short‑term tourist rentals at 1892 Morewood Road in the Gills Creek District.
Planner Tina Franklin told commissioners the one‑story, three‑bedroom dwelling (built 2004) sits on about 0.94 acres, is served by a private well and septic (pumped March 30, 2026), and would be limited to six adults. Staff recommended approval with six conditions, including proof of $1,000,000 liability insurance, annual registration and inspection, a local contact for complaints, and a landscape buffer between the subject parcel and 1890 Morewood Road.
At the podium, applicant John Pearson described house rules, screening and monitoring systems and said the property is intended for family stays. "This short‑term rental is not meant to be a ‘party house,’" he said, adding that he or a property manager would be available to respond to neighbor concerns.
Neighbors disputed that protections would prevent problems. Matthew Strickland, who lives nearby, described past rental behavior and the tightness of the cove, saying he had once seen "ten (10) people urinating off the roof" as an example of rules not being followed. Mike Altizer, owner of 1890 Morewood Road, said the shared driveway is on his property, that he paid about $40,000 to repave it, and that safety for his family is his "utmost concern." Todd Gerbers yielded his time to Altizer, who also said there is insufficient parking to support a rental.
Commissioners raised repeated concerns about the narrow, windy shared driveway, limited turnaround space and the proximity of multiple docks in the cove. Commissioner Ron Jefferson moved to deny the permit, finding the use would be a "substantial detriment to adjacent properties" and not in harmony with the zoning district; the motion carried on a 7-0 roll call. Chairwoman Sherrie Mitchell said the Board of Supervisors will hear the case on July 21, 2026.
The commission's decision recommends denial to the Board of Supervisors; it is the board, not the commission, that can grant or deny the special‑use permit.
