During its Oct. 1 meeting, the Morgan County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a zoning map amendment from AR to AG and a conditional use request for a bridal cottage or short-term rental at The Sixty-Two off Athens Highway.
Rochelle Wright, the new owner of the wedding and event venue, said she didn’t know the existing house on the property had been used by the previous owner for years as a short-term rental, which is prohibited in AR zoning. Wright said she and her husband live there, but have had to vacate their home repeatedly to accommodate short-term rentals booked by the previous owner through May 2025.
Wright sought the map amendment and conditional use requests to construct a new bridal cottage behind the event facility while she and her husband continue to live in the existing house, which is close to their business.
“We don’t plan to rent our personal home ever again, and the bridal cottage we want will only be used for weddings,” Wright said. “We don’t want any other visitors, and that’s why we’d be on the property — to manage better.”
Leslie Erickson, who owns Farmhouse Inn, another popular wedding venue in Morgan, supported the new bridal cottage during the public hearing.
“In Madison, the weekends just book up,” Erickson said. “They book up everywhere for everything. There are events; there are weddings. We don’t have enough accommodations for those weekends, and I think the weekends are very important for business owners in Morgan County [and] the City of Madison.
“I can’t fathom walking into what [Wright] walked into . . . she isn’t the one that instigated the shenanigans. It seems like this is already how the property is operating. If it does need to be monitored, perhaps accounting and bookkeeping can show that it was only rented on X number of days each month. I’m in support; I think the county and the community needs [the bridal cottage.]”
The BOC approved the new short-term rental with a long list of conditions recommended by the Morgan County Planning Commission.
As part of the conditions, the short-term rental may only be used in conjunction with scheduled events, may only be rented for a maximum of two nights prior to or after the event, may only be rented as part of a package that includes the event venue, must be limited to eight guests maximum, and cannot be used for the groom’s building.
The short-term rental cannot be advertised on rental advertising websites, and no further rentals are allowed at the previously illegal bridal cottage, with the exception of the existing bookings from the previous owner. A commercial contractor must be used to build the cottage, and it must meet the definition of an accessory dwelling.
According to the Planning Commission’s recommendation, if there are any violations, the property owner will be given one written warning before the planning and zoning department starts the process of initiating a revocation of short-term rental approval.
In other business Oct. 1, the BOC:
• Received public comment from resident Usher Richardson, who asked why the assessed value for his 7.75-acre property consisting of an undevelopable, private road went from $1,000 to over $30,000. According to chief appraiser Robert Bailey, the assessment schedule was recently changed so that all unbuildable lots would be assessed at $4,000 an acre, and Richardson’s property was caught up in that valuation. The BOC recommended that Richardson submit a refund request for a portion of his taxes since his property is a road and not a lot.
• Tabled the decision on a conditional use request for a telecommunications tower proposed for 149.6 acres located on the southwest side of Paxon Dairy Road. The request had already been deferred three times to give the applicant time to gather radio frequency (RF) data to justify the need for the tower. The Towers, LLC, a Vertical Bridge entity, proposed constructing and owning the new tower and leasing antenna space to improve Verizon’s coverage and alleviate capacity issues due to increased demand and congestion in Morgan. According to the applicant, towers must work in tandem with the signal from nearby towers; Verizon needs the tower at the proposed location, height, and signal levels to provide a consistently reliable signal. According to county documents, that message was submitted in the original application and an update to the BOC on Sept. 24. During the BOC’s Oct. 1 meeting, the applicant was again asked to gather more RF data supporting existing towers' lack of antenna space.
• Approved the filing of the 5311 Grant application, which the Federal Transit Administration requires to be submitted every year to continue funding assistance. The BOC’s approval includes authorizing the chairman to sign all grant applications, certificates, and award documents for FY25.
• Approved a FY25 budget amendment to add the Transit State Fund revenue of $241,857 and Transit State Trust expenses of $241,857.
• Approved a revised lease for the Advantage Behavioral Health site at the FSA building, including minor venue and indemnity changes since Advantage is a Community Service Board subject to Georgia Department of Administrative Services’ rules.
• Approved a second amendment to the broadband infrastructure agreement with Charter Communications. The BOC has partnered with Charter to provide fiber for residences in the Grayson Pointe Subdivision and residences off of Wood Road, Wood Cove, Three Notch Road, Old Seven Islands Road, and Jacobs Creek Road. Charter has agreed to build broadband infrastructure for those residences for $150,000 from the county, with 50 percent of the payment due at the agreement's adoption and 50 percent due when the project area is activated. Charter has committed roughly 50 percent of the overall project costs, as with the First Amendment.