Over the strong objection of one of its members, the Eatonton City Council on Monday voted 5-2 to amend the city zoning ordinance to allow bed-and-breakfasts in residential areas to serve food at in-house events.
The action effectively allows the Dot2Dot Inn, which operates as a bed-and-breakfast at 200 South Washington Avenue, to apply for the conditional zoning, allowing them to hold “functions and special events such as weddings, dinners, meetings, and receptions,” according to the revised ordinance.
For four years, Dot2Dot has rented three bedrooms in what was once known as the antebellum Reid-Griffith house. Guests are served breakfast. Owners Karen and Richard Garrett also cater off-site events.
Until last November, the Inn offered itself as a venue for “pre-theater dinners, Sunday Brunch, Friday Take-Out, English Teas and small private events/weddings.” That is when the city sent the Garretts a cease-and-desist order.
Richard Garrett said in February that more than two years ago they were told by City Administrator Gary Sanders that their zoning did not include on-site catering. As Garrett tells it, Sanders suggested that the business made good sense and they continue until an upcoming citywide zoning review was done. That review is now expected to be completed later this year.
“There was no guarantee but the fact of it was, yes, they were allowed to operate for a good while before issues were brought,” Sanders told The Eatonton Messenger at the time.
According to Sanders, the city received a complaint from one neighbor, so they shut down the catered, in-house events. Since then, the Garretts and city officials have been scouring zoning ordinances across the state to find examples of how other local governments have crafted laws to allow the practice.
Those examples led to the modifications City Council member Teresa Doster (Ward 4) proposed at Monday night’s meeting. She chairs the Zoning and Ordinance Committee.
The new amendment allows in-house catering for bed and breakfasts but comes with an additional list of specific conditions, including permits for special events, a limit of 50 attendees, a requirement that events end by 10 p.m. and only one event is allowed Monday to Thursday of any week.
In a prepared statement read to the council Monday night, council member Janie Reid (Ward 3) strenuously objected to the revision, calling it “feel-good legislation” that is “selective” and “discriminatory.”
“This proposed ordinance will destroy the integrity of the community of which it is being designed for and will give every person residing within the city limits of Eatonton the right to open a business anywhere in the city,” Reid said. “This is spot zoning and should not be happening.”
During the ensuing lively debate, Doster explained that any business that would want to do the same thing would have to first meet the qualifications in the existing ordinance.
“This probably only applies to very, very few properties that would meet these conditions in our city,” said Doster. “I think maybe less than 10 that would ever want to be a bed-and-breakfast and would meet the qualifications of having the square footage, the parking.”
Councilmember Alvin Butts (Wards 2 & 3) asked if sprinkler systems are required in the facility, including the commercial kitchen. Doster said she did not believe so, but the fire marshal must inspect all houses before being approved as bed-and-breakfasts.
“There have been several residents and/ or potential owners who have inquired about locating and opening their businesses in such restricted areas as this, R-1,” Reid said in her statement. “And when it was not allowed, they worked to find suitable locations, and all is working out well for them.”
Reid said there were others besides the Garretts who received letters advising that in-house catering was not allowed.
“What we’re doing now is creating a code that is going to benefit, that will probably not benefit, I hope not, just one person or family,” Reid said, “but it seems in that case, though, that one person… can benefit from it.”
“I can assure you that I am not doing this for one person,” Doster responded.
Councilmember Marie Rainey (Wards 1 & 4) said it is a change that helps encourage business.
“If we sit there and say no, then we’re turning down a business,” Rainey said. “In the economy that we’re in, we need to be encouraging business growth.”
Ward 1 Councilmember Mylle Mangum pointed out that if the amendment does not work, the council can reverse it.
Doster agreed to one change requested by Reid. The amendment required sufficient off-street parking and the Eatonton Police Department “may” enforce traffic controls, but the wording was changed to say EPD “shall” enforce all traffic measures.
Reid and Butts voted against the amendment while the remaining council members approved it.
Tuesday, Richard Garrett told The Eatonton Messenger that they intend to apply for the conditional zoning and are optimistic.
“Our customers, our neighbors are very supportive,” he said. “Eatonton will benefit from this kind of business. We don’t have any equivalent. We don’t have any other bed-and-breakfasts. We don’t have any fine dining. It’s a good way of making use of a big historic house that is part of the town’s identity.”