Montgomery County residents have a chance Monday to tell county leaders what they think of a planned renewal of a tourism program run jointly with Blacksburg and Christiansburg.
County supervisors also are holding a public hearing on a request to allow a short–term tourist rental business in a house in the Ellett Valley.
Supervisors plan to vote on both matters.
The supervisors’ meeting is at 7:15 p.m. Monday in the County Government Center in Christiansburg.
The joint tourism program sparked arguments among Christiansburg Town Council members last year. Council members said they thought the county and Blacksburg were better represented in advertising that the tourism program created.
Council members also did not think the town’s concerns were being heard — despite Christiansburg Councilman Samuel Bishop serving as head of the program’s advisory committee.
Still, the Christiansburg council voted down Councilwomen Johana Hicks and Kim Bowman’s motions that the town immediately stop its financial support for the tourism program. Council members said they were willing to give the program another chance.
A criticism of the tourism effort was that its operating agreement was allowed to lapse. The program had continued to operate using its former guidelines, and the towns and county are now renewing their agreement.
The program’s funding will continue to come from each locality contributing a portion of the money raised from its lodging tax, plus 0.002% of each local government’s sales tax revenue.
The tourism program will be overseen by an operating board made up of the two town managers and the county ministration, or their designees. The operating board will hire an executive director who will be paid from the tourism program’s budget.
Supervisors also are scheduled to vote on appointing Chairwoman Mary Biggs to the tourism program’s nine-person advisory board, which includes elected officials and representatives of local hotels, restaurants, and other tourism and related businesses.
Supervisors’ other public hearing is on Andrew and Katie Wells’ request for a special use permit to run a short–term tourist rental in a three–bedroom, one–bath house at 2671 Lusters Gate Road.
The house is on about 3.5 acres and is zoned R-2 Residential. The county comprehensive plan designated the area for residential transition.
Montgomery County has a number of rules for short–term tourist rentals, including that they have no external visible evidence of the rentals. A staff report to supervisors said that occupancy will be limited to four guests at a time, that parties and gatherings won’t be allowed, and that quiet hours will be enforced from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
The county planning commission voted last month to recommend approval of the conditional use permit.
See the entire agenda and accompanying information here.
