Dear Neighbors and Community Members,

Given the amount of inaccurate information circulating about our rezoning request, we feel it is important to clearly explain our intentions and the facts of our proposal. We are requesting a limited rezoning of our family’s beach home to allow for no more than eight small, highly vetted, and tightly managed events per year. For the remaining 357 days—approximately 98% of the year—the property will continue to function exactly as it always has, as a quiet, private family residence.

To be clear, we are not seeking to operate a full-time or commercial event venue. There will be no frequent events, no open calendar, and no ongoing commercial activity. Our proposal is intentionally narrow, allowing for a carefully controlled, minimal use that supports the long-term care and preservation of the home. Not all events will necessarily involve evening activities or amplified sound; we hope to have as many daytime gatherings as possible, such as corporate team-building, wellness retreats, or luncheons, further minimizing impact on neighbors.

Our home has been in our family since the 1960s. Over the decades, we have been proud to be good neighbors and thoughtful stewards of this special piece of Old St. Simons. Our intention with this request is not to change the character of our street, but to preserve it, and to ensure that this home remains intact and well cared for generations to come.

We understand that change can be concerning, especially on a street with such history and character. We have genuinely tried to listen to our neighbors, to understand their concerns, and to respond thoughtfully. We have outlined specific measures below to address issues such as noise, parking, timing, and oversight, and we are fully committed to strict management and accountability.

At its core, this request is about preservation. St. Simons Island is changing rapidly. While change may be inevitable, we believe strongly that it is our shared responsibility to protect the history, scale, and character that make this island special. Older homes, particularly those close to the beach, require significant and ongoing investment to maintain. Without creative, community-minded solutions, the few remaining cottages will inevitably be sold, demolished, and replaced by larger, taller new construction that permanently alters the feel of our island.

Our goal is to keep this home standing and well cared for, not to maximize profit or intensify use. Making the property modestly self-sustaining allows us to remain responsible stewards and ensure that this piece of Old St. Simons is preserved.

We appreciate your time, your consideration, and your willingness to look at this proposal based on facts rather than speculation. Should you wish to learn more or discuss this in greater detail, we welcome the conversation and invite you to contact us directly at snydercottage@gmail.com.

Thank you for being part of a community that values both its neighbors and its history.

Sincerely,
Holley and Tanner Rogers

 

Details

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Current Zoning

1

  • The property is not zoned residential.

  • It is currently zoned Resort Residential (RR), which allows certain commercial uses, including more disruptive uses of hotels and bed-and-breakfasts.

  • What is not currently allowed (and we are requesting) is a private family home hosting a very limited number of small, managed events. We have intentionally designed our plan to be discreet and respectful, with careful management practices in place to minimize noise, traffic, and disruption to surrounding homes.

  • The home is located just one block from the Village, one of the island’s primary commercial districts, where events, gatherings, and regular activity already occur.

Crowd Size / Pedestrians in the Area

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  •  Attendance will be capped at 100 guests per event.

  • All guest parking will be fully off-site, ensuring that no additional vehicles, street parking, or pedestrian traffic are added to the Beachview Drive area.

 

Timing / Noise

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  • All event noise will end by 9:30 p.m., well before Glynn County’s 11 p.m. noise ordinance (2-9-53) and the 10 p.m. construction noise cutoff

  • Not all events will involve amplified evening sound; many will be daytime gatherings such as corporate team-building, wellness or fitness retreats, and luncheons, with activity levels similar to normal daytime residential use and unlikely to be noticed by nearby neighbors.

  • Any amplified sound will not be “plainly audible” beyond 200 ft. of the property, 100 ft. less than Glynn County code. A vetted audio technician will monitor sound levels.

  • Set-up and breakdown of tents or equipment (when necessary) will occur within a narrow timeframe—typically Friday through Monday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.—to ensure temporary structures are in place for the shortest duration possible, and any related noise is comparable to typical construction or landscaping activity.

  • Fireworks are prohibited.

Traffic / Beachview Dr.

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  • All event parking will occur well off-site. St. Simons Presbyterian Church has graciously agreed to allow use of their parking lot, when it aligns with their calendar. Before any event date is confirmed, off-site parking must be secured. If the church lot is unavailable, the event host must arrange an alternative off-site parking location before the date can be reserved.

On-Site Management

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  • An owner will be on-site for every event, with a dedicated phone number for neighbors to report any concerns.

  • All evening or amplified events will employ a vetted/approved event coordinator with staff to ensure compliance with all requirements.

  • Each evening event, and any daytime events when deemed necessary, will include at least one private security officer or off-duty police officer to assist with traffic and safety.

Visual Impact

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  • No permanent structures will be built. Any event-related elements will be temporary and installed and removed within the approved setup and breakdown timeframes outlined above.

  • No portable toilets will line Beachview Drive. Events requiring additional restrooms must use a single high-end portable restroom trailer (e.g., Lovely Loo), discreetly placed in the driveway, screened from the street, and removed within the same time limitations.

Vetting / Expectations

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  • All event groups will complete an application process and be carefully vetted. This plan allows us to screen and manage groups more thoroughly than is typically possible with short-term rentals.

  • Hosts will be made aware of the expectation to show the utmost respect for neighbors and the neighborhood.

Future Implications

  • Future use will be restricted to single-family homes only, ensuring that while we cannot dictate the exact design of a future home, hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, or high-density multi-unit buildings will not be permitted, helping preserve the quiet, residential character of the street.

Frequency of Events

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  •   There will be no more than 8 events per calendar year. While a strictly limited number of events has been our intention from the beginning, we have formally written a cap of no more than eight (8) events per year into the zoning text to self-impose clear, enforceable limits and to demonstrate our commitment to restraint, transparency, and respect for our neighbors.