TRYON– The Tryon Board of Commissioners has scheduled a public hearing to amend the use of the lakebed at Lake Lanier to specifically allow commercial use over the lakebed at the Tea House.

Tryon met on Tuesday, Aug. 16 and scheduled a public hearing for 6 p.m. for its next meeting on Sept. 20.

Tryon Community Development Director Paula Kempton said the current ordinance for Lake Lanier prohibits commercial uses over the lakebed. The proposed text amendment will allow the Tea House to have commercial activities at its boathouse, located in the First Basin.

The Tryon Planning Board has recommended approval of the amendment.

Kempton said currently the town’s code of regulations for Lake Lanier, in section 7, does not allow for any commercial use to be over the lakebed, meaning no one can have a dock that holds events that would require payment. Examples of commercial activity currently prohibited include weddings and live music.

The text amendment request is that section 7 be amended to no longer prohibit those activities, specifically in regards to the Tea House dock.

“The only way to get a section from the declaration of regulations governing the use of Lake Lanier lakebed is to first go in front of the board of planning and adjustment and with their recommendation ask for a public hearing to be held with the board of commissioners who are the only board that can make amendments to the declaration,” Kempton said last week.

The town’s declaration regarding Lake Lanier and business activities over the lakebed has been in place since 1990, according to Kempton. Previous business activities held at the Lake Lanier Tea House dock have been done against the town’s declaration.

The public hearing will be held in the McCown Room at Tryon Town Hall at the town’s September meeting.

The Tea House at Lake Lanier is currently for sale.