LAKE LANIER– If Greenville County approves a zoning amendment, commercial activity will be allowed at the Lake Lanier Tea House dock after Tryon Town Council approved an amendment to allow certain commercial uses there.

Tryon council met Tuesday, Nov. 15 and unanimously approved an amendment to the declaration of regulations and restrictions by the Town of Tryon governing the use of the lakebed of Lake Lanier.

Tea House owner Mark Kerhulas petitioned the town earlier this year to allow commercial uses at the dock and boathouse, which is across the street over the water from the Tea House. The Tea House is currently for sale and has been unoccupied for a few years.

The property is located in Greenville County, S.C. with the lakebed owned by the Town of Tryon, which uses the lake as a reservoir for the town’s drinking water.

Kerhulas said following Tuesday’s meeting that he plans to contact Greenville County immediately in order to attempt to get a zoning amendment there. Greenville County has the lake zoned residential and allows no commercial activity through its zoning ordinance.

The town and Kerhulas agreed to limited commercial activity at the dock, including allowing customers of the Tea House to consume food and beverage on the dock, to allow unamplified music to be played from the dock and for wedding events to be held on the dock.

Prior to approval, commissioner Bill Ingham asked if this is for one business only on the lake.

Town attorney Bailey Nager answered it would be allowed for the dock of the Tea House.

Nager also clarified that if Tryon approves the amendment to its uses and regulations for the lake, that approval is contingent upon Greenville County agreeing to rezone the dock to allow this activity as well.

“If Greenville County does not approve, what we have here will not be finalized,” Nager said.

Lake Lanier resident Stu Davidson said some of the people at the lake are for the requested uses and some are against. Davidson and others spoke against commercial activity at the boathouse during a public hearing on the subject a couple of months ago. Others spoke in favor of allowing commercial activity there.

Davidson suggested Tuesday that the language of the amendment include the dock and the boathouse, not just the dock.

He also suggested adding the language of entertainment, instead of just music.

Nager said the point of the unamplified music is the town doesn’t want the use of an amplified microphone. Nager said the town could say no sound amplification.

Currently the town’s regulations prohibit any commercial activity over the lakebed.

Tryon’s amendment to its regulations and restrictions for the lake now reads, “Commercial and business activities conducted over the lake, except that if a restaurant business is being actively conducted at the Lake Lanier Tea House property, Greenville County Tax PIN 0624010401800, then, subject to the laws of South Carolina, including alcoholic beverage control laws, and of Greenville County, (a) food and beverages from that restaurant establishment may be consumed by patrons of that restaurant establishment on the 52’ x 25’ dock structure located directly across E. Lakeshore Drive from the restaurant, (b) unamplified music may be played on said dock structure, and (c) when the restaurant establishment is being used for a wedding or similar social event, the dock may be used for that event as well.”

The amendment approved also directed town staff to pursue a rezoning of the dock structure from Greenville County and if Greenville County approves a rezoning to allow commercial activity, the town will republish and record its amendment with the Greenville County Registry.

Kerhulas has agreed to pay any costs associated with the rezoning request.