LAKE LANIER– Local residents will have a chance soon to voice their opinions on the Lake Lanier Tea House being allowed to have commercial activity at its boathouse.

A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 23 at 6 p.m. for the rezoning of the Tea House boat dock from residential to commercial.

The public hearing will be held at the Greenville County Square Office Complex, located at 301 University Ridge #400, Greenville, S.C.

The Town of Tryon gave its approval in November 2016 to amend its declaration of regulations and restrictions governing the use of the lakebed of Lake Lanier. Contingent on Greenville County approving a rezoning of the boathouse, commercial activities will be allowed at the Tea House dock.

Tryon owns the lakebed of Lake Lanier but Greenville County controls the zoning and uses of any structures. Greenville County must approve a rezoning of the property in order for commercial activities to be allowed there.

Tryon and Tea House owner Mark Kerhulas, who requested the changes, agreed to limited commercial activity at the dock. Kerhulas said he wants to allow customers of the Tea House to consume food and beverage from the dock, to allow unamplified music to be played from the dock and for wedding events to be allowed on the dock.

Prior to Tryon’s amendment to its Lake Lanier regulations, only residential activities were allowed on the lake.

Tryon’s amendment to its regulations and restrictions for the lake will read, if Greenville County approves the rezoning, “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.”

Kerhulas will attend Greenville County’s public hearing and encourages any others to come and voice their opinions. During public hearings in Tryon, most of the public comments were in favor of the Tea House allowing commercial activity on the dock.

Kerhulas as of last week had a petition he is bringing to Greenville County with approximately 100 signatures in favor of the Tea House allowing commercial activity at the dock. The Tea House began with the beginning of the lake in 1925 and used to have commercial activities on the water, including canoeing and other activities. The Tea House has been for sale for a few years.