That is one of those questions I get from buyers a LOT. However, it's not one I answer. It's not that I don't usually KNOW the answer, but it's a little complicated.
First of all it requires a written permit. Next the permit will ONLY be issued to the property owner, then there is the fact that permits are non transferable. Also sometimes permits are conditional. You can do this if you first do that.
As an example I had a buyer a few years ago that wanted a boathouse. There was a very big covered patio right next to the shoreline on this property. The buyer met with the land management office and they said you may be able to build a boathouse IF you take down the cover on the patio. The concrete pad was permitted to stay, but not the cover. The cover was huge and it blocked the view from the neighbor's property.
The guidelines for what you can and cannot have on Lake Sinclair are set by Georgia Power, the owner of the lake. They are very specific, but not always easily understood. They can be found on line at the Shoreline Management part of the Georgia Power Lakes website. Sometimes they will answer on the phone, other times they have to visit the property and even in some cases the power company will require a new survey be done to show corners before they will issue a permit or even tell you they are likely to issue a permit to you after you buy the property.
Georgia Power has a posted mission on their site and I'm in total agreement with it. I too am committed to the preservation of the scenic, environmental and recreational value of Lake Sinclair. Often I hear or see on Facebook when people mistakenly believe that Georgia Power doesn't care about the lake, but I have worked with the folks at the land management division of Georgia power the entire 25 years I've been in this business and know they care about the lake.
So while I don't answer the question "can I have a boathouse?", I do know how and who buyers can get that answer and I do know that the land management folks who inspect the properties and issue the permits respond in a very timely manner. Guerry Brooks covers Baldwin and Hancock county permits and Sandra Hudson covers Putnam County. Both have always been very responsive to buyer questions.
Comments (1)Subscribe to CommentsComment