Miami County staff push comprehensive plan toward adoption, begin work on short-term rental rules

Miami County planning staff told the Board of Zoning Appeals on Sept. 17 that the county’s comprehensive plan work is entering its final stages and that staff will present proposed regulations for short-term rentals to the Planning Commission in the coming weeks.

The planning/codes staff member said consultants have collected comments from the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners and that staff is scheduled to meet the consultant next week to finalize outstanding material in the implementation chapter. “I am hoping that we’ll be, adopting, hopefully, a new comprehensive plan by the end of the year,” the staff member said.

Staff also briefed the board on draft short-term rental language: for zoning purposes the draft would treat short-term rentals as occupancy of 30 days or less (staff noted the state treats tax classification slightly differently at 28 days). The draft regulations will define short-term rentals, set where they are permitted, and address related code and building-safety requirements; staff said the Planning Commission is expected to hold subsequent public hearings and that staff has sought legal counsel on outstanding questions.

At the meeting staff noted that Miami County currently regulates uses by listing permitted uses in each zoning district; if a use is not listed, it is not permitted. Staff also said the county enforces many zoning issues on a complaint basis, and that identifying short-term rentals is often difficult without a complaint because online listings may not display a full address or contact information.

The board discussed potential public interest in the short-term rental proposal and the need for clear definitions and enforcement pathways. Staff said accessory dwelling-unit rules adopted earlier explicitly prohibit short-term rentals within ADUs, and that the short-term rental draft will address days-of-stay definitions, the number of rentals allowed per property, and safety/inspection standards.

Staff also told the board the county currently has a vacancy on the Board of Zoning Appeals and that the county will notify the Board of County Commissioners to fill the seat.