Council debates town purchase of historic homes and how short‑term rentals affect options

Council members discussed at length a historic house on a very small lot that an absentee owner has proposed demolishing and whether the town should pursue an acquisition program to preserve historic fabric. Staff reported there are two active raze (demolition) orders in town (outside the historic district) and that the specific house in question is in the historic district; the owner inherited the property and has signaled a desire to remove the structure. Staff said they have supplied the owner with the demolition permit application and historic‑preservation guidelines and have not received a full justification that the structure cannot be saved. Council members noted the small lot size complicates future redevelopment because a replacement house would need variances and might not conform to lot‑size standards. Several members proposed creating a targeted acquisition program — using a redevelopment commission, tax sale mechanisms or voluntary purchase — to acquire and rehab historic houses and then resell or reuse them in ways that preserve the town’s historic character. Councilmembers emphasized voluntary transactions first; condemnation was discussed only as a theoretical option and not proposed. Members also raised the economic reality that very small historic homes often have highest economic use as short‑term rentals (Airbnb) because of size and lack of yards. Staff said the town does not currently have an ordinance regulating short‑term rentals; a recent state law has limited local regulatory authority over short‑term rentals and the town has largely stayed out of that space. The council was told innkeeper’s tax revenue for short‑term rentals is administered at the county level and the town does not receive a direct share unless it applies for tourism funds or other distributions. There were no motions or votes; council asked staff to pursue voluntary outreach to the property owner to see if he would sell and to compile options — legal, funding and programmatic — for a potential town acquisition program for council review.