Council weighs short-term rental permits amid ongoing residential moratorium

The Buffalo City Council considered four short-term rental special-use permits and heard public comment on neighborhood impacts and zoning.

Speakers included applicants and neighbors. A resident speaking for a proposed short-term rental at 57 Ryan Street said she invested to host city visitors and described the property as family friendly. Nicole Bundy, representing owner Jake Nelson, requested a non-owner-occupied permit for a two-bedroom unit at 141 Elmwood. Scott Berry, a long-term Allentown resident, urged the council to prioritize long-term community stability and raised concerns about safety and the lack of state regulations for non-owner-occupied short-term rentals.

Council member Nowakowski explained the city currently has a moratorium on short-term rentals in residential zones and that N2C commercial zones are not covered by the moratorium. "So that makes sense of why it's before the body because it's a commercial area," Nowakowski said of 141 Elmwood, and he moved that item without recommendation. For owner-occupied 56 Irving Place, owner Eric Walton said he lives in the city, has 24/7 property management, and supports the permit; Nowakowski stated he would follow up because that parcel may have been placed on the agenda in error during the residential moratorium.

Actions varied by item: the council tabled several items to allow time for zoning checks or for applicants to appear; it advanced the commercial-area application at 141 Elmwood without recommendation and asked staff to follow up on permitted uses and enforcement. Council members signaled they prefer to concentrate short-term rentals in commercial corridors rather than residential blocks, citing enforcement and neighborhood stability concerns.

Several items were tabled so that the city can reconcile moratorium rules and zoning classifications before final permits are issued.