Astoria council reviews proposed vacation‑rental license, staff to draft ordinance with 2‑year option and 50‑unit cap

Astoria City Council spent its March 6 work session discussing a proposed vacation‑rental license program that staff say would create an enforceable framework for short‑term lodging, require fire and life‑safety inspections administered by the city, and preserve certain nonconforming lodging uses.

The proposal, introduced by City Planner Tiffany Taylor and discussed with City Manager Spence and Community Development Director John Roberts, responds to council direction and community feedback to provide clearer definitions, enforcement tools and a fee framework for vacation rentals operating in Astoria. "This is really to establish…a portion of a structure that's offered for a dwelling, lodging, or sleeping purpose for 30 days or less," Taylor said while reviewing the draft definition and scope.

Why it matters: Councilors and staff framed the program as a tool to protect housing supply, public safety and the city's land‑use rules while also providing a way to document and regulate existing operators. Councilors repeatedly cited the city's 2019 development‑code change that limited conversions of long‑term housing to transient lodging; staff said a license would document and preserve legally nonconforming uses that predate that change.

Key elements discussed

Definition and scope: Staff proposed adding a formal "vacation rental" definition to the city code to cover rented sleeping units offered for fewer than 30 days, particularly in mixed‑use commercial buildings. Taylor said the draft draws a line between vacation rentals (up to five units in a…