Planning commission recommends approval of conditional-use permit for STR2 at 740 Ridge Road

WIMBERLEY — The Wimberley City Planning and Zoning Commission voted to recommend the city council approve a conditional-use permit (CUP) for a non-owner-occupied short-term rental (STR2) at 740 Ridge Road, allowing up to six guests.

Nathan, city planning staff, briefed the commission that the property at 740 Ridge Road is in single-family residential (R2) zoning, measures about 1.26 acres, and that staff had reviewed parking and septic and deemed them adequate for the requested use. He said the city received multiple letters: three from properties on Barber in opposition and two in support (including one from 705 Ridge Road, which is within the 200-foot notification radius and therefore counted under the city’s notification rule). Nathan noted that only the letter from 705 Ridge Road fell inside the 200-foot notification boundary that triggers the city’s ‘‘20% rule’’ for supermajority considerations.

Neighbors who spoke at the public hearing said their opposition was not personal to the applicants and focused on the permanence of a CUP attached to the property and the risk that future owners might not be as conscientious. Laurie Fye, who identified herself as a neighbor at 2855 Barber, said, "Our concern is that the CUP is permanent," and asked about recourse if the property later changed hands. Martin Bannister, co-applicant and owner of the property at 740 Ridge Road, said he lives next door and described his proximity: "It takes approximately 70 seconds to walk from the back door of my house to the front door of the house at 740 Ridge Road." Bannister said he is remodeling the house and has not yet rented it out, and that he may live in it or operate it as an STR depending on market conditions.

Commission members discussed the balance between property rights and neighborhood concerns. Nathan explained that a CUP stays with the land unless the city council or a property owner initiates a rezoning or revocation through the statutory public process; he noted that city council can direct staff to initiate revocation in response to nuisance complaints, though that is rare. The application included a management arrangement: the applicant said they plan to use Hill Country Property Leasing as an on-call manager and told the commission they will try to exclude high-risk groups and events.

After discussion commissioners said they were inclined to approve because the applicants live nearby and staff found the proposal met ordinance requirements. The commission voted to recommend approval to the city council.