Danville board approves conditional-use permit for short-term rental at 507 North Third Street

At its July 15 meeting, the Danville Board of Adjustments approved a conditional-use permit for a one-unit short-term rental at 507 North Third Street, a 0.19-acre parcel in an RM-2 zone, with conditions requiring landscaping screening and a maximum of four guest bedrooms and four on-site parking spaces before the property may be used as a short-term rental.

The permit had been tabled at the previous meeting. Planning and zoning staff summarized the application and neighborhood context, including maps of nearby short-term rental listings and the RM-2 zoning rules that allow conditional overnight accommodations. Staff noted that one parking space is required per guest room under city rules and that the board may attach conditions to preserve the character of the district.

Applicant Rostislav “Rusty” Slusky told the board the house currently is marketed for sale but that he would remove it from the market and operate it as a short-term rental if the permit were approved. "Yes. That's not a problem. I can get that done as soon as possible," Slusky said when asked whether he would install screening vegetation as required. He described the property as having multiple rooms that could be used as bedrooms and said the driveway is gravel and can accommodate multiple cars, though he said four cars is a safer estimate than five depending on vehicle size.

Board discussion focused on parking intensity and screening. One board member said the lot is "about a fifth of an acre" and questioned whether four parked cars would be excessive for that lot size. Staff clarified that the ordinance requires landscaping (not fencing) to screen off-street parking: "It is landscaping, no fencing," a planning staff member said when correcting an earlier remark. The chair noted enforcement consequences: "The screening is a requirement. So if they didn't put that up, then they would be in violation of the conditions of the permit."

The board voted to approve the permit with the following conditions, stated during the meeting: (1) the short-term rental is limited to a single unit with no more than four guest bedrooms and no more than four vehicles parked on-site; (2) off-street parking must be completely screened with landscaping (not fencing); (3) required screening must be installed on private property before the unit is occupied as a short-term rental and must not be placed in the public right-of-way; and (4) the board made the finding required for a conditional use permit that the limited occupancy and conditions will not be detrimental to public health, safety, or welfare in the zone. The chair and staff discussed approximate placement for landscaping (about 3 feet from the sidewalk so it is not in the right-of-way) and that screening should be tall enough to obscure parked vehicles.

Planning and zoning staff told Slusky to contact their office for next steps following approval. The board noted the application and vote will be recorded in the minutes and that compliance with the landscaping condition will be required to avoid violations of the permit.

Why it matters: The board approved a conditional-use permit in an area staff said already has a relatively high density of short-term rentals and flagged the decision as relevant to housing-supply discussions included in the city’s forthcoming comprehensive plan update for 2025.