Zoning committee flags short‑term rentals, vacant storefronts and alley standards for follow-up

The Rossford Zoning Committee reported that short‑term rentals are operating in residential areas where they are not allowed under city code and that some rentals likely have not paid hotel taxes. The committee meeting, held July 1 at the Mark G. Zukowski Safety and Planning Building, listed attendees and considered multiple recurring code issues. The committee said it will ask the city prosecutor to prepare cease‑and‑desist letters for identified short‑term rentals, will publish an article in the city record to remind residents of the code and will explore enforcement options and potential tax recovery for unpaid hotel tax. The committee also discussed vacant business buildings and said it will research approaches other communities use to encourage property owners to fill storefronts, noting vacant storefronts run counter to the city’s plan and local economic development goals. Alley standards and code compliance were raised as an ongoing problem. Committee members discussed shortening warning time frames for code enforcement and posting alley standards on the city website. Committee representative Rob McCondents (spelled in the committee attendance) was identified as continuing to focus on alley issues. Committee members also discussed confusing code language for pool heights and required safety features and indicated they will propose wording changes. The report noted that Little Free Libraries are technically against current code and that the committee will return to that issue at a future meeting. The committee scheduled its next meeting for August 5 at 4 p.m. at the Zukowski Zoning and Planning Building.