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Board allows Adampas to reapply after operating permit denied; five-month wait ordered
Summary
The board denied an application for 7357 Sugarloaf Drive because inspectors found prior operation without a permit, but granted partial relief and set a five-month waiting period to reapply.
The Board of Zoning Appeals denied the Adampas' short-term rental permit application for 7357 Sugarloaf Drive on June 24, 2025, after staff presented evidence that the property had been advertised and had documented stays before a permit was obtained. The board, however, exercised its discretion and allowed the applicants to reapply five months from the hearing as partial relief.
Bonnie L. McBroom III, short-term rental property chief, summarized inspector findings that Host Compliance tracking showed multiple platform advertisements beginning in January 2025 and documented stays in February through May. Staff said the application lacked up-to-date documents at first and that the property had been operated prior to permit issuance; under the Metro STRP ordinance that triggers a waiting period after a finding of operation without a permit.
Applicants Martin and Julia Adampa told the board they believed platform listing fields for a local permit were optional and that they had taken steps to obtain a business license and other registration documents in January 2025. Julia Adampa said she blocked the calendar and sought to comply once she learned of the expiration; she asked the board for an opportunity to come into compliance and to avoid losing upcoming bookings for guests who had already paid.
Board members weighed statutory distinctions between operating with an expired permit and operating without ever having obtained a permit. One member noted the ordinance contemplates a heavier penalty for operation prior to obtaining a permit and recommended a longer waiting period. Another member said the applicants had made a credible showing of attempting to comply and that the presence of a business license and outreach to neighbors and the HOA were mitigating factors.
After discussion the board voted unanimously to find that the zoning administrator did not err in determining the property had operated without a permit and to offer relief allowing the Adampas to reapply five months from the hearing date. The chair advised the applicants to consult with staff about whether owner-occupied permits are allowed in their zone before reapplying.
Staff cited BL 2020-187 (zoning provisions referenced in the case summary) and the board’s discretionary statute BL 2023-136; the record included Host Compliance tracking, platform reviews, a submitted owner-occupied STRP application, and correspondence showing communications between the manager and staff. The board closed the public hearing after the vote; staff will monitor compliance during the waiting period.
