Pacifica planning commission backs revised short‑term rental rules, recommends strict new limits and enforcement

Pacifica planning commissioners voted unanimously June 16 to recommend that the City Council adopt a revised short‑term rental ordinance that imposes annual inspections, narrows who may run a hosted STR and reduces the allowed nights for unhosted rentals.

The commission’s action follows a staff presentation of Council‑directed changes and several hours of public comment on problems neighbors say STRs cause. Staff recommended the draft text amendment (File No. 2025‑001, TA‑157‑25) be found exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act and sent to Council with the edits Council requested. Community Development Director Samantha Updegrave presented the draft and the Council’s direction.

Why this matters: commissioners and multiple neighbors said persistent STR noise, trash and large gatherings have reduced livability in some Pacifica neighborhoods and may remove long‑term housing stock. The commission’s recommended changes aim to limit unhosted commercial operations, increase life‑safety oversight and create clearer enforcement paths for repeat violators.

The draft before the commission would repeal and replace Article 49 (Short Term Rentals) of Pacifica’s zoning regulations and includes several substantive changes the City Council directed. Staff said the city originally adopted STR rules in 2018, revised them in 2023 to cap permits at 150 citywide, and then asked the planning commission and council to consider additional changes in 2024–2025. Director Updegrave noted the council accepted most of the planning commission’s January recommendations but returned several policy items for further review.

Key provisions the commission reviewed and recommended (as amended by the commission): -…