Planning commission approves conditional use for vacation rental at Southeast 30 Second Avenue

The Milwaukie Planning Commission approved a type 3 conditional-use application to establish a vacation rental at 8525 Southeast 30 Second Avenue, a single-family property the applicant says has been operating as a short-term rental for roughly eight years.

Staff recommended approval after concluding the proposal met applicable standards in the city code, subject to the usual building and life-safety reviews and required annual neighbor notice for vacation rentals.

The commission’s decision matters because vacation rentals in Milwaukie require discretionary review when the property is not a primary residence. Staff and the applicant described differences between a short-term rental (where the dwelling is a primary residence for at least nine months of the year) and a vacation rental (no formal primary occupant) and explained that vacation rentals trigger additional requirements including a building/fire safety check and an annual notice mailed to properties within 300 feet with owner contact information.

Brett Kelver, senior planner for the city, told the commission the subject lot is about 5,600…