Wallsburg planners review draft short-term rental ban, reserve conditional path for hotels and B&Bs

Wallsburg Planning Commission members on Tuesday reviewed a proposed short-term rental ordinance that would bar short-term rentals in the town's residential zones while permitting hotels, motels, RV parks, campgrounds and bed-and-breakfasts only through the conditional-use process.

Commissioners said the draft is intended to give the town a proactive tool to address advertising and operation of short-term rentals such as Airbnb listings. Spencer Foster, who prepared the draft language for the commission, said short-term rentals would be defined as residential stays of less than 30 consecutive days and long-term rentals as 30 days or longer. "This ordinance says that these are not approved in Wallsburg in residential areas," Foster said, adding that hotels and similar commercial lodging would be allowed if the town created or rezoned commercial property.

The commission discussed…