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Greendale board refers short-term rental (tourist homes) ordinance to planning commission for rewrite
Summary
Trustees voted to send proposed revisions to the village’s tourist homes (short-term rental) ordinance to the Planning Commission after staff and the village attorney prepared a draft rewrite. Trustees expressed concerns about minimum-stay and yearly-use limits and retained the health-department permit system.
The Village of Greendale Board of Trustees on Feb. 18 voted to refer a proposed rewrite of the village’s tourist homes (short-term rental/Airbnb) ordinance to the Planning Commission for review and recommendation.
Why it was referred
Staff and the village attorney reviewed existing village code and state restrictions and proposed a redraft to clarify definitions, inspection authority, permit fees and compliance standards. Director of Inspection Services Paul Wolfram (recent hire) reviewed discrepancies between the village code and state administrative rules and recommended clearer language about inspections and permit criteria.
Trustee feedback
Trustees offered early guidance for the Planning Commission: several trustees said a six-night minimum stay in the draft would be too restrictive for hosts who rely on weekend bookings; trustees suggested shorter minimums such as two days or no minimum. Trustees also objected to a proposed cap that would limit rentals to no more than 180 days in any 365-day period, calling that potentially too restrictive for the village’s market. Members asked staff to refine language so it reads clearly to nonlegal readers.
Permits and inspections
Staff stated the village currently issues two separate permits for short-term rental operations: one via the health department (which enforces Administrative Code ATCP 72 guest registration and related public-health requirements) and one via the village’s inspection services for building/safety criteria. The draft ordinance would keep both permits but clarify what inspectors should examine beyond health-code items (balcony safety, egress, smoke detection, electrical safety and similar building/safety concerns).
State limits noted
Staff reminded trustees of state restrictions that prohibit limiting the number of short-term rentals on a block or in a neighborhood; the village cannot ban or cap units by location. That limitation shaped recommendations for possible village controls — for example, focusing on operational conditions rather than outright numeric limits.
Next steps
The board’s motion sends the draft and staff comments to the Planning Commission, which will review the rewrite and report back with recommendations. Trustees asked staff to draft clearer minimum-stay options and to include a practical checklist of inspection items for the inspection-services permit. The Planning Commission review will also consider fee structures and whether the village should continue to rely on the health-department fees as currently structured.
