Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Zoning board approves three short‑term rental petitions; neighboring residents voice concerns about noise, parking and safety
Summary
The Zoning Board of Adjustments approved three short-term rental special exceptions — 135 22nd Street North, 7 Brook Meadows Circle and 1020 Wakefield Drive — with standard limits (adults/vehicles, 30‑night cap, one‑year probation). One petition drew substantial neighborhood opposition.
The Tuscaloosa Zoning Board of Adjustments on Jan. 27 approved three separate special exceptions allowing short‑term rentals at properties in Council Districts 3, 7 and 2, setting limits on occupancy and vehicle counts and imposing a one‑year probationary period for monitoring.
ZBA-03-25: 135 22nd Street North (Russell Fredericks). Staff recommended allowing four adults and two vehicles; the application named Tanner Ashcraft as the 24‑hour contact and noted cameras, smart locks and a sound monitoring system. The record showed eight emails in opposition and a petition with 24 signatures. Several neighbors spoke in opposition, raising concerns about noise, trash, parking and safety; long‑time resident Mar Bridal Howell said the Fox Run community was designed as planned-unit development and urged denial, citing shared walls and stable long-term residents. Barbara Kucharski cited research she said links game‑day rentals to reduced affordable housing and warned that short‑term uses undermine neighborhood character. Property manager Tanner Ashcraft described measures he uses to reduce problems — exterior cameras, a noise monitor that registers decibel levels and written house rules that guests must sign — and said his management company handles trash pickup and guest verification.
The board discussed the proximity of the unit to shared walls and the community’s configuration; members acknowledged the neighborhood objections but also noted the owner’s stated ties to town and Tanner Ashcraft’s management practices. The board approved the special exception with conditions limiting occupancy to four adults and two vehicles, maximum 30-night stays, and a one-year probationary period during which complaints would be recorded and considered at renewal.
ZBA-04-25: 7 Brook Meadows Circle (Brian Blocker). Staff recommended allowing six adults and three vehicles for the three‑bedroom house. The applicant said the unit would be used primarily for football weekends, graduations and similar events and that the property is equipped with cameras, keypad locks and internal noise monitors. No public opposition was registered; the board approved the petition with the recommended limits and a 30‑night cap and one‑year probation.
ZBA-05-25: 1020 Wakefield Drive (Amanda Anderson / Kelvin Robertson). Staff recommended six adults and three vehicles (the applicant requested four vehicles). The applicants named a local neighbor as a local backup contact and agreed to add noise monitoring; the board approved the petition with the staff recommendation, a 30‑night maximum and a one‑year probationary term.
Board members and staff emphasized that short‑term rental approvals are subject to monitoring: complaints filed through the city’s 311 system and police calls will be considered at the time of renewal and can affect whether a permit is renewed. Several board members urged neighbors to take systemic safety and regulatory concerns to the city council for consideration of additional requirements beyond the board’s authority.
