Belleville council approves short-term rental permits after debate over parking and occupancy
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Summary
The Belleville City Council approved multiple special-use permits for short-term rentals Jan. 21 after a council debate about parking, occupancy and property upkeep; a proposed zoning code amendment on short-term rentals was tabled for further review.
The Belleville City Council on Jan. 21 approved special-use permits for short-term rental properties, including a permit for 1009 LaSalle Street, following debate about neighborhood parking and occupancy limits.
The decisions matter because they clarify how the city will treat short-term rentals in residential and commercial districts and because the council postponed a broader zoning-code amendment that could change the rules citywide.
Council members voted 8-6 to approve a special-use permit for 1009 LaSalle Street after questions from alderpersons about parking, trash and whether short-term rentals would be used like rooming houses. The Zoning Board of Appeals had recommended approval of that permit by a 6-0 vote. The council later approved several other short-term rental permits and related zoning items in a single group vote.
Cliff Cross, director of economic development, told the council that short-term rentals “are not designed to be an individual room rental. Right? It is a rental that's based on a short-term basis through an Airbnb platform or VRBO platform. Traditionally, what it is, it's for family, and the occupancy load and standards are set by the inspection that you would conduct with with any rental.” He also noted that city licensing rules require operators to list units on marketing platforms and to comply with business licensing rules in chapter 117 of the city code.
Council members raised several specific concerns during discussion: potential overflow parking on narrow streets, whether multiple unrelated renters could occupy small homes, and property upkeep (trash, exterior storage and lawn maintenance). Those concerns were described by council members during the public discussion but were not converted into specific conditions beyond the standard property-maintenance and licensing requirements the city enforces.
Items acted on and council notes - 11B161 (1009 LaSalle Street), Prudence Wisdom Solutions / Lamar Tartt — special-use permit to operate a short-term rental in a residential district. Zoning Board of Appeals recommendation: approval, 6-0. Council action: approved (motion carries), recorded by the clerk as 8 yes, 6 no. Mover: Alderperson Steele; second: not specified in the transcript. - 11B262 (4901 West Main St., Unit A) and 11B363 (4909 West Main St.) — special-use permits in C-2 heavy commercial district. Zoning Board of Appeals recommendations: approval (votes noted in staff summary). Council approved these as part of a grouped motion. - 11B464 (204 West Main St., The Arcade Center LLC) — special-use permit for mixed-use residential development; ZBA recommended approval 6-0. Approved by council in grouped action. - 11B565 (422 N. Illinois St., Jared Black) — special-use permit for used motor vehicle sales; ZBA recommended approval 6-0. Approved by council in grouped action. - 11B667 (Metro East Sign / Zachary Lang) — sign permit; ZBA recommended approval 6-0. Approved by council. - 11B666 (zoning code amendment to Title 15 regarding short-term rentals) — the council voted to table the zoning-code amendment “pending further review with economic development.” Motion to table carried; no final action on the amendment was taken.
The council and staff discussed enforcement tools: Cross said licensing and property-inspection standards (including occupancy limits set by property maintenance and building codes) apply to short-term rentals, and marketing-platform registration is required by the licensing provisions. City staff did not present any new enforcement ordinance during the meeting; the city council postponed consideration of a formal code amendment that would change short-term-rental zoning until after further review.
The council combined most short-term rental items into a grouped vote; however, 1009 LaSalle drew extended comment and an individual roll-call vote.
What’s next The council tabled a proposed zoning-code amendment related to short-term rentals for additional review by economic development staff. Council members asked staff to monitor compliance with existing licensing and property-maintenance standards and to return with recommendations if additional regulatory changes are needed.