Pacifica planning panel recommends approval of strict short‑term rental rewrite, with amendments

The Pacifica Planning Commission unanimously recommended that City Council approve a draft ordinance to repeal and replace Article 49 of the city zoning code and tighten rules for short‑term rentals (STRs), after more than two hours of public comment and discussion at its Jan. 2025 meeting.

The proposed text amendment (File No. TA‑127‑25) would require STRs to be located in the operator’s primary residence, prohibit STRs in many multifamily units, set new occupancy and parking rules and add operational requirements such as a designated responsible party and a posted QR code for contact and complaint information. Staff said council had given policy direction on most of the changes and asked the commission to forward a recommendation.

Why it matters: Commissioners and speakers framed the issue as a balancing act between preserving neighborhood quality and coastal access, and protecting city revenue. Staff warned the new rules could substantially reduce transient‑occupancy tax (TOT) revenue and increase administrative costs; neighborhood speakers said the draft does not go far enough to curb nuisance activity, while many STR operators and hosts warned the changes would shutter responsible hosts and damage local businesses.

Staff presentation and fiscal outlook

Samantha Updegrave, Pacifica’s community development director, presented the draft and summarized council direction. “A short‑term rental or an STR is the use of a dwelling unit or portion of it for the rental of less than 30 consecutive days,” Updegrave said while explaining the ordinance history and the changes being proposed.

Among the draft provisions she highlighted: a primary‑residence requirement that would bar unhosted STRs in multifamily buildings; a 90‑night annual cap for unhosted STRs; a two‑night minimum stay for unhosted rentals; a…