Englewood Board approves 1-year short-term rental waiver at 3336 S. Marion St., with conditions

The Englewood City Board of Adjustment and Appeals approved a one-year waiver allowing a short-term rental at 3336 South Marion Street, contingent on guest record-keeping and documentation that the unit is used predominantly by guests connected to Craig and Swedish hospitals.

The waiver relieves the property owners of the municipal code—s primary-residency requirement for short-term rentals in the R1C zone, but the board attached a condition that the owners return after one year with records showing the unit—s predominant use for medical-related stays. The board voted 6-0 to grant the request.

Eric Sampson, planner with Englewood Community Development, recommended approval on a one-year basis, citing the property—s proximity to the medical district and past board practice of granting similar waivers near Craig Hospital and Swedish Medical Center. "Staff recommends approval of this short term rental waiver, again, on a 1 year basis," Sampson told the board.

Applicants Trevor and Kristen Pyle said they have owned the house for years and that recent tenant vacancies gave them an opportunity to convert the unit to short-term use to support families of patients. Kristen Pyle testified that the property had been a long-term rental for 13 years and said the owners intend to make improvements. "The average patient stay at Craig Hospital is 2 years," Pyle said, describing the hospital—s long rehabilitation stays and arguing families need nearby, flexible housing.

Neighbors and other residents testified in opposition or with questions about enforcement and property condition. Robert Heller, who said he grew up in the neighborhood, described the house under its current ownership as "an absolute dump" and urged denial. Rebecca Kramer presented photos and said Craig Hospital staff told her the hospital did not list the property on its housing resources; "This is categorically untrue," she said of the applicant—s statement that Craig would list the unit. Several neighbors raised concerns about parking, noise, trash and yard maintenance and asked about occupancy caps and enforcement.

Staff and the city attorney described the mechanics of oversight and evidence the board could require. Planning manager Brian Isom explained that property-maintenance complaints generally proceed through code enforcement, which investigates and issues notices of violation; he said the building division performs life-safety inspections for short-term rental licensing. The city attorney advised the board it may impose "alternative effective means of assuring owner oversight and regulatory compliance," including requirements for record-keeping, noise monitoring or an affidavit from a medical facility confirming the rental—s medical purpose, while cautioning about privacy limits on medical records.

Board members debated how to measure the board—s requirement that the rental be used "predominantly" for medical-related stays. The board settled on a one-year approval with two explicit conditions: that the license-holder keep guest records and that the owner demonstrate, when they return, that the property was used predominantly by guests utilizing Craig Hospital and Swedish Medical Center. The board noted that the short-term rental license itself requires an annual premises inspection by the building division.

At the vote, members reported their positions by name; the motion passed 6-0. Chair Taylor said the board would urge staff and the city attorney to review municipal code language to clarify standards for future cases.

The approved waiver is subject to the city—s appeal and permitting timeline: appeals of board decisions must be filed within 30 days, any approved variance becomes effective at the end of the appeal period, and building permits associated with a variance cannot be issued until that appeal period ends. The short-term rental license renewal and its required annual inspection remain additional checkpoints for compliance.

The board did not specify a numeric definition of "predominantly" in tonight—s motion; members said that measurement (for example, nights rented vs. number of stays) can be reviewed when the applicant returns for the one-year review.

The public hearing record includes submitted photos of the property and two emails attributed to Craig Hospital that staff described as contradictory; those documents were admitted into the record for the board's consideration.

The board closed the hearing and approved the one-year waiver with the conditions described.