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Public hearing on STR rules for Coastal Residential zones continued to Aug. 13 after public testimony from Cove Beach residents
Summary
Commissioners continued the second reading of ordinance 25-10, which amends short-term rental rules for Coastal Residential zones, to Aug. 13 after residents urged retention of a one-rental-per-seven-day limit and prohibition on on-street parking.
The Clatsop County Board of Commissioners continued the second reading of ordinance 25-10, which would amend short-term rental (STR) regulations for properties zoned Coastal Residential (CR), until the board’s Aug. 13 meeting after public testimony and board discussion.
Residents from Falcon Cove Beach and neighboring areas urged the board to retain a one-reservation-per-seven-day limit and to prohibit on-street parking for STR guests in CR zones. Multiple callers described narrow gravel roads that cannot safely accommodate on-street parking, raising concerns about blocked emergency access for ambulances and fire trucks. Several residents said they had observed rapid turnover at nearby STRs—one resident described an STR that turned over three times in a week and required repeated septic pumping and service visits during peak season.
County staff explained the item’s procedural history: Arch Cape has operated under its own STR standards since 2003; the county’s comprehensive STR ordinance for other unincorporated areas dates to 2018. Staff said that during prior work sessions the board had discussed treating Cove Beach similarly to Arch Cape; that language was later included in a draft and subsequently became the subject of procedural cleanup. Because the inclusion of Cove Beach in the Arch Cape standards was contested and the ordinance text requires a properly noticed process, staff and commissioners agreed to remove the matter from tonight’s agenda for second-reading action and reschedule it so the full board can vote.
Public commenters who identified themselves by name and address included Vivian Simone Brown, Rick Smith, Karen Fish and Jeff Davis; several asked the board to enforce the seven-night rule and keep on-street parking banned in Cove Beach. One caller read a list of 16 Cove Beach residents who supported retaining the seven-night limit.
No changes to the code were adopted at the meeting. The board voted to continue the hearing to the Aug. 13 meeting for a second reading when more commissioners can participate.
