Planning commission recommends council allow vacation rentals in downtown mixed‑use district with 50% per‑building cap

The City of Redding Planning Commission voted to recommend that City Council adopt amendments to the short‑term rental ordinance to allow vacation rentals in the Downtown Mixed Use District, subject to an amendment from the commission limiting the share of units in any single building used as vacation rentals to no more than 50 percent.

Commissioner Grama, who presented the item, said the proposed revisions respond to property‑owner requests to allow vacation rentals in apartment units and duplexes in the mixed‑use area. "We saw over a number of years, sort of year‑over‑year doubling of the number of short‑term rentals," Grama said, summarizing the policy history that led to current regulations and the 600‑foot buffer rule adopted in prior amendments.

The nut graf: Staff proposed allowing vacation rentals in downtown mixed‑use areas to support downtown economic vitality while preserving the 600‑foot buffer where the mixed‑use district abuts single‑family zones (specifically the Garden Tract). The Planning Commission added a…