Narragansett council hears divided views on short‑term rental rules, plans another workshop

Narragansett Town Council held a work session April 28 to review results of a community discussion about a draft short‑term rental ordinance and to hear public comment on next steps.

The session, led by Council President Menzies and opened with a presentation by a town staff member, summarized feedback from a March 4 facilitated roundtable hosted by the Center for Mediation and Collaboration RI. About 90 people attended that roundtable; 37 people responded to an exit survey of participants.

The draft ordinance — which council members and several residents said had been the product of prior legal and consulting work — covers permitting limits, minimum‑night requirements, inspections and operational rules including parking and bedroom‑size standards. Discussion at the session centered on whether to cap the number of permits, how to treat owner‑occupied versus nonowner‑occupied rentals, seasonality and minimum‑night windows, grandfathering of existing rentals, inspection and enforcement responsibilities, and the fee schedule.

Why it matters: speakers on multiple sides said the council’s choices will affect neighborhood character, the town’s housing stock and the school population. Several residents urged measures to curb conversion of year‑round housing into short‑term rentals; other property owners and nonresident owners urged clearer, enforceable rules that recognize older cottage sizes and allow a viable rental market.

Public comments and council reactions

Gail Scowcroft, a Narragansett resident, criticized the exit survey from the March roundtable: "your exit survey data is pretty meaningless," she said, noting that only about one third of participants responded and that respondents were self‑selected.

Resident landlords and nonresident owners offered differing priorities. Several resident landlords and managers said they support enforceable safety inspections and permitting but objected to rules that they say would be infeasible for older cottages. Joseph Volpe, a resident landlord, said the group that crafted the earlier ordinance did not feel heard and recounted broad opposition at an earlier hearing: "we weren't heard in the past. 90% of the people said they were against it," he said, while also supporting a seven‑night summer minimum in principle.

Nonresident and part‑time owners emphasized that many properties and bedrooms predate modern minimum room‑size rules and asked for grandfathering and practical allowances for sleeping arrangements in common areas. Rachel Laramie, a local resident and landlord, said she would impose longer summer stays on her own rentals but added, "I would never have a 1 night minimum because I also think that that attracts parties."

Several commenters focused on enforcement and inspections. Multiple speakers said enforcement is the linchpin: if the town cannot or will not enforce rules on trash, noise, parking and occupancy, then requirements will be ineffective. One attendee urged use of the town’s rental compliance officer and other municipal staff to back enforcement during peak season.

Legal, technical and fiscal questions

Speakers noted that the draft ordinance references state building and housing standards (for example, minimum bedroom sizes cited in the draft), and several commenters said bedroom‑size rules are intended for new construction and that many older cottages would not meet those dimensions without grandfathering. The fire marshal’s short‑term rental guidance and inspection checklist were cited as a source for safety requirements.

Many speakers also questioned whether proposed fees would fully cover the cost of implementation and enforcement, or instead shift costs to residents. Others asked for transparency on how fees would be set and where any surplus would be directed.

Cap, grandfathering and seasonality

A recurring dispute was whether the town should cap the number of short‑term rental permits, and if so how to implement that cap. Supporters of a cap argued it would slow conversion of year‑round housing into vacation rentals; others favored permitting with grandfathering and attrition so existing owners retain permits while limiting growth.

Council response and next steps

Council members said the feedback provides a basis for further work. Council President Menzies told the public the council will continue to review the material and "we will put it on for the agenda to schedule and discuss, a an additional work session," indicating another community workshop will be scheduled to refine policy details.

No formal votes were taken at the April 28 session. Several commenters noted the draft ordinance is the subject of pending litigation that has placed a temporary stay on implementation; council members and speakers said that legal status adds uncertainty to timing and implementation.

Ending note

Council members encouraged anyone who could not attend to submit written comments and to contact Town Manager Jim Tierney or council members directly. The council said it will use further workshops and stakeholder meetings to address the technical details raised at the March roundtable and in public comment at the April 28 work session.