Commission advises DesignBuild Bluff to consider zone amendment for campus lodging rather than short‑term rental permits

Amanda Podmore, chair, introduced a presentation on DesignBuild Bluff’s planned campus uses and asked commissioners to advise how the campus should be regulated in its current residential zoning.

Commissioners and staff discussed two questions: whether the campus’s student lodging would be allowed in a residential zone, and whether charging overnight fees for students would trigger the town’s short‑term rental rules.

Malia (staff) told the commission that moving the campus to a commercial zone by way of a zone amendment is a likely route. She said C‑2 zoning allows schools and vocational training facilities and could cover campus lodging for students tied to an educational program; C‑3 allows hotels and motels and would be appropriate if the campus plans to offer publicly rentable lodging. Malia also noted a local limit in the short‑term rental ordinance that caps the total number of short‑term units held by any one owner (the ordinance text reads as a maximum of six units per owner).

Commissioners and staff raised operational and public‑health issues: Brian Honey and others said tents and small shed‑style structures on the campus are being used as sleeping units and that those spaces rely on a shared bathhouse; commissioners and staff said county health and building inspections would be necessary to confirm septic capacity and code compliance before any expansion of overnight lodging. Commissioner Gary Collins described the campus’s on‑site “dorm” shipping containers and small structures, noting the county historically imposed limitations on residential expansion when the containers were added.

Town staff recommended sending DesignBuild Bluff the zone‑amendment application form and advising the group that a C‑2 amendment would likely be adequate if lodging is limited to students participating in educational programs; staff also advised C‑3 if the group intends to offer publicly rentable lodging. Staff noted setbacks and minimum lot‑size standards would change if the site is rezoned and that those changes could affect future building projects.

Why it matters: How the campus is classified affects which zoning rules apply (allowed uses, permit requirements, parking, setbacks), whether a short‑term rental license is required, and which public‑health and building inspections are triggered.

Next steps: Staff will provide the zone amendment form to the campus and note that building‑department approval and county health review will likely be necessary for any new or expanded overnight lodging. The commission also agreed that a public hearing would be part of any zone amendment process.

Ending: Commissioners encouraged DesignBuild Bluff to prepare an application that details intended uses, capacity, and how the campus plans to meet septic and life‑safety requirements before initiating a rezoning application.