Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Planning Commission Recommends Approval of Vacation Home Rental at 164 Bayshore Avenue in Fleetwood Beach
Summary
The Northumberland County Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of a conditional use permit allowing short-term rentals at 164 Bayshore Avenue; the recommendation goes to the Board of Supervisors for final action at a public hearing Oct. 9.
At a meeting of the Northumberland County Planning Commission, commissioners voted to recommend approval of a conditional use permit (CUP) that would allow a vacation home rental at 164 Bayshore Avenue in the Fleetwood Beach community.
The recommendation matters because the Board of Supervisors will hold the final public hearing and vote; that hearing is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. If the board approves the CUP, the owners may operate the property as a short-term rental subject to county conditions and any additional requirements the board imposes.
Applicants Lauren Twelves and Jeanette Boniface told the commission they plan to use the house themselves and rent it only occasionally to offset a portion of ownership costs. “This home is incredibly special to us,” Twelves said in remarks read to the commission, and she said the owners “do not intend to rent full time.” The applicants said they notified immediate neighbors and received supportive responses; Twelves said the letter to neighbors was sent about Aug. 6.
Philip Marston, the county zoning administrator, presented the standard conditions recommended for approval. Those conditions include compliance with all applicable state, federal and local laws and tax rules (including transient occupancy tax); smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in each bedroom and other code‑required locations; at least one off‑street parking space per bedroom and no on‑street parking; an access driveway to a state highway at least 12 feet wide and 12 feet high to accommodate emergency vehicles; annual registration with the county registry while operating; and a required local manager registered with the county and the sheriff’s office who can promptly address violations. Marston read the condition that “the vacation home rental shall register and maintain registration with the county's registry annually while operating.”
Additional recommended conditions include clearly marked property boundaries for renters, rules that prohibit use of recreational vehicles by guests as living quarters, pets kept under control, overnight occupancy limited to two persons per bedroom plus two additional persons per residence, prohibition on golf carts used by renters on roads, and required liability insurance. The CUP as drafted would be nontransferable and would not automatically attach to the property if ownership changes.
A motion to approve the CUP subject to the conditions read into the record was made, seconded and carried. The record did not include a roll-call vote tally; the commission’s action was a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors. The applicants were told to bring hard copies of materials to the board hearing. The Board of Supervisors will take public comment at its Oct. 9 hearing and then decide whether to grant the CUP.
The commission noted neighborhood concerns raised to the applicants — especially speeds on gravel roads and noise — and praised the applicants for contacting neighbors before filing. The commission’s approval was expressly conditioned on the listed requirements and on any additional conditions the Board of Supervisors may set.
The commission’s action does not by itself authorize short-term rentals at the property; final authorization requires the Board of Supervisors’ decision at the scheduled public hearing.
