Planning commission recommends R-0 zoning for an island neighborhood; commissioners and staff clarify short-term rental rules

The City of Galveston Planning Commission recommended that City Council adopt a rezoning to R-0 (restricted residential single-family) for a designated neighborhood that includes addresses listed in staff materials as 2712 through 2928 11 Mile Road.

Planning staff summarized the application and said it met the ordinance criteria: at least 75 percent of dwellings in the proposed area are owner-occupied and more than 75 percent of property owners initiated the request. "These particular cases require that 75% of the dwellings in the proposed area must first be single family, owner occupied, and then secondly, that 75% of the property owners shall initiate this request," staff member Pete said, adding the petition was initiated by 83 percent of property owners in the area.

Commissioners used the discussion to clarify how the city treats vacant lots and short-term rentals (STRs). Staff said vacant lots are notified and counted in the process but cannot themselves be owner-occupied; they would be subject to the majority neighborhood decision. Staff also said there are no registered STRs in the subject area. On grandfathering, staff said existing registered STRs that are compliant may remain, but new STR registrations would not be permitted after a zoning change to R-0; a vacant lot cannot be newly registered as an STR because STR registration requires a habitable space.

The Planning Commission opened and closed the public hearing with no public speakers and voted unanimously to recommend approval. Staff said the final decision on the zoning change rests with City Council and listed a February council hearing date in staff materials.