Council approves short-term rental use permit for 127 North Fourth Street in Buckroe

The Hampton City Council voted unanimously to approve use permit application number 240539, allowing a short-term rental at 127 North Fourth Street in the Buckroe 1 overlay district.

City Planner Hanh Moo presented the application on behalf of staff, describing the property as two buildings — a 1927 single-family dwelling in front and a 1953 duplex in the rear — that together would operate as three rentable units under one permit. Hanh Moo told the council the property is in the Buckroe 1 overlay and that the application exceeded the number of rentable bedrooms allowable under an administrative zoning permit, which is why the use permit was required. Planning staff and the Planning Commission both recommended approval with 15 conditions.

The permit was filed by Overflow LLC and would be the first application processed in Buckroe 1 after a group of “grace period” short-term rentals lost their status at the end of 2024. Hanh Moo said Buckroe 1 allows nine short-term rentals in total; four grace-period permissions expired Dec. 31, 2024, and five short-term rentals remain fully approved, leaving four available slots in the zone. Staff held a community meeting at the subject property on June 14, 2024, and reported a single attendee who had general questions about the program.

Resident Dave Rogers spoke during the public hearing, saying the property type is uncommon in Buckroe Beach and raising concerns about parking and capacity. Rogers said his morning check of online listings indicated that, with other nearby approvals, the property could increase short-term overnight capacity on the block to as many as 48 guests at full advertised occupancy and warned that narrow street conditions would create parking and safety pressures.

Council moved and seconded approval of the use permit with the staff-recommended conditions. The motion passed on a roll-call vote: Councilman Bowman — aye; Vice Mayor Steven Brown — aye; Councilwoman Michelle Campbell — aye; Councilwoman Farrabee — aye; Councilwoman Harper — aye; Councilwoman Mugler — aye; Mayor Gray — aye. The council explicitly approved the permit “with 15 conditions.”

Key conditions noted in the staff packet and read into the record include limiting overnight lodging occupancy to no more than 19 persons; no more than eight bedrooms shall be rented; a requirement that no common space be advertised as an overnight sleeping area unless specifically authorized in the permit; and provision of a minimum number of on-site parking spaces (specific parking requirement stated in the staff conditions package). Planning staff and the Planning Commission will enforce the permit conditions; violations would be subject to enforcement proceedings.

The applicant was present at the meeting. Staff and commissioners noted that the application is the first processed under a first-come, first-served queue since the loss of grace-period permissions in Buckroe 1.