Commission opens review of short‑term rentals after residents report strain on Centennial housing and services
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Summary
Following a lengthy public discussion about short‑term rentals in the Centennial area, commissioners directed staff to draft a definition and zoning options — including possible conditional‑use standards and a requirement for a local contact/agent — for future consideration.
Residents from Centennial and surrounding valleys told the Albany County Planning and Zoning Commission on Feb. 12 that short‑term rentals (STRs) listed on Airbnb, VRBO and similar platforms have grown rapidly and are reducing long‑term rental supply, damaging rural roads, increasing trespass complaints and posing fire‑safety concerns in areas with long emergency response times.
Speakers representing neighborhoods and business said their counts of listings vary — staff cited roughly 28 identified properties in an earlier search for a wider area, while local residents presented a map showing 48 listings within a smaller set of quadrants. ‘‘We have 48, not 28,’’ one resident said, summarizing a local tally. The commission heard examples of repeated nuisance incidents and argued that locally based operators were more likely to address problems than absentee owners.
Small lodging operators said they face competitive disadvantages: BJ Finney, who operates a local hotel, noted annual safety inspections, fire‑safety and health requirements for commercial lodging that many STRs do not shoulder. ‘‘They are generating revenue using this property — if you’re generating revenue, you are a commercial entity,’’ he said, while staff and commission members cited state law limiting county authority to require commercial‑grade code enforcement for single‑family detached dwellings used as short‑term rentals.
Legal counsel and staff advised the commission that Albany County can regulate STRs as a land‑use matter (for example, by adding a defined use to the land‑use table and making STRs conditional or prohibited in particular zoning districts) but cannot impose an annual licensing regime or renewal requirement through zoning; the county’s zoning certificate is a one‑time authorization that lasts until changed or revoked. Commissioners discussed possible zoning tools — tighter definitions, conditional‑use permits with conditions such as a local agent, and residency or management requirements — and asked staff to draft options.
The commission gave staff direction to draft a clear short‑term rental definition, add a land‑use entry for STRs, and present zoning options (for example conditional‑use standards and a local agent requirement) for the commission’s next review. Staff said it would prepare options and analyze statutory constraints and enforcement implications.
Why it matters: Residents say STRs reduce long‑term housing availability in small rural communities, and local businesses argue unregulated STRs create unfair competitive conditions. Counties have used zoning to address STRs, but health, safety and annual inspection regimes typically rest with state agencies or other authorities; the planning commission’s work will focus on what can lawfully be achieved through county zoning and permitting.
