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Applicants and residents clash over Airbnb zoning and claims of due‑process violations
Summary
Public commenters pressed the council over short‑term rental zoning and alleged procedural unfairness. An applicant said she was blindsided by a council reversal of an earlier zoning commission approval; another commenter cited federal civil‑rights law and threatened to contact the U.S. Attorney and FBI.
Several public commentators used the council’s public‑participation period on Nov. 17, 2025 to contest recent zoning action involving short‑term rentals and to raise concerns about process and fairness.
Kelly Roberts spoke in support of a zoning application for Victoria Martin (ordinance 9439‑2025) and presented a traffic study for a separate application at 224 South Charles Street (ordinance 9443‑2025), citing ITE trip‑generation figures and asserting the five‑unit proposal would generate roughly 37 vehicle trips per day and would have minimal impact on nearby arterial traffic. She described on‑site parking counts and argued the applicants had done due diligence.
Victoria, who identified herself in public comment, said she was surprised and upset to learn that the council had voted against her previously approved zoning commission decision and said she had not been notified of the reversal. She described the council action as a due‑process violation and asked for an explanation for why she had not been informed. The transcript shows an emotional exchange with interruptions; Victoria said her hosting had helped displaced service members and that she believed neighbor objections were exaggerated.
Another public commenter, Rick Brown, invoked federal criminal statute 18 U.S.C. §241 (conspiracy against rights) and warned council members that denying due process could lead him to contact federal law enforcement; he urged approval of the item at issue. The council did not record a substantive response to his specific threat in the supplied segments.
The council proceeded with other agenda items after public comment; no procedural resolution or formal investigation into notification practices is recorded in the supplied segments.
