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Council approves short‑term rental at 1536 Morgan Drive after debate over parking and process
Summary
Council approved use permit 24‑0468 for a short‑term rental at 1536 Morgan Drive despite planning commission opposition; approval includes 15 staff conditions requiring on‑site parking installation before operation, limits on bedrooms rented and overnight capacity, and a local responsible contact.
Hampton City Council voted Dec. 11 to approve a use permit (24‑0468) allowing a short‑term rental at 1536 Morgan Drive after a contested debate about whether the use‑permit route constituted a workaround to the short‑term rental (ZAP) permitting process.
City planner Han Vu told the council the property met density and separation requirements but lacked required on‑site parking; staff recommended approval with 15 conditions that include: limiting overnight lodging to no more than two bedrooms, requiring the minimum on‑site parking to be installed prior to operations (improved surface required for street‑frontage parking), prohibiting events, limiting the number of people on the property between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. to four, and requiring a local responsible person and guest ledger.
Planning commission recommended denial; council members expressed concerns the applicant could be "beating the system" by seeking a use permit rather than pursuing ZAP when parking was not yet complete. Staff and the city attorney explained, however, that the code allows a use‑permit route in cases where one of the ZAP thresholds is not met and that council has discretion.
On a recorded vote, the motion to approve passed with five in favor and two opposed (Councilman Bowman and Councilwoman Harper voted no). The approval is conditioned on the staff‑recommended items and requires the parking improvements and other conditions to be satisfied before operation.
