Sweetwater County starts 45-day comment period on short-term rental permit rules
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Summary
County planner proposed a suite of zoning language amendments creating a short-term rental permit (STRP), doubling the zoning-permit fee to $100, adding a 14-day posted notice and 45-day comment process, annual renewals, and a one-block density review as conditional use; commissioners approved a notice of intent to begin public comment.
Sweetwater County planners on Tuesday introduced a formal notice of intent to add short-term rental regulations to the county's 2015 Zoning Resolution, starting a 45-day public comment period.
County planner Cassidy Brown told the Board of County Commissioners the draft establishes a nondiscretionary Short-Term Rental Permit (STRP) for any rental of a dwelling for periods under 30 days, raises the zoning-permit fee from $50 to $100, and requires property posting for 14 days to alert adjacent owners. Brown said the initial STRP would require a completed application, the $100 fee, a signed inspection affidavit and a fire-safety inspection by the county fire warden and code enforcement, and proof of permitted wastewater or central sewage where required. Renewals would be annual with a proposed renewal fee (listed in the draft as $50.50).
The draft also adds operational conditions: owners must designate a 24/7 local property representative who must respond by phone, text or email within one hour to complaints; short-term rental units must comply with existing zoning and development standards; tents/trailers cannot be used as STRs; no STR is allowed within 1,000 feet of a school; and parking requirements will follow the district's current rules rather than a new per-room standard. For density, Brown said additional STR applications within one block on the same street would be considered as conditional uses so case-specific factors such as lot size and zoning can be evaluated.
Brown said the proposal came in response to resident inquiries about Airbnb- and VRBO-style rentals and that the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the language amendments, with modifications to the density provision. The board formally approved a notice of intent to begin the statutorily required 45-day public comment period; a later hearing will consider adoption after the comment period concludes.
The board emphasized that the notice of intent does not adopt final regulations and that public input during the 45 days will be considered before any final votes. The land use office is the point of contact for submitting comments and application materials.