Bicknell to review Highway 24 commercial zone wording and short-term rental rules

Speaker 5, reporting for the Planning and Zoning group, told the council that staff and planners had updated the zoning map and proposed a text change to the building and zoning ordinance to define the commercial zone as the "first 221 feet or one half block" from Highway 24. "We did get the wording in the building and zoning ordinance," Speaker 5 said, adding that the change is intended to limit the commercial designation to the roadway-facing portion of parcels.

Speaker 5 also described a separate inquiry from a property owner who wanted to build a garage and live in a camper on a third-acre parcel; existing town rules limit camping in campers to short-term stays and the planning group intends to ensure the building and zoning ordinance language aligns with the town's short-term rental and extended-stay ordinances. "We want to look at the building and zoning ordinance and make sure it is consistent with the short term rental and the extended stay ordinance," Speaker 5 said; the planning group plans to schedule the required public hearings, likely in March.

Council members discussed enforcement and the practical effect of the 30-day camping reference in the short-term rental rules, including whether the 30-day limit was consecutive and how the ordinance prevents effectively year-round occupancy by moving a camper short distances. Speaker 5 said the group will review definitions and bring proposals back for public hearings and council consideration.

No formal zoning change was adopted on Dec. 4; the item will return for public hearing and formal action at a future meeting.