Bicknell planning commission open to reviewing short-term rental rules but offers caution

The Bicknell Planning and Zoning Commission discussed whether to reopen the town’s short-term rental ordinance at its Aug. 5, 2025 meeting after two property owners asked for changes.

Commission members told town staff they would give counsel but split on timing and scope. Jim Duddleston urged the commission to prioritize a review because there are at least two pending applications that could be affected; others said the ordinance review should be placed in the commission’s queue with other periodic updates. The chair emphasized the commission should not promise specific outcomes to applicants or let loan decisions depend on a possible future ordinance change.

The commission’s conversation focused on several technical requirements in the existing ordinance, including a separate septic system and a separate water meter for properties used as short-term rentals. Commissioners questioned whether those requirements always make technical or public‑health sense and noted that accessory dwelling units are sometimes treated differently. One member also observed that classifying a property as a one‑room motel — which has a different licensing and inspection pathway — could change whether it falls under the STR rules.

Commissioners also discussed enforcement and equity: the ordinance requires annual licensing for short-term rooms, and some members said they have anecdotal evidence that not all motel rooms or short-term operators are currently following licensing rules. The commission noted that Sweetgrass’s upstairs unit appears to be grandfathered, meaning it was legally operating under prior rules.

Town staff (referred to in the meeting as Noreen) asked the commission for its opinion after the town council raised the issue at a work session. The chair said she would relay the commission’s views back to staff but repeated that any formal revision will require public hearings and could take months. Commissioners who reviewed the ordinance draft (shared in advance by Commissioner Duddleston) said they wanted more time to read it before committing to a timeline.

Next steps: the commission will provide preliminary feedback to staff and, if it chooses to proceed, will begin the formal ordinance revision process with public notice and hearings. The commission did not adopt any ordinance changes at the meeting.