Sweetwater County to re-advertise proposed short-term rental zoning language after mixed public feedback

Sweetwater County commissioners voted Feb. 17 to re-advertise proposed amendments to the 2015 zoning resolution that would regulate short-term rentals, after county planner Cassidy Brown said she received divergent public feedback and wants time to revise the draft.

Brown told the board she had received multiple written comments and in-person input since presenting the language to Planning & Zoning. She said residents in rural areas such as Farson argued proposed restrictions would be overly burdensome for seasonal hunting and vacation rentals, while residents in the Washam area—where tourism and vacation housing are more concentrated—expressed concerns about proliferation and limited law-enforcement presence.

Brown described one possible approach: limiting short-term rentals to the county’s growth-management area and specific fire-district service areas (Farson, Eden) while excluding more rural zones. She also said one element of the proposed package—raising a zoning-permit fee from $50 to $100—is separable from the short-term-rental rules and can be considered independently.

Following discussion, Commissioner Slaughter moved to re-advertise the language-amendment package and return revised language to Planning & Zoning. Commissioner Jones seconded; commissioners noted that re-advertising restarts public-notice timelines and provides a new opportunity for residents to comment both at Planning & Zoning and before the commission. The motion carried unanimously.

What’s next Staff will revise the proposed language to address the comments received and re-submit the proposal to Planning & Zoning and to the Board of County Commissioners for another public-notice and hearing cycle before any regulatory changes take effect.

Attribution Quotes and details are drawn from Cassidy Brown’s presentation and the board’s recorded deliberations during the Feb. 17 meeting.