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Worcester County moves effective date on short‑term rental parking rule after heated hearing; amendment passes 6‑1
Summary
After hours of public comment from homeowners and residents, Worcester County Commissioners approved a text amendment to move the short‑term rental third‑space parking requirement effective date, amending it to take effect April 17, 2026; the measure passed 6‑1. Residents who said they relied on county guidance clashed with neighbors who warned of added parking pressure.
Worcester County Commissioners voted 6‑1 on March 3 to approve a text amendment changing the effective date for an extra off‑street parking space required of short‑term rentals. The board amended the proposal to set the effective date at April 17, 2026 (45 days from the meeting), an approach the county attorney had suggested as an administrable alternative to a specific statutory‑date fix.
The amendment responded to an internal enforcement error county staff said occurred under a former rental license coordinator. County staff told commissioners an internal audit found 447 active short‑term rental licenses countywide and noted local concentrations — for example, 25 active short‑term licenses in The Landings as of January 2026 and 10 townhome licenses in Seaside Village. Staff said the issue began to surface after a site meeting in August 2025 and that some licenses had been revoked when…
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