P&Z subcommittee reports STR inventory, enforcement gaps and possible caps; focused work to continue

Commissioner Vance McCracken (speaker 4) provided an update on short‑term rentals (STRs) near the end of the Dec. 11 meeting, describing three parallel strands of work: compiling an inventory of STRs and motel/hotel tax filers, crafting targeted revisions to STR regulations, and considering automation or clearer rules for approvals.

McCracken told the commission that staff data show roughly 100 STRs in the city's records that are paying motel/hotel tax, but the subcommittee lacks reliable documentation of which properties are formally grandfathered and which are operating informally. The committee discussed the potential for "hotspots" (neighborhoods with many STR‑2, non‑owner‑occupied units) and the concept of limiting new STR‑2 permits on lots under half an acre.

Possible policy tools under review include: focusing STRs toward the downtown core, requiring stronger conditions on problematic units, automating portions of the approval process to increase predictability for applicants, and asking owners of long‑inactive STRs to voluntarily relinquish permits to free capacity for areas the city prefers. Commissioners noted that conditional‑use permits may convey with property and that revocation is procedurally difficult without rezoning.

Next steps: the subcommittee will gather occupancy and enforcement data (police, tax records), identify grandfathered properties, and return to the commission with targeted recommendations for ordinance changes and a possible pilot cap or geographic limits.