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Public asks Buellton to reconsider blanket short-term rental ban; council asks staff to review
Summary
A longtime resident urged the council to lift the city's blanket ban on short-term rentals and adopt tailored rules; councilors asked staff to return with a review of the municipal code and options if community interest exists.
During public comment at the May 14 meeting, resident Scott Aiken urged the council to revise the city's total ban on short-term rentals (citing municipal code section 19.02.150) and to consider targeted rules and safeguards to prevent party-house problems while allowing small, responsible rentals.
Aiken told councilors he supports reasonable guardrails and volunteered to work with staff to draft policy that would allow renting a detached accessory unit to one or two weekend guests. Several council members said they had not received many citizen requests to lift the ban; some favored keeping the existing restriction to protect long-term rental stock. The city attorney said staff would need council consensus to prepare a formal review and return with options.
Council asked staff to review the ordinance and return as a business item if community interest grows; no formal vote was taken on policy change at the meeting.
