Uwchlan supervisors consider tightening hotel licensing rules, shorter correction windows

Staff presented draft amendments to Chapter 195 (Hotels, Motels and Inns) that would change the township’s maximum transient‑stay language and speed enforcement timelines.

The staff presentation said the existing ordinance, adopted in 2023, limits stays to “no more than 30 consecutive days” and that the draft would change that to “28 consecutive days or 28 days within a 35‑day period.” The draft also proposes adding language to treat checking out and re‑registering under a different name as the same continuous stay, the presentation said. The staff presentation also recommended adding explicit compliance requirements for fire‑protection systems and other license conditions and shortening the correction window for violations from three months to seven days.

Board members asked whether a seven‑day correction period is practicable for issues that require scheduled contractors, such as electrical repairs. A supervisor who sought clarification said, “some of these violations … would not be able to get fixed in seven days,” and asked whether the ordinance could recognize a documented good‑faith scheduling effort; staff replied that evidence of scheduling or movement toward remediation could be considered in enforcement discussions.

The proposed ordinance would also revise the metric used to trigger enforcement based on calls for service. Staff said the draft replaces the previous single‑period threshold with a two‑part test: an average of 1.0 or greater calls for service over the prior 12 months, or 0.5 or greater over any three consecutive months within that 12‑month period. The staff presentation noted the definition of “calls for service” would be a dispatch/911 call to police, fire or EMS, and pointed out that self‑initiated police activity (for example, a proactive officer check) currently does not count. The board asked staff to consult the police chief on whether to exclude domestic‑violence calls initiated by hotel staff or to blanket‑exclude domestic‑violence calls from the metric.

Several supervisors warned that tying penalties to call counts could create a perverse incentive for managers to avoid calling police. One supervisor asked whether the rule might “deter staff from reporting” incidents; other supervisors said most emergency calls come from occupants rather than staff and that the proposed thresholds target locations with clearly elevated demand for emergency services.

Board members and staff discussed enforcement mechanics, including violation notices, hearings, and potential license revocation. Staff noted that under the current ordinance a revocation process includes hearings with 30‑day notice and that shortening the correction window would allow faster escalation. Supervisors pressed staff about how the township would avoid leaving long‑term residents without assistance if a facility’s license were revoked, and staff said revocation would require coordination with social‑service providers to avoid displacing people without support.

There were no formal votes at the workshop. Staff said they will place the draft amendments on the November business agenda and seek permission to advertise the hotel ordinance for a 30‑day public review and comment period at the upcoming business meeting.

Next steps: staff will consult the police chief about call‑type definitions and include the draft amendment on the business agenda so the board can vote to advertise it for public comment.