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Staff: short‑term rentals not permitted in PR/PR2 under current ordinance; council will monitor
Summary
Planning staff told council that the town’s zoning definition of a dwelling excludes transient occupancy, meaning short‑term rentals in protected residential zones (PR/PR2) are not permitted under current interpretation; staff found roughly 30–65 online listings but recommended monitoring rather than immediate regulation because enforcement would be staff‑intensive.
Jessica Laban of the town’s Planning & Building staff briefed the council on short‑term rental inquiries and staff’s legal interpretation of the zoning ordinance.
"Based on that definition, staff has taken the position that transient or temporary occupancy such as short‑term rentals do not meet the definition of a dwelling and are not permitted within those zoning districts," Laban said, summarizing the ordinance language that distinguishes non‑temporary residential occupancy from transient lodging.
Laban told council staff has not established a permitting, registration or enforcement program for short‑term rentals. She said quick, informal research identified roughly 30–65 online listings located in town, but staff is not actively searching platforms to find them. Staff and one counsel speaker said permitting and registration would generate business‑license and tax revenue but would also be staff‑heavy; she referenced other coastal or tourism jurisdictions that maintain dedicated rental‑registration/enforcement teams as examples.
Council members asked whether neighboring municipalities take different approaches; staff said some nearby cities permit short‑term rentals only in commercial or mixed‑use zoning and that deeper research could be provided if council directs it. Given the absence of a documented enforcement problem, the council agreed to leave the current interpretation in place for now and to revisit the issue if complaints or enforcement needs arise.
What’s next: Staff will monitor inquiries and report back if the situation changes or if council directs a deeper review of other municipalities’ approaches and enforcement resource needs.
