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Stonington moves toward short-term rental registration and housing reserve after committee recommendations
Summary
A short-term rental committee presented recommendations to the selectmen and the board instructed staff to draft registration and fee language; town also set aside $100,000 as a housing reserve from tax-acquired sales to help address housing shortages.
Selectmen heard committee recommendations and advanced next steps on short-term rental regulation while continuing separate efforts to build housing reserves.
At the Aug. 15 meeting the short-term rental committee delivered a PowerPoint overview and recommendations for balanced growth and next steps. The committee highlighted differences between owner-occupied rentals and full-time short-term units and suggested registration, nominal fees and potential ordinance language.
Board members thanked the committee and instructed staff and the Planning Board to start drafting necessary documents for a public hearing in the fall. Earlier, at the Oct. 3 discussion, the board leaned toward pursuing a registration and fee system rather than immediate punitive measures for year-round rentals.
Separately, selectmen reviewed using proceeds from tax-acquired property sales to create a $100,000 housing reserve for planning and scoping housing options, and discussed timing for a March town meeting to enable nominations and voter action.
Next steps: staff and the Planning Board will draft ordinance language and fee schedules and present them for public hearing; selectmen will also place housing reserve planning on future agendas in coordination with SEDC and regional partners.
