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Stonington committee recommends short‑term rental rules; selectmen start drafting ordinance and fee options
Summary
A short‑term rental committee presented recommendations to the Selectboard, prompting discussion of registration, fees and potential ordinance updates; the board agreed to pursue a registration and fee approach rather than penalizing year‑round rentals.
The town’s short‑term rental committee presented a PowerPoint and recommendations to the Selectboard in August and again in November 2022, summarizing research from other communities and proposing options to manage short‑term rentals while protecting year‑round housing.
Committee members and economic development staff (Linda Nelson) described distinctions between owner‑occupied short‑term rentals and rentals that are not owner‑occupied. Selectmen said they preferred to pursue a registration system with nominal fees and to avoid policies that would penalize year‑round rentals that support community housing needs. TM Billings and committee members said the work would proceed to drafting ordinance language, fees, and public hearings for the coming months.
The committee’s materials were cited in multiple meetings and Selectmen agreed to begin drafting necessary documents for a hearing in the fall. Board members framed the effort as “balanced growth” that aims to protect first‑floor retail in the Shoreland Zone and preserve housing for year‑round residents.
What happens next: committee and staff will draft ordinance language and fee schedules for Selectboard review and eventual public hearings.
