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Resident urges legal review after apparent omission in Hubert Lane short‑term rental approval
Summary
Amy Grinsteiner told the Rockville City Council that a 7‑day rental requirement discussed at a prior meeting was never written into an interim use permit (IUP) for a Hubert Lane property; she asked the city attorney to investigate whether the IUP was properly approved and raised safety concerns about a neighbor identified only as 'Matt.'
Amy Grinsteiner, a Hubert Lane resident, told the Rockville City Council during public comment that the council-approved package for a short‑term rental included a seven‑day minimum stay requirement that was not written into the interim use permit (IUP) as adopted.
"This clearly shows that the 7‑day rental requirement is part of the package for approval by council. Yet, it was never written in to the IUP," Grinsteiner said, and asked the city attorney (named in the transcript as Krueger) to "procedurally check into what is the process" for correcting the omission.
Grinsteiner also said the Hubert Lane IUP was issued for a non‑conforming lot—she said the lot size is under the 15,000‑square‑foot requirement and setbacks do not meet the code as written—and that the neighbors have not received a clear public explanation for how any exception was justified. She asked the council to explain "what should have happened when the IUP error was found" and whether approving a non‑conforming lot is legal.
The speaker said the issue affects many neighbors who signed a petition and that previous outreach to neighbors had not been balanced. She also raised a personal‑safety concern about a nearby resident identified in the transcript only as "Matt," saying she no longer felt safe interacting with that person and asking council members not to send him to negotiate with neighbors without both sides being included.
The council did not take an immediate vote on the IUP or rehear the application during the meeting. Earlier in the meeting, Bill (reporting for the planning commission) said the planning commission tabled short‑term rental action and invited Sterns County staff (Angie Berg) to the April 1 meeting to explain what the county can and cannot do to assist the city with short‑term rental regulation.
What happens next: Grinsteiner asked the city attorney to review the record and the city's procedures; the council has scheduled a discussion with Sterns County on April 1 to explore county involvement in short‑term rental enforcement and regulation.
Details and context: The transcript references a prior council action identified in the record as resolution 2025‑17; Grinsteiner said the 7‑day rule was discussed at that earlier meeting but omitted from the text of the IUP. The planning commission recommended a three‑month extension for a separate CUP (Stickney Hills) to allow testing of treatment methods, and the commission postponed final action on the short‑term‑rental policy until the county staff briefing.
Ending: Councilmembers did not announce a formal staff assignment or deadline for the city‑attorney review during the meeting; city staff and a county representative are expected to provide more information at upcoming meetings.
