Astoria council orders revisions, stakeholder meetings after heated public hearing on proposed vacation-rental licensing

Mayor Mark Fitzpatrick opened the council’s Nov. 18 meeting and, after a presentation by staff, the council held a public hearing on a proposed vacation-rental license ordinance that would formalize a licensing program and cap vacation-rental units at 50.

Interim Community Development Director Tiffany Taylor told the council the draft ordinance clarifies the definition of vacation rentals, tightens applicability for conversions and nonconforming uses, adds a license-denial/suspension section allowing a 30-day cure (with an approved written plan when longer cures are needed), and proposes a fee structure that includes a $500 annual license per unit and a $300 fire/life-safety inspection fee if the city performs the inspection. Taylor said staff surveyed neighboring coastal jurisdictions in setting comparable fees and estimated about 43 current units could qualify under the draft rules, leaving a small buffer before a 50-unit cap would be reached.

During the public hearing, multiple commercial-property owners and operators urged the council to delay or substantially revise the ordinance. Pier 39 owner Floyd Holcomb said the measure would “adversely impact me horribly,” described extensive past investments to bring his historic waterfront property into compliance, and asked that the council table the item until a permanent community-development director is in place. Longtime hosts Loree Johnson and Karen Allen described relying on short-term rentals to fund costly historic maintenance and argued the proposed fees and annual inspection cycle are punitive for small operators. Trustee Claudia Gregory and owner-operators such as Bob McGee and Trila Bumstead echoed concerns about equity, clarity in the draft language, and the ordinance’s potential economic effect on families who operate modest rentals.

Several speakers supported the licensing goal but urged modifications: Andy Kipp, who backed licensing to create parity with homestay programs, recommended phasing in fees and reconsidering per-unit billing. Council members noted those concerns during deliberations. Councilor Hilton said staff outreach to affected owners was insufficient and urged more public engagement, grandfathering of existing compliant units and additional study of economic impacts. Councilor Brownson supported caps but recommended moving to a two-year renewal cycle to reduce recurring inspection burdens and suggested reduced incremental fees for multiple rooms under one management. Councilor Davis emphasized that the primary policy objective for him is limiting future conversions of housing to transient lodging and that the cap is the central tool to protect housing.

Faced with a strong turnout from affected owners, the council voted to direct staff to prepare additional amendments, conduct one or more stakeholder meetings with owners/operators affected by the ordinance, and return the ordinance for a future first reading rather than adopt it as presented. City Manager Spence confirmed staff would schedule stakeholder outreach and return revised language for council consideration at a later meeting. The motion passed on a roll-call vote by the council present that evening.

Next steps: staff will hold public/stakeholder meetings, refine fee and renewal intervals and return revised ordinance language for the council’s future first reading; council members suggested possible changes to grandfather existing compliant operators, move some fees to a two-year renewal cycle, and clarify enforcement language.