Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Short Term Rentals topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Robbinsville resident urges lifting short‑term rental ban; council signals strong resistance
Summary
At public comment, resident Sanjay Sharma urged the council to repeal or limit Robbinsville’s blanket ban on short‑term rentals to help retirees offset costs. Council members responded with safety and housing‑supply concerns and said they are not prepared to change the ordinance without review.
Sanjay Sharma, a Robbinsville resident of 11 Newtown Boulevard, told the township council he and his wife have considered short‑term rentals as a way to offset rising property costs and avoid leaving town. "There's so many factors which favor some consideration of either repealing this section altogether or allowing the homeowners to do it on us with certain restrictions," Sharma said, describing long absences from town and experiences with vetted platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo.
Council members pushed back, stressing public‑safety and housing‑supply concerns. One council member opposing a change said the council’s job is "to protect our residents," noting complaints reported in other towns where short‑term rentals led to recurring parties, parking problems and turnover of neighbors. The director of community development, who said he had authored a prior white paper on the issue, reminded councilors the ordinance was adopted after complaints that short‑term rentals had been rented to groups who caused noise and safety problems in 55+ neighborhoods.
The mayor/chair and multiple councilors said they would not support immediate changes. Council members asked to read the existing ordinance and the prior white paper before any further consideration and encouraged residents to email the council with additional information or to request the item be placed on a future agenda.
The council did not take a formal vote on changing the ordinance at the meeting.
