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Planning commission reviews STR bylaw drafts; realtor letter raises caretaker-distance and sales concerns
Summary
Commission reported the STR ordinance has been updated and approved by the town attorney (currently on Draft 7); discussion moved to appeals process and a realtor letter raised complaints about lost sales and a proposed caretaker distance change from 45 to 30 minutes.
The Planning Commission reviewed progress on the town’s short‑term rental (STR) ordinance at its April 13 meeting. William Goodwin reported that the updated ordinance has been approved by the Town Attorney and that next work will focus on creating an appeals process the group referred to as "Smart Rules for Appeals." Patty Eisenhaur asked whether the current draft was available; Will said the commission is on Draft 7 and that Drafts 6 and 5 (with revisions) are posted on the town website.
Pamela Spaulding said a realtor’s letter was included in the Selectboard packet, directed to the Selectboard rather than the STR working group. The letter claimed lost sales tied to the ordinance and raised a specific operational point: reducing the maximum distance for a caretaker/appointtee from 45 minutes to 30 minutes, which the commission discussed as a potential opportunity to hire more local caretakers and as part of broader hosted vs unhosted distinctions.
The minutes do not record any final changes to the STR code text at this meeting; they note continuing work on appeals and that drafts are publicly available for review.
