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Buena Vista trustees begin drafting zone‑by‑zone caps for short‑term rentals
Summary
At a July 28 work session the Board of Trustees reviewed staff counts and committee recommendations and asked staff to return with tables showing how 2–4% caps would play out by zone; trustees debated keeping Highway Commercial at 0%, exempting primary residences, and using attrition to reduce existing nonprimary licenses.
The Board of Trustees of the Town of Buena Vista on July 28 held a work session led by Marika Kaupp, the town’s planning director, to narrow proposed percentage caps for short‑term rentals (STRs) in each zoning district.
“We did the best that we could, breaking down the multifamily buildings and counting each of those individual units,” Marika Kaupp said, describing staff’s unit‑level adjustments and limitations in how accessory dwelling units (ADUs) appear in the parcel records. Kaupp asked the board to focus on per‑zone percentages so staff could draft a table for an ordinance amendment.
Trustees discussed whether to set only per‑zone caps or add a townwide cap. Several trustees urged a simple starting point — roughly 2–3% for most residential districts and a slightly higher figure for mixed‑use areas — while others favored micro‑adjustments tied to community character. One trustee proposed keeping Highway Commercial at 0% because the current code generally prohibits residential development there; another argued that commercially taxed parcels in that zone should be treated differently.
Board members emphasized that existing nonprimary STR licenses would be grandfathered and that reductions would happen by attrition as licenses lapse or change ownership. A staff spreadsheet showing how different percentage scenarios translate into license counts guided much of the discussion; trustees asked staff to return with clearer tables showing the effect of 2%, 3% and 4% caps by zone and the resulting townwide share including exemptions.
Kaupp said the draft brought tonight reflects the work group’s recommendations and existing community feedback. “The comprehensive plan includes significant resident feedback on STRs,” she noted, and reminded trustees there will be opportunity for public comment during the ordinance process. The board did not adopt final numbers at the meeting and directed staff to prepare multiple tabulated options for the next packet.
