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Residents press Town of Ulster for tougher short-term rental rules and enforcement
Summary
At public comment on the proposed short-term rental local law, residents urged stricter penalties, concentration limits and clearer occupancy definitions; the board scheduled a public hearing for September 3 and invited written citations for suggested changes.
Dozens of residents addressed the proposed local law regulating short-term rentals, arguing the draft does not go far enough on enforcement, concentration and occupancy. Ed Hill told the board enforcement must have "teeth," recommending suspension of permits for properties out of compliance: "If they were out of compliance... their application is accepted and suspended for 1 year." He also suggested a percentage‑based cap rather than a flat unit limit. "A simple flat number could be viewed in future as somewhat arbitrary," Hill said.
Other speakers urged rules to curb concentrations of rental units and clearer bedroom definitions tied to original building permits. Jeffrey Ring said the activity "endangers the residential character" of neighborhoods and questioned which version of the New York State building code the law references. Several commenters — including Michael Manetti and Keith Dieter — pressed the board to make fines sufficient to remove the profit motive for noncompliance. Supervisor Quigley acknowledged the comments, said the board values those perspectives, and set the law's public‑hearing timeline; the board will keep public comment open for 30 days after the hearing and asked commenters to provide specific line‑edits to the draft.
Board members emphasized the need to balance neighborhood preservation with housing availability and enforcement practicality; no final vote was taken and the hearing will allow further public input.
