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VIDEO. From the City of Half Moon Bay Planning Commission meeting 5/25/2021 by Zoom.
Agenda for 5/25/2021 Meeting
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.coastsidebuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/City-Plan-5252021-agenda.pdf” title=”City Plan 5:25:2021 agenda”]
RECOMMENDATION: Adopt the attached resolution recommending that City Council approve the draft Short Term Vacation Rental and Home Occupation Ordinance.
BACKGROUND: A short-term vacation rental (STRs) is a room, home, apartment, or condominium dwelling unit rented for short periods, generally for vacation use, from one to 30 nights. STRs currently operate in the City and are required to pay transient occupancy tax (TOT) and obtain a business license. The Planning Commission has been studying potential zoning regulations to address community and City interest in ensuring that STRs operate compatibly with their surrounding neighborhoods while providing adequate coastal access. The draft Short Term Vacation Rental and Home Occupation Ordinance (“Ordinance”) is the result of the Planning Commission’s oversight. The Ordinance is provided in Attachment 2.
The Planning Commission conducted their first study session in March 2018 and considered policy options and received public feedback. A city-wide interactive survey for STRs was offered in November of 2019 (Attachment 3). In January 2020 the Planning Commission conducted another study session, reviewed the survey results, received additional community input, and provided policy direction to staff for preparing a draft STR ordinance. Due to COVID-19 the matter was delayed until 2021. The Planning Commission reviewed a preliminary draft STR ordinance over a series of study sessions in early 2021 on February 9, February 23, and April 27. Throughout the process, the Commission also reviewed Coastal Commission guidance applicable to STRs (Attachment 4).
Over the course of the 2021 study sessions, the Commission received community input and discussed all components of the Ordinance. The Commission gave particular consideration to the primary residence requirement and the potential need to impose caps. Primary residence is the foundation of the ordinance, and requirements for annual registration renewal must strive to ensure that primary residence is maintained. Limited exceptions to the primary residence requirement for two mixed-use zoning districts are included. Caps are not included in the draft ordinance but could be added in the future if deemed necessary. Uncodified ordinance language calls for monitoring STR activity throughout the City and individual neighborhoods six month and 12-months after adoption and annually thereafter.
Throughout its discussions, the Planning Commission emphasized that regulating STRs is not limited to addressing STRs that have been problematic. Rather, the impacts of STRs need to be considered cumulatively over a long period of time. The Commission identified that the depletion of housing stock and impacts on neighborhood integrity need to be monitored and managed. The Commission also cited the home occupation provisions as a reasonable benchmark from which to measure the intensity of use and associated impacts of STRs. In a parallel update of the home occupation provisions, a modest increase in use intensity is proposed subject to impact control measures. As drafted, staff assesses that most home occupations will continue to operate as less intense uses than STRs with respect to occupancy, trip generation rates, parking demand, noise, water demand, and other factors. Overall, this assessment elevates the fact that both STRs and home occupations are additional and accessory uses to the base permitted use of residential development. The City is choosing to use its discretion to provide for such commercial uses in residential areas to benefit residents and visitors alike.
City Half Moon Bay Planning Commission Meeting ~ 2nd and 4th Tuesdays @ 7:00pm
Watch remotely. Comments and questions by email.
CONTACT: Comments to the Commission and to Staffcan be submitted by emailing [email protected].
Jill Ekas
Bridget Jett
Author: Coastside Buzz
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