Planning Commission

RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION CITY OF BELLINGHAM, WASHINGTON Thursday 7:00 PM January 4, 2018 City Council Chambers Video Recorded www.cob.org Call to Order / Roll Call Present: Ali Taysi (Chair), Garrett O'Brien (Vice Chair), Phyllis McKee (Commissioner), Mike Estes (Commissioner), Iris Maute-Gibson (Commissioner), Lisa Anderson (Commissioner) Absent: Steve Crooks (Commissioner) Approval of Minutes The minutes for September 21, 2017 were submitted for consideration and approved by general consensus. Public Comment Period Opportunity for citizens to speak informally to the Planning Commissioners on any subject not listed on the agenda. Speakers are allowed a MAXIMUM of three (3) minutes to address the Commission. Speakers will not be required to disclose their address. No public testimony given. Work Session Work session to discuss two options for the new BMC section on short-term rentals. STAFF PRESENTATION Lisa Pool explained the two options staff prepared for discussion. She identified option A as the original proposal that staff presented in September and option B as an alternative method. She pointed out the differences between the two options and discussed how the short-term rental standards would be different in Commercial zones, both inside and outside of Urban Villages, PUBLIC COMMENT Ten people shared their thoughts on short-term rentals with the Commission. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS / QUESTIONS The proposed amendments for the new section, BMC 20.10.37 was discussed. The following points were made:  The "owner-occupied" requirement under Option B is too limiting and would hinder some people from choosing to stay in Bellingham. o There was support for the owner not being present during the stay.  There was support provided to limit an owner to one Type I or Type II and one Type III rental. o There was also support expressed for limiting the owner to one rental regardless of process Type.   Request for more information on the tax credits for the Downtown area and how this would apply to short-term rentals.  Support for the short-term rental in a primary residence providing supplemental income to owner.  Consideration of a dispersion requirement should be given. o There was not general consensus for this idea o Limiting number of rentals one owner can have would help with this concern.  How would owner prove they are a resident for 183 days?  There was support for Option A.  Portions of each option are favorable, and a combination of them may make sense.  More appropriate in zones other than single-family.  Not in favor of allowing housing stock to be removed from market rental for the single purpose of turning it into a short-term rental unit.  In favor of the CUP process for any "full-house" rentals.  Set a threshold for re-evaluation of the ordinance.  Short-term rentals in a Commercial zone would need a Type I permit, but some of the standards would not apply, as they would in the single-family zones.  Limiting number of concurrent rentals on same dates / times. o Possibly could be accomplished through parking requirements.  There was general consensus for the standards written under: o Appearance and Behavior; Local Operator; Notifications; Food; Safety; Age Requirement; Insurance; Renewal; Non-Transferability; Permit Revocation; Alterations and Expansions  Limiting events beyond what is already allowed in the City is not reasonable. o Staff response is that if not limited, the frequency of the occasions could far exceed what might "typically" occur. o Consider notification of adjacent properties when a larger event was going to be held. o Some zones, such as Commercial, could handle more frequent larger events without adversely affecting the neighbors.  Suggestion was made to have a tiered approach to the fees related to the short-term rentals. o Staff recommended that the Planning Commission provide a separate memo related to fees that can be forwarded to City Council for consideration. There was general consensus on the following items:  Resident: Can be either a long-term renter or the property owner.  Number of total rental units in residential zones: One unit total, regardless of Type. Exceptions could be granted in urban villages.  Limit number of days a unit can be rented: 90 days per year for Type I and Type II, resident not required to be present during guest stay was suggested. Old/New Business Nominations / Elections of Chair and Vice-Chair will be done at next meeting. Adjournment Adjourned: 10:20 pm This work session was continued to January 18, 2018. Minutes prepared by: ____________________________________________ Heather Aven, Recording Secretary Minutes edited by Planning Commission members and various Planning Staff.