||| FROM STEVE BERNHEIM, ORCASONIAN REPORTER |||
The San Juan County Planning Commission has recommended a moratorium on applications for vacation rental permits. The recommendation was adopted at the Commission’s monthly meeting on Friday, November 20 convened for the purpose of further pondering revisions to the Land Use Element of the County’s 20-year comprehensive plan for the period 2016-2036, still being drafted.
The Commission also recommended that going forward, future vacation rental permits (if any) be issued as personal licenses rather than, as under the current system, as vested land use designations, passing from owner to owner, “running with the land.”
The County Council is not yet scheduled to receive the Commission’s recommendations and after numerous requests has not yet imposed a moratorium.
The Commission learned that there are 603 compliant “vacation rental” permits and 360 non-compliant “vacation rental” permits. The Commission also learned that “bed and breakfast” permits are not counted among the “vacation rentals” units in the County. While short-term room rentals inside the host’s home can be either a “vacation rental” or a “bed and breakfast,” only “vacation rentals” can include stand-alone homes or accessory dwelling units with private kitchen facilities. At the time of the meeting, the number of “bed and breakfast” permits was unavailable.
In other action, the Commission’s ideas for comprehensive plan revisions promoting affordable cluster housing in rural areas included marginal modifications of performance standards and prohibiting any construction not contained the project’s original site plan. Despite the pleas of an affordable housing organization, the Commission decided to retain restrictive covenant requirements not applicable to affordable housing elsewhere in the county, requirements that complicate affordable development in rural areas.
As to comprehensive planning to encourage more affordable housing for farmworkers, the Commission recommended limited expansion of a farm owner’s ability to build farmworker housing on site.
In addition to these substantive recommendations to the comprehensive plan, technical difficulties plagued the near five-hour session held on YouTube and the County’s so-called “AVCaptureAll” website, and via telephone on Skype. The Planning Commission has, since the onset of remote meeting during the COVID pandemic, been unable to convene a zoom-type video livestream meeting during which the public, staff, and Commission can see and hear each other and the materials under consideration. The meeting was also delayed for fifteen minutes while public comments concerning the agenda items under consideration were located in the County’s spam folder.
Does this mean that if a home with a rental permit is sold that the new owner wouldn’t ever be able to rent? Seems like that would eventually end all rentals on the island which would make some very happy, but might also diminish housing values and sale prices. If it went far enough, there would only be a very limited number of hotel rooms left for visitors so the businesses that rely on tourism would be vanquished. I know some Orcasians want all tourism eliminated, but what is the business that will replace it and support the lifestyle and amenities you value? And, what would happen to the cost of operating the island if instead of a seasonal bubble of people, the residences were filled year-round with people who burden the infrastructure every day? Currently, part timers subsidize full timers. If everyone is there full time…. Just curious how the experts see this working out.
Neil, well right now they’re all just recommendations, and it doesn’t look like these recommendations would change current vacation rental holders which do “run with the land”. But yes if these recommendations were carried forward by the council then it seems any new vacation rental permits would not go along with real estate as it was sold.
No, I don’t think it does, Neil. The proposal seem to envision VR permits no longer “running with the land,” but a buyer can always apply for one.
Hi Steve, Actually the commissioners learned that short-term rental of rooms inside the host’s house CANNOT operate with a vacation rental permit. They fall under the regulations for a bed and breakfasts–whether or not they provide a breakfast.
Reply to Mr. Kaye: Thank you for your question whether any moratorium would limit a current permit holder’s sale of the permit with the property.
Existing permits – as well as permit applications that have not been processed as of the effective date – could not and would not be affected by any future moratorium.
“Just curious how the experts see this working out.”
Like the rest of us they’re probably waiting for those of you who live in NYC to tell us how to deal with our own problems.
Reply to Ms. Gaquin: Thank you for your comment. You are correct.
I should have written that short-term room rentals to tourists in private homes are regulated as “bed and breakfasts.”
Data showing the impacts of tourism from “vacation rentals” does not include data from bed and breakfast establishments.
(Ms. Gaquin is a Planning Commissioner.)