Planners send short-term rental ideas to Town Board

By NEAL RENTZ

The Lewisboro Planning Board voted unanimously March 17 to send recommendations to the Town Board regarding its proposed legislation to permit and regulate short-term residential rentals.

The Town Board is to open a public hearing on the legislation when it meets Monday, March 23.

One of the Planning Board’s several recommendations to the Town Board is that there should be a requirement that short-term rentals only be permitted in homes in which the owner resides. The Town Board’s proposed legislation “didn’t say it had to be a resident,” Planning Board member Charlene Indelicato said at this week’s meeting.

Planning Board Chair Janet Andersen said to be able to operate a short-term residential rental, approval should be required by the Planning Board or the Zoning Board of Appeals, whichever board the Town Board determines in its final legislation. “Give the public the opportunity to be heard,” she said. 

The Planning Board also agreed with Andersen’s suggestion to have the building inspector approve the renewal of a short-term rental permit or give him the option to refer the renewal proposal back to the board that initially approved it. 

Another recommendation is to limit the number of days that a residence could be rented to 90 days per year, rather than the 180 days being proposed by the Town Board. Andersen said, “90 days is quite a bit of time” to rent out a home. 

The board also supported requiring the owner of a short-term rental or a person designated by the owner to respond to a renter’s concerns about the property they have rented within one day.

“I think the 24-hour period is reasonable,” Indelicato said. 

The Planning Board is also recommending that short-term rentals have adequate parking. “Have off-street parking on an all-weather surface,” Andersen said. 

Town planner and wetland consultant, Jan Johannessen, said properties used for short-term rentals should follow the parking guidelines that are in place for homes in town, which is to have two parking spaces on the property or more spaces if required by the town.

The Planning Board agreed to the suggestion from Andersen to require those who are offering short-term residential rentals to pump out their septics annually.

In addition, the Planning Board is recommending to the Town Board that property owners inform those considering a short-term rental about the accessibility of their homes to those with disabilities. However, the Planning Board is not asking the Town Board to require properties that would be used for short-term rentals to be compliant with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.