CENTRE WELLINGTON – There was plenty of discussion on the topic of establishing a bylaw to regulate short-term rentals (STR) in the township at the Dec. 16 council meeting, but little discussion about the content of such a bylaw.
Most of the conversation was about the economic development and prosperity advisory committee and whether a draft bylaw should return to the committee before council gets a look at it.
When the consultant report was first presented to council, councillors passed a motion to have the advisory committee comment on the proposal.
According to minutes of the advisory committee meeting, the committee did hear the consultant’s presentation and narrowly passed a motion endorsing the consultant’s recommendation.
Ultimately council decided the draft bylaw should come to council first and then go to the committee for comment before the bylaw is finalized.
Council did talk about some of the details in the report presented by clerk Kerri O’Kane.
Her report suggested using the heritage overlay mapping to identify where STRs should be allowed.
Councillor Bronwynne Wilton thought the established built-up urban boundary mapping should be the boundary under consideration for STRs.
Councillor Jennifer Adams said the bylaw has to address parking.
She also wanted the bylaw to set a maximum number of bedrooms and therefore set a maximum number of people allowed to stay in an STR.
Councillor Denis Craddock thought it might limit opportunity if the bylaw requires the homeowner to live on site.
There are currently STRs over commercial buildings with no place for an owner to also live, he said.
But as the report pointed out, many STR owners don’t live in the community and are too far away to address serious complaints raised by neighbours of STRs that host loud parties.
The owner “should be in the home or near the home,” said councillor Barb Evoy.
“You can’t see the problem from a cell phone.”
O’Kane took note of council’s comments and will use them as staff drafts the bylaw. O’Kane’s team will also consider comments from the public and those who attended workshops with the consultant.
“If [the bylaw] is too restrictive, it could kill the industry,” O’Kane said.
“Balance is what we’re looking for.”
