ROCKLAND, Maine — A full year after beginning discussions on the topic of regulating short-term vacation rentals, the Rockland City Council gave preliminary approval to a package of rules on Monday.
This is the second time the council has given initial approval to regulations of short-term rentals. Preliminary approval was given in November 2015, but a series of changes were made that brought the matter back to the start of the process.
The main point of debate at the council’s Monday meeting was how short of a stay should be allowed in single-family homes and duplexes when the owners are not living there.
Councilor William Clayton proposed reducing the minimum stay allowed in nonowner single and two-unit homes from three to one.
He said he saw no problem with reducing the minimum stay, but Councilor Valli Geiger disagreed.
She said that the change proposed by Clayton would result in the possibility of 30 different families being in a neighborhood in one month.
The council rejected the proposal by Clayton on a 2-2 vote with Councilor Larry Pritchett siding with Geiger.
The council has been working on a package of regulations since March 2015. The proposals had faced opposition from advocates of property owners who rent out rooms or entire houses in the city. The council and staff have made changes to the proposal from the original ordinance package to relax the measures.
Permits would be required for operators of short-term rentals. The code officer could issue the permits for single family and duplexes, but larger apartment complexes or rentals in a mixed-use building would require planning board approval.
A formal public hearing and possible final vote are scheduled for April 11.
At the Monday meeting, the council also gave 4-0 initial approval to amend the waterfront zoning ordinance to allow for the Mid-Coast School of Technology to build a new complex on the current site. The change would amend the waterfront zone so that an educational institution must only have a portion of its function be marine-related in order to be located there rather than completely marine related.
The second proposed zone change given unanimous preliminary approval would allow for auto repair shops to be allowed in a commercial zone and to change an area located at the intersection of Pleasant and Belvidere streets to change from a transitional business to a commercial zone.
A house is located at the intersection, but the owner has been unable to sell it as a residence because it is next to commercial activities. The change would allow the property to be sold and to be used potentially as an auto repair shop.