Lexington Council working to refine short-term rental policies
Originally published by WEKU.
Lexington city leaders are taking steps to modify regulations for short-term rentals within the urban area. The Council committee-backed changes will now go to the Planning Commission.
Among the changes outlined are lowering the conditional use occupancy maximum from 12 to 10 for future short-term rentals. Also, going forward, to not allow a conditional use permitted S-T-R within 500 feet of another one. Council Member James Brown said many residents have complained about overconcentration.
“What we also heard from, or I heard from…and I’ll let folks speak for themselves is frustrations from operators about inconsistency about approving permits at the Board of Adjustments and the lack of guidance,” said Brown.
The modified draft ordinance sets out that changing from a hosted short-term rental to an un-hosted one would require new licensing. Council Member Liz Sheehan said it’s important to maintain neighborhood voices in the process.
“We have been looking at not only what has been coming before the Board, so what the Planning staff has said has come through applications, but then also the neighborhood concerns about having large houses and kind of that like party house feel in the middle of a neighborhood,” said Brown.
There are 688 fully licensed S-T-Rs. Revenue Director Wes Holbrook said citations have been issued for non-compliance with two paid at this time. He said the number of people applying for short-term rental licensing has slowed down. The Council will also be considering the short-term rental policy for rural areas of Fayette County this fall.
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Originally published by WEKU.
Republished with permission.
