After months of sometimes endless meetings, considerable debate, pages of regulations and re-writes of those proposed regulations, the St. Joseph City Commission is poised tonight to craft a final decision regarding zoning ordinance text amendments regarding bed and breakfast, (B&B) establishments within the community.
Almost as hotly-debated as the overall concept of short-term rentals in the city, the commission has been mulling what to do, how and where to do it, and more since last April when they referred the question of B&B regulations to the city's Planning Commission on two fronts, asking: What is an appropriate zoning district for B&B establishments (specifically should they be allowed as a special use in the R1 Single-Family Residence Districts)?; and if allowed, should Section11.12.11 of the standards for B&B establishments be modified to enhance the existing regulations associated with the review of B&Bs?
Since May the city's Planning Commission has been reviewing and discussing proposed changes to the B&B regulations every month. On Thursday, September 1st, the Planning Commission conducted a public heaering, heard a presentation and comments from several people in the audience and received five written comments while deliberating on the request. That body voted unanimously to recommend approval (7-0) of the zoning ordinance text amendment regarding lodging/accommodations for B&B establishments.
They had discussed at length the location of B&B establishments in the R1, R2 and R3 Districts as special use permits. Consensus was that B&Bs should be permitted as a special use in all three districts. The contend that the special use process works properly, although several tweaks are needed to address concerns.
City Planners contend that by allowing bed & breakfast establishments in a residential district, the customer has the opportunity to experience the community differently than staying in a traditional hotel. They also recognize that the owning and operation of a B&B takes a unique and dedicated property owner because of the amount of work involved in having guest stay in the home.
As a result, the planners recommend to the city commission seven major changes to existing regulations turned up in the meeting process. Among those changes are definitions of owner & operator, establishment of a minimum room size, delineation of parking required, screening requirements for trash containers, provisions for externally illuminated signage, establishment of a guest registry, and maintenance of a 90-day maximum stay per calendar year.
City Commissioners tonight have several options to consider including approval of the proposed text amendments to the zoning ordinance as submitted…approval of those amendments as submitted with additional amendments as they see fit…denial of the proposed text amendments to the zoning ordinance as submitted…or the option to continue the discussion to the next meeting in order to obtain additional information.
If approval is granted in whatever form tonight, it would be in the form of a first reading on the zoning ordinance text amendment. A second reading would follow at a later date after which the changes would go into effect.
