PORT TOWNSEND — The Port Townsend City Council, after heated discussion, has sent the city planning commission a proposal to allow short-term vacation rentals for three years.
The referral was decided on a 5-1 vote with Councilman David Faber vehemently opposed. Councilwoman Michelle Sandoval did not attend the meeting.
The planning commission will consider the three-year pilot program at 6:30 p.m. May 28 in council chambers at historic City Hall, 540 Water St.
Short-term rentals, in which property owners offer apartments or houses for 30 days or less — usually to tourists — are forbidden by current code and are illegal whether the owner lives on the property or not.
The proposed pilot program would be for short-term rentals of non-occupied property, where the owner does not live on the premises.
Mayor Deborah Stinson said her “gut instinct” was to not allow such rentals but voted to move the matter to the planning commission “because this needs to be addressed.”
Stinson said that previous public comment leaned in favor of a change in the rules and that the worsening of the rental market turned the tide.
One purpose of sending the proposal to the planning commission is to solicit a series of up-to-date public comments.
Advocates of changing the rules have said that such rentals allow them to pay expenses.
Opponents have said the process exacerbates the already low long-term rental market.
“I’d like to see the code provisions that govern vacation rentals consolidated and clarified so people can identify what is and is not legal and how to adhere with the rules in Port Townsend,” Faber said.
“What I don’t want to see is places that are otherwise suitable for long-term rentals being used as short-term vacation rentals or non-occupied housing units being used for vacation rentals,” he added.
Faber said that when the city approved auxiliary dwelling units for long-term rentals, it did so with the purpose of addressing the shortage of affordable housing and that using these spaces for short-term rentals “deliberately undermined” that purpose.
“When we allow a short-term rental in unoccupied property, we are taking it off the long-term rental market,” he said.
Faber said that people who use properties as short-term rentals can potentially make more money than entering into lease agreements.
“We are talking about a have-and-have-not situation where people who can afford to buy property are removing the affordable stock for people who can’t afford to buy.”
The city is gathering public comments about the matter on its Speak Up Port Townsend website at cityofpt.granicusideas.com. The comment period was opened earlier this week.
Planning Commissioner Paul Rice said he is inclined now to recommend not changing the rules.
“I have always thought that renting non-occupied property depletes the housing stock and have yet to see any legislation or proposal that would make me comfortable modifying that,” he said.
Rice said the housing shortage is not restricted to any age or income.
“I’ve talked to people in Port Townsend and Jefferson County who are affected by the lack of affordable housing available,” he said.
“These are well-paid professionals who don’t commit to the area because they can’t find a rental.”
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
