By By Chloe Barlow

Copyright postandcourier

Originally, the council debated imposing a cap on how many short-term rentals were allowed in each neighborhood or whether they would only be allowed in commercial and mixed-use developments. The answer is more nuanced.

City leaders threw out the idea of a cap, and now Rickenmann said they are looking at ways to allow short-term rentals in some residential zones — but only on heavily trafficked, major throughways. Rickenmann said the city needs more time to dig into the data they’ve collected and create maps for the public to offer input. He expects they will be ready by the November Planning Commission meeting.

If they follow that timeline, the council will likely vote on the new ordinance in December.

Public comment reveals core tensions

Gus Bueno told the council that he bought a new property three weeks ago in a residential neighborhood with the intention to operate it as a short-term rental, believing the moratorium would be lifted soon. Now, he said he’s stuck.

“Well, I don’t know why you would buy a new property when we haven’t voted on something,” Rickenmann responded.

Bueno expressed frustration that the timeline had been pushed out for lifting the ban on new short-term rental licenses in residential neighborhoods. Licenses that were issued before the ban were allowed to remain in place, leaving those rentals to function normally.

Rickenmann said the delays is giving the council time to consider input from both the rental business community and the neighborhoods before developing a comprehensive plan.

Wendy Bergmann said and her husband, David Bergmann, own a short-term rental company, Heartwood Furnished Homes. They have properties in the Elmwood, Shandon and Cottontown neighborhoods.

She said the conversation about the kinds of people who stay in short-term rentals has become “deluded.” In her rentals, guests have ranged from “typical tourists” who come here for special events and game days, to actors, to family members visiting loved ones.