Dear Friends and Neighbors,
At last week’s Town Board meeting, Commissioners discussed the possibility of moving forward with the phasing out of short-term rentals in R-1 and R-2 residential neighborhoods via a zoning process known as amortization.
HNC has been working diligently to find an answer to the STR problem and amortization is an approach we have been advocating as the only way to totally remove STRs from our neighborhoods. We would have preferred that the Town prohibited all STRs in residential neighborhoods when they originally passed the UDO amendments back in 2022 instead of allowing existing STRs to continue, but the Board now appears ready to follow up on its stated intention to phase out all STRs in our R-1 and R-2 residential neighborhoods.
Here’s a link to listen to the discussion that begins around the 28-minute mark:
The Commissioners directed the Town Attorney to draft an amendment to the UDO to review at its next meeting on June 20, 2024. The process of considering these changes could take months. One significant decision is how long the amortization period will be.
There will be opponents to amortization – namely the powerful and deep-pocketed lobbyists (think VRBO, Airbnb, realtors, the destination wedding industry, and STR investors) who will challenge this step the moment it is announced by the Town. If the zoning is amended to amortize STRs, a lawsuit will likely be filed.
We need your help! The next Town Board meetings are scheduled for June 20, July 18 and August 15. Please mark your calendars in case we need your voices.
Stay tuned and visit our website for updates: www.highlandsneighborhoodcoalition.com
The Highlands Neighborhood Coalition Board