VRD Ordinance Amendment
STR Meeting Information and Public Comments
What is the letter that was mailed out?
The letter that was mailed out is a landowner notification on an upcoming ordinance update that may change the allowed uses of your property. Ballot Measure 56 requires cities and counties to send notice to affected property owners when the city or county makes an ordinance change that could potentially affect the property's value. This can be the result of an adoption or change of a city or county zoning map or ordinance in a manner that changes the underlying zone, or limits or prohibits previously allowed uses. For this specific notice, the City of Seaside will be discussing alterations to the Zoning Ordinance regarding vacation rental dwellings (VRDs) and bed & breakfasts (B&Bs).
What is being proposed?
On April 2, 2024, at 6 pm at City Hall the City of Seaside Planning Commission will hold its first public hearing regarding amendments to Article 1, Article 3, and Article 6 of the City of Seaside Zoning Ordinance. These amendments pertain to removing the verbiage and requirements for conditional use approval to allow VRDs and B&Bs within the Residential Medium Denisty (R2), Residential High Density (R3), Resort Residential (RR), and Residential/Commercial (RC) zones, and move these to Title 11 of the City of Seaside Code of Ordinances. All short-term rentals will now be regulated under the business license ordinance.
What does this change mean to me and my property?
Currently, all houses within the R2, R3, RR, and RC zones are allowed to obtain a conditional use permit to be used as a VRD if their property meets the requirements of Section 6.137 of the Seaside Zoning Ordinance. A conditional use permit would be required, and depending on the amount of VRDs surrounding your property a Planning Commission hearing could be required.
With this ordinance amendment, the City would remove the requirement of a conditional use and have the license be obtained like other business licenses. The regulations from Section 6.137 would be moved to this new Title 11 chapter, with the Planning Commission's previous policies added. Here is a brief list of some of the major amendments that will be added to the chapter. Read the new draft Short-Term Rental Ordinance here.
- VRD Supported Areas: VRD applications will not be supported in certain residential areas of the city. You may remember this section of town based on the policies set forth by the Planning Commission. If you are unfamiliar with the map, you can click here to view the proposed boundary line. All houses that are zoned R2, R3, RR, and RC between the ocean and this red line would be allowed to apply for a VRD business license.
- VRD Spatial Distribution: VRD applications will not be supported if the percentage of currently licensed VRDs within 100 feet of an applicant's property exceeds a certain percentage. Properties within the R2 and R3 zones will have a density of 30%, properties on the west side of Beach Dr. from Avenue G south to S Edgewood St. will have a density of 50%, and all oceanfront properties and properties within the RR zone shall have a density of 100%. Here is a map that shows the percentage for the allowed areas.
- Waiting Period: There will be a waiting period before an application can be accepted for a VRD. If a property is sold that was not currently a VRD, a 90-day waiting period must be observed before an application can be accepted. A two-year waiting period from the date of the Certificate of Occupancy will be required prior to applying for a VRD business license.
- Limit on VRD Ownership: The City of Seaside will only authorize the approval of one VRD business license for a single owner or ownership. If an owner or ownership has more than one home, only one dwelling unit will be approved for VRD use. If a property is considered a multi-unit property (duplex, triplex, etc.), the property will not be allowed to obtain a VRD business license.
- VRDs will no longer be subject to a review by the Planning Commission.
What if I currently am an owner of a VRD or B&B?
Good news! Nothing will change for you and your current VRD. As long as you retain ownership of the property, your conditional use permit will remain unchanged as long as you do not abandon the use, maintain your current business license, and pass your yearly/5-year re-inspections. You do not need to worry about losing your license or having your conditions of approval altered due to this change.
If you have any questions or concerns about this amendment, please reach out to our office at 503-738-7100, email our Code Compliance Official Jordan Sprague, or stop by our office to have a conversation.