Citizens provide comments on short-term rentals
The city of Bella Vista has been discussing shortterm rentals and the possible need for regulating such businesses for several months now. Last week the public got the chance to weigh-in on the topic in person.
City planner Taylor Robertson said at Monday’s regular session of the Bella Vista Planning Commission that a large group of people took advantage of an open invitation to come to the District Court Building on Thursday, March 10, and talk about the business of short-term rentals (STRs) within the city limits.
“We hosted a public input session last Thursday in addition to a 30-day email comment period we’re having from Feb. 23-March 23,” she said. “We wanted to have one in-person, after-workhours event to let people come and mingle and kind of humanize the process of potential ordinance creation for short-term rental regulation in the city limits.”
Robertson told the commission the event was well attended.
“We had 99 people sign the sign-up sheet, but I don’t think everyone signed it that came in, so we probably had well over a hundred people that came,” she said. “It was a really good turnout. And just watching residents talk and mingle with city staff, ask questions, it looked like a lot of good communicating going on.”
Besides asking questions, residents were able to offer comments and talk about any issues or problems they might have experienced with STRs.
Planning Commission Chairman Daniel Ellis asked Robertson about the kind of feedback being received at this preliminary level, to which she responded, “I’ve had about 88 comments total between the emailing and the public comments we got. And maybe only two or three have said, ‘No STRs at all.’”
Robertson said there has been a lot of good discussions so far on regulations regarding STRs and what those potential regulations would address.
“I will definitely say people are doing their homework because there are some very thorough comments coming through,” she said. “But it’s too early to say how many people want regulations and how many don’t.”
Ellis said, “It’s just exciting to hear that people are getting out and talking about it. That’s good.”
Robertson said while there have been discussions with citizens regarding problems with existing STRs — problems like loud music being played late at night or cars parked in yards and on streets — the complaints aren’t being heard in “an alarming amount.”
She said in those cases the person “just wanted something done,” adding, “They wanted the city to step in and do something about it.”
Staff attorney Jason Kelley told the commission, “We can deal with a lot of the issues people have — they’re parking in the yard, they’re drinking out in the front yard — that we can address on a situation by situation basis, the things that are truly the problems.
“Occupancy and numbers is something we could probably stand to do something about,” he added.
Ellis said he recently had an issue with one of the three STRs in his neighborhood, but found a way to get the problem solved.
“I had an issue with one on my street and I got (online) and posted a public comment on (the owner’s) web page about it and it has not happened again,” he said. “She fixed it real quick and promised me it would never happen again.”
It is estimated there are 350 STRs in Bella Vista, which is 3% of the 14,000 housing units within the city limits.
Robertson said her office will continue accepting responses from the public until the comment period ends at the close of business on Wednesday, March 23. Comments can be made by emailing Robertson at trobertson@bellavistaar.gov or by calling 479-268-4980.