City Commission to discuss short-term rental complaints

St. Armands residents are hopeful the city will be able to find a way to take some action to address a subject of concern on the barrier islands: the presence of “hotel houses.”

That’s the term the St. Armands Residents Association uses to identify a number of properties built or under construction the organization views as problematic. The group classifies hotel houses as homes with six or more bedrooms rented to large groups of vacationers, and it believes this practice represents improper commercial activity in neighborhoods.

The topic is scheduled for discussion during the evening session of Tuesday’s City Commission meeting, placed on the agenda at the request of Mayor Jen Ahearn-Koch. Although city staff has previously expressed a belief that state and federal laws complicate the prospect of regulating these properties, Ahearn-Koch was optimistic the city could explore possibilities for addressing potential issues associated with this specific short-term rental practice.  

“I’m looking at a conversation that’s open to ideas and open to solutions and not a knee-jerk conversation where people just react,” Ahearn-Koch said in a previous interview with the Sarasota Observer.

The Florida Legislature is currently considering a bill that would forbid new local regulation of short-term rentals and nullify rules put in place after 2011. City staff has noted the potential for that legislation to restrict the commission’s ability to revise its own short-term rental regulations. The proposed state bill has drawn opposition from the town of Longboat Key, another barrier island community concerned about vacation rentals in residential areas.

Also on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting:

• The commission will continue its discussion of the Gillespie Park Neighborhood Improvement District. Although residents campaigned for the city to revive the dormant district, city staff is recommending repealing the 1988 ordinance that created the program.
• The board will consider a proposal from Ringling College of Art and Design to adjust the boundaries of the Ringling Overlay District.

The full agenda for Tuesday’s meeting is available on the city’s website.