Sonoma County planning commissioners OK vacation rental restrictions

Sonoma County planning commissioners heard impassioned arguments Thursday on both sides of the thorny issue of vacation rentals, before recommending 4-1 that more options be put into place to regulate them, including banning new vacation rentals in unincorporated residential zones.

'I vote yes with a great deal of discomfort, dissatisfaction and frustration,' said Commission Chairwoman Paula Cook, who noted that no one likely will be happy with the recommendations commissioners came up with after a series of workshops and public hearings.

The increasing popularity of vacation rentals and Internet hosting websites like Airbnb and VRBO has highlighted the issue of what many see as a commercial intrusion into established neighborhoods and a constant stream of short-term visitors who sometimes grate on long-term residents.

More than 40 speakers weighed in Thursday night, with property managers and vacation rental owners saying it's good for the economy, and allows them to afford their properties.

'The income we garner is critical to our family,' said Ross Stromberg, a Dry Creek Valley resident who has a vacation rental apartment in his adjacent barn.

Tommy Gill, a recent vacation rental owner, said no changes are warranted to the existing ordinance, which he said only has been on the books for a few years and should be allowed to work.

But critics of vacation rentals said they are eating up housing stock and altering neighborhoods for the worst.

Gina Cuclis, a 25-year resident of Boyes Hot Springs and candidate for 1st District county supervisor, said housing stock has been lost to vacation rentals.

'It's changing our community, driving out the kind of people we need to live there,' she said of the increased number of short-term rentals.

"It's a nightmare,' Amy Davis, a 42-year resident of Kenwood, said of the vacation rental she lives next to. She said some drunk, short-term renters rip into the parking lot.

'We're losing our homes' sense of safety, normalcy and peace,' she said. 'One day we're going to have an accident, and there's going to be blood.'

County planner Jane Riley said, 'We're trying to balance the needs of the residents with the benefits of visitor-serving units.'

The commission struggled with a number of issues, including whether to limit outdoor activity at vacation rentals before deciding it should be cut off by 10 p.m., during quiet hours.

The commission recommended the Board of Supervisors make a number of changes, including having property managers or owners within 30 miles of their vacation rentals so they can quickly respond to complaints.

They also recommended an exclusion zone in some areas, essentially a ban on vacation rentals, where property owner groups request it or neighborhood compatibility is a concern.

But Jennifer Barrett, deputy planning director, said it could take months, even years, for the Board of Supervisors to establish such areas because of the public hearings and input required.

As far as phasing out the vacation rentals in residential zones, existing permits in residential areas get to continue until the property is sold, but the new owner won't be able to get a permit.

Even though the commission recommended a residential ban, it also suggested establishing a new zone classification that could allow short-term vacation rentals in residential areas that meet certain criteria.

Not allowing them in residential zones will lead to underground unlicensed rentals, warned Heather Hanlon, who manages 27 properties, Others said it will exclude accommodation for middle-class tourists.

The commission strongly recommended the Board of Supervisors provide additional staffing to monitor and enforce permit requirements.

'The problem isn't that there aren't enough regulations. The regulations aren't being enforced,' Nick Perrera of Guerneville said.

In addition, commissioners expressed concern over the loss of permanent housing vacation rentals cause and said it is essential that supervisors direct a significant percentage of bed taxes to affordable and workforce housing.

The county allows vacation rentals in most districts and currently has 822 of the short-term rentals with issued permits, with most concentrated in the Russian River area and Sonoma Valley.

They are subject to restrictions that include quiet hours during the night, no amplified outdoor sound and no parties or events in residential zones.

Owners are required to pay a bed tax. The county collects more than $5 million annually in such taxes from vacation rentals.

But last year, officials estimated that over half of the Sonoma County vacation rental properties listed on websites are not registered or are operating without permits.

Some of the key issues are worries over high concentrations of vacation rentals.

The erosion of community character is one of the main concerns, along with increased neighborhood traffic and noise.

James Ryan, who lives just outside Sonoma, and next to a vacation rental, said 'There's been a constant loop of boorish behavior … obscenities, disregard for quiet time.'

Most of the complaints handled by the Sheriff's Office regarding the short-term rentals involve parties, music and general noise.

The vast majority of code enforcement complaints — 79 percent — involve vacation rentals operating without a permit.

Liza Graves, a Bennett Valley vacation rental manager, said she and others with vacation rentals 'go to great lengths to operate in a way that does not impact the community.'

The Board of Supervisors is expected to take up the recommendations in January.

You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter@clarkmas.