Breckenridge City Council unanimously authorized short-term rental laws on second studying Tuesday, formally bringing tourism overlay zones to residential areas throughout city.
At its final assembly, the council unanimously authorized the ordinance’s first studying after about two hours of public remark. This week, a number of extra folks spoke to the council earlier than the vote.
Because the first studying, workers made a number of adjustments from the unique ordinance. City lawyer Kristen Crawford stated one of many greater adjustments was so as to add that if a brand new property comes on-line and meets the standards for a resort property, it might then be deemed a resort property. If a property is deemed a resort property, that property can’t be in some other zone.
“We thought (the change) was vital, in order that an proprietor or applicant wouldn’t be capable of probably say, ‘I wish to keep in Zone 1,’ for instance, with a purpose to get these types of licenses,” she stated. “It incentivizes the form of issues that we’ve determined that we discover useful, equivalent to facilities and convention area.”
The laws have been handed by means of two ordinances. The primary will create the mapped areas and the principles for leases that correlate with the zones, together with the tourism overlay district. Particularly, it’s going to define 4 areas that the council has mentioned for the previous a number of months: the tourism overlay, resort properties (previously generally known as “exempt” properties), the downtown core and different areas equivalent to residential neighborhoods. If the council had voted this down, the two,200-license cap established in 2021 would nonetheless be in impact, however there could be no zones.
The second ordinance is extra typically relevant to all classes of enterprise and occupational licensees, together with short-term rental licenses. An lodging unit licensee should not solely apply for and obtain a enterprise and occupational license, however additionally they should pay the related tax. As well as, an lodging unit licensee should additional adjust to the brand new laws.
“I do know it’s not excellent,” council member Jeffrey Bergeron stated. “I believe we will tweak it down. There’s been some specific properties talked about that we will take a look at. (Listed below are) some stats. We’ve got the second-highest (short-term rental) per capita in America. After I first received on the council, we have been in a disaster.”
In September, Breckenridge City Council voted unanimously to go an ordinance capping the variety of nonexempt short-term rental licenses at 2,200, following practically 5 hours of public remark overwhelmingly in opposition to the transfer. The city additionally acquired greater than 450 emails for public remark, which have been shared with the City Council.
At the moment, there are 79 models on the waitlist to obtain a short-term rental license. In November, council handed a regulatory payment of $400 per studio/bed room per yr for short-term leases in 2022. Subsequent yr, the payment is predicted to be raised to $756.
Dan Corwin, a Realtor in Breckenridge, stated he helps the ordinances. He added that many locals who do help the laws might not communicate at public remark however that doesn’t imply they don’t exist.
“I’ve been right here for 44 years, personal my very own actual property firm and really feel we’re all so fortunate to reside in such a implausible place,” he stated. “I’ve not been to those conferences in particular person as a result of the mayor and City Council know I help and agree with what they’ve been doing relating to (short-term leases). There are various different folks locally who really feel the identical manner and don’t see the necessity to come to those conferences in particular person since we don’t have something to object to. We’re a silent majority. We wish to see these new laws and ordinances put in place.”
Council will meet to take a look at the consequences and evaluate the ordinance once more in February. At the moment, they will make any adjustments they really feel acceptable.