NORTH ADAMS — Those with thoughts about a proposed short-term rental ordinance will have another opportunity to comment.
A joint public hearing will be held virtually at 5 p.m. March 8, City Council President Lisa Blackmer announced Tuesday night, at a City Council meeting.
The proposal would require short-term rentals, like those rented through Airbnb or Vrbo, to get inspected by the city. Among other regulations, it also explicitly requires short-term rentals to meet the state building code, and it must be "professionally managed" if the rental is not owner-occupied or owner-adjacent, meaning the owner lives in same building of four or fewer units.
An hourlong public hearing this month drew mostly short-term-rental owners or prospective owners. Many asked questions and expressed concerns with the proposal’s language.
The upcoming hearing will be longer. There will be time for two hours of comment, Blackmer said.
“Considering we’ve already had an hour, that should be enough," she said.
Councilor Ashley Shade asked Tuesday what would happen after the next public hearing.
Typically, the Planning Board would discuss it and give the City Council a recommendation, and the proposal would come back before the council, Blackmer explained. Because the proposed ordinance is a change to the zoning code, it requires approval from the Planning Board.