R7 Discussion and Possible Action Including Direction to Staff Regarding Establishing a New Use Type of Short-Term Rentals for the Inland Area (OA_2023-0004)
(Sponsor: Planning and Building Services)
Dear Board of Supervisors and Planning Department,
We appreciate the thorough research and fact-finding that has gone into this process. As a family with a little cabin on our property used seasonally as a STR, we support the county organizing clear guidelines. STR income helps support us in our elder years. We are permitted and have paid thousands in TOT taxes as required. We hire local maintenance, landscaping, and housekeepers if/when needed. We buy supplies locally. Our STR provides tourists with an alternative to the oceanfront (or corporate) hotel/motel experience. We encourage you to support this type of STR. (Hosts who live on site; STR does not impact neighborhood; pay taxes; permitted.)
In Europe, renting out a room or two in one's home has been a long tradition. The "bed and breakfast" style of vacation, when visitors don't want to stay in a corporate/packaged hotel. Mendocino County seems like an ideal place to encourage this type of STR. Especially in areas off the coast, where few options exist for visitor overnights.
That said, it's clear that the county has a serious housing shortage for permanent residents.
Moving forward, any new STR permits should be considered on a case-by-case basis, with clear guidelines.
Aside from Airbnb, there's another service Furnished Finder that aims to support temporary housing for visiting essential workers eg healthcare providers, educators, seasonal contractors, artists in the area for 30 - 90 days. This type of occupancy is also needed, because many workers who are new to an area don't want to stay / can't afford to stay / in a motel or hotel.
Thank you for your attention to this.
Sincerely,
Karen Lewis, Albion CA
Dear Board of Supervisors, Julia Krog Director DPBS and Planning Committee:
I submitted an earlier public comment via email but thought to include it in this portal as well. I notice that Mark Cliser writes in his summary "the majority of respondents expressed support for regulation".... yet I believe a more accurate observation would be that the majority of respondents didn't want short term rentals at all, unless there were serious regulations. That is, of course, my interpretation of the graphs and pie-charts from surveys and meetings, as well as perusing many of the personal answers from respondents.
I urge Planning and the Board of Supervisors to develop STR regulations that incorporate the following:
--Ability for existing homeowners to reject living next door to a short term rental
--Prohibit short term rentals that frontage non-county maintained roads and private roads
--Require STR's be near city services (fire, police, hospitals), as well as have reliable communication services (wi-fi, phone)
--Prohibit STR's in high fire hazard designations
--Have caps on water usage in rural areas where neighbors rely on private wells
--Have up-to-code means of sewage disposal
--Require on-sight management
Those are some of our concerns. Thank you very much for your time and consideration
Dear Chair and Members of the Board of Supervisors,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comment on the proposed inland short-term rental (STR) ordinance. I appreciate the Department’s community-informed approach and Mr. Cliser's continued dedication to keeping those engaged informed. I'm writing to express strong support for the following elements: Housing Offset Requirements, a Regional Cap System, and all proposed measures under Penalties & Revocation.
Housing Offset Requirements
I strongly support the exploration of housing offset requirements as a necessary tool to mitigate the loss of long-term housing caused by STRs. Creating a local housing trust fund, funded through STR permits, would provide a direct and transparent mechanism to reinvest tourism-driven impacts back into housing solutions for local residents. Requiring STR operators to contribute financially helps ensure that STR activity does not come at the expense of workforce housing. Organizations like the Anderson Valley Housing Association are already working on land/housing trust establishment, and by designating a fund, the county can demonstrate a clear commitment to both rural and Ukiah Valley housing needs.
Regional Cap System
I also support limiting STRs to a fixed percentage of total housing stock, such as 5 percent, at a regional scale (including by watershed). A regional cap system recognizes that housing impacts are not evenly distributed and allows the County to respond to localized pressures before they become irreversible.
Penalties & Revocation
Finally, I strongly support all proposed measures under Penalties & Revocation, including graduated fines and a clear three-strike policy leading to permit revocation. These enforcement tools are essential for the ordinance to be effective and credible. Without meaningful consequences, bad actors gain an unfair advantage over compliant operators and neighbors are left to bear the impacts. This will require code compliance to have staff dedicated to handling these issues, and the authority to act.
Dear Board of Supervisors and Planning Department,
We appreciate the thorough research and fact-finding that has gone into this process. As a family with a little cabin on our property used seasonally as a STR, we support the county organizing clear guidelines. STR income helps support us in our elder years. We are permitted and have paid thousands in TOT taxes as required. We hire local maintenance, landscaping, and housekeepers if/when needed. We buy supplies locally. Our STR provides tourists with an alternative to the oceanfront (or corporate) hotel/motel experience. We encourage you to support this type of STR. (Hosts who live on site; STR does not impact neighborhood; pay taxes; permitted.)
In Europe, renting out a room or two in one's home has been a long tradition. The "bed and breakfast" style of vacation, when visitors don't want to stay in a corporate/packaged hotel. Mendocino County seems like an ideal place to encourage this type of STR. Especially in areas off the coast, where few options exist for visitor overnights.
That said, it's clear that the county has a serious housing shortage for permanent residents.
Moving forward, any new STR permits should be considered on a case-by-case basis, with clear guidelines.
Aside from Airbnb, there's another service Furnished Finder that aims to support temporary housing for visiting essential workers eg healthcare providers, educators, seasonal contractors, artists in the area for 30 - 90 days. This type of occupancy is also needed, because many workers who are new to an area don't want to stay / can't afford to stay / in a motel or hotel.
Thank you for your attention to this.
Sincerely,
Karen Lewis, Albion CA
Dear Board of Supervisors, Julia Krog Director DPBS and Planning Committee:
I submitted an earlier public comment via email but thought to include it in this portal as well. I notice that Mark Cliser writes in his summary "the majority of respondents expressed support for regulation".... yet I believe a more accurate observation would be that the majority of respondents didn't want short term rentals at all, unless there were serious regulations. That is, of course, my interpretation of the graphs and pie-charts from surveys and meetings, as well as perusing many of the personal answers from respondents.
I urge Planning and the Board of Supervisors to develop STR regulations that incorporate the following:
--Ability for existing homeowners to reject living next door to a short term rental
--Prohibit short term rentals that frontage non-county maintained roads and private roads
--Require STR's be near city services (fire, police, hospitals), as well as have reliable communication services (wi-fi, phone)
--Prohibit STR's in high fire hazard designations
--Have caps on water usage in rural areas where neighbors rely on private wells
--Have up-to-code means of sewage disposal
--Require on-sight management
Those are some of our concerns. Thank you very much for your time and consideration
Dear Chair and Members of the Board of Supervisors,
Thank you for the opportunity to provide public comment on the proposed inland short-term rental (STR) ordinance. I appreciate the Department’s community-informed approach and Mr. Cliser's continued dedication to keeping those engaged informed. I'm writing to express strong support for the following elements: Housing Offset Requirements, a Regional Cap System, and all proposed measures under Penalties & Revocation.
Housing Offset Requirements
I strongly support the exploration of housing offset requirements as a necessary tool to mitigate the loss of long-term housing caused by STRs. Creating a local housing trust fund, funded through STR permits, would provide a direct and transparent mechanism to reinvest tourism-driven impacts back into housing solutions for local residents. Requiring STR operators to contribute financially helps ensure that STR activity does not come at the expense of workforce housing. Organizations like the Anderson Valley Housing Association are already working on land/housing trust establishment, and by designating a fund, the county can demonstrate a clear commitment to both rural and Ukiah Valley housing needs.
Regional Cap System
I also support limiting STRs to a fixed percentage of total housing stock, such as 5 percent, at a regional scale (including by watershed). A regional cap system recognizes that housing impacts are not evenly distributed and allows the County to respond to localized pressures before they become irreversible.
Penalties & Revocation
Finally, I strongly support all proposed measures under Penalties & Revocation, including graduated fines and a clear three-strike policy leading to permit revocation. These enforcement tools are essential for the ordinance to be effective and credible. Without meaningful consequences, bad actors gain an unfair advantage over compliant operators and neighbors are left to bear the impacts. This will require code compliance to have staff dedicated to handling these issues, and the authority to act.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Gideon, Boonville