St. Augustine Beach settles rental dispute

St. Augustine Beach settles rental dispute

By DOUGLAS JORDAN

Homeowners on St. Augustine Beach who wish to use their properties as short-term vacation rentals got some good news and some bad news at the City Commission meeting.

After more than a year of debate, the city seemed ready to settle the controversy with an ordinance governing the rental use of properties.

It would affect those in the medium-density neighborhood along the east and west sides of A1A Beach Boulevard between 16th and F streets.

But the process was delayed once again as the commission came up with still more modifications to the ordinance.

The good news: Under those revisions, the effective date for those wishing to be licensed will be removed, and the number of allowable properties will be increased to 100.

The bad news: City Attorney Geoff Dobson told the City Commission that, because of the significant modifications to the ordinance, it would need one more reading and public comment before it can be enacted.

Early in Monday's discussion, Patricia Gill spoke for the city's Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Board, which had been reviewing the proposed ordinance since the City Commission sent a draft over in May.

Gill said Planning and Zoning had voted to recommend to the City Commission the removal of a key component of the proposed ordinance. That component limited permits to property owners who were licensed by the state to operate resort dwellings before Dec. 31, 2007.

Planning and Zoning suggested that anybody who meets the requirements should be permitted.

Several property owners who had not previously approached the City Commission spoke, and all of them stressed that the city had not given adequate notification of the requirements.

"A lot of people did purchase these properties with this use in mind," said Carol Alfred, who owns a house on Sixth Street. "I feel like I should have been notified.

"If you take away short-term rentals, then you're taking away dollars from our community."

Some of the property owners also suggested that Mayor Rich O'Brien, who owns a hotel and a bed and breakfast on the beach, should remove himself from voting on the issue. They speculated that denying short-term rentals could send more clientele to his businesses.

O'Brien did not address that criticism directly.

"I would like to have the rights that all of my neighbors have," said Michael Pounds of St. Augustine Beach. "Mayor O'Brien shouldn't even be sitting here tonight.

"If this ordinance goes through as written, you definitely will profit."

After the public comment, the commissioners decided they would remove the effective date for compliance and increase the number of allowable permits to 100.

The modified ordinance will be given one more reading at the City Commission's special meeting on July 28.

"Nobody here is conspiring against your property rights," Vice Mayor Brud Helhoski told the owners. "We'll continue to work on it."

(c) 2008 St. Augustine Record

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