Memorandum

City of Lawrence

Planning & Development Services

TO:	Thomas M. Markus, City Manager
FROM:	Scott McCullough, Director
CC:	Diane Stoddard, Asst. City Manager
DATE:	May 14, 2019 City Commission Meeting
RE:	Short Term Rentals

This memo consolidates, for readability, the Planning Commission’s (PC) comments included in the memo that the PC reviewed at their April meeting which accompanies the City Commission packet on this item.  If the City Commission determines that some of these comments should be acted on, the code may need to be revised to implement them.

1. Concern for renewing licenses of poor performing operators.
2. Concern for the saturation of neighborhoods by short-term rentals, but found it too early to determine the effects of this use due to the small scale of licenses at this time.
3. Concern for large-scale operators to dominate the market.
4. The PC appreciates the operational history of an applicant to evaluate their application on a case-by-case basis in a special use permit (SUP) case.
5. City should differentiate between owner and non-owner occupied on rental map. (staff is working on this)
6. Code should require that certain information be listed on an operator’s online listing: occupancy limits, number of approved guest rooms, and number of parking spaces at the property.
7. Code should require annual notice to neighbors for both types of short-term rentals with owner/operator contact information.
8. PC found that streets, sidewalks, etc. in place to serve long-term rentals and detached dwellings is adequate to serve short-term rentals.
9. PC found that short-term rentals typically will generate less traffic than other residential uses and, as such, STRs should not present traffic issues in neighborhoods.
10. PC found that while gaining the support of a neighborhood is a factor, it should not compel an automatic denial of a SUP.  Neighborhood input is weighed in the context of other review criteria.