SHELBURNE — How should town zoning bylaws address temporary lodgings like those listed on websites like Airbnb? What parking requirements would be reasonable for redevelopment of old buildings in Shelburne Falls?
The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, Feb. 22, to get public feedback on proposed new zoning definitions that may be presented to voters at the annual town meeting in May. The board is proposing changes to the town’s Open Space Development Bylaw, including sign regulations and parking requirements, for homes, bed-and-breakfasts, commercial and industrial buildings. The hearing will be held in Memorial Hall, starting at 7 p.m.
A public hearing draft of the proposed changes is available at the town clerk’s office, at 51 Bridge St., or on the town’s website at: townofshelburne.com
The town will also be revisiting its “Siting Large-Scale Industrial and Commercial Facility,” which was unanimously approved at the 2016 annual town meeting. However, the state Attorney General’s Office says the regulation needs to be a zoning bylaw — not a town bylaw.
The Planning Board will seek town meeting approval for a temporary moratorium on recreational marijuana establishments. The board wants a one-year moratorium “to help start the discussion” and get community input on any local zoning bylaws about the siting of recreational marijuana facilities.
Among the newly added definitions are vacation accommodations. “Short term vacation rentals” are furnished dwellings rented by the owner to another party for 30 days or less.
A “tourist home” is defined as a “rooming unit with no meals provided for transient occupancy, … without individual kitchen facilities and with an individual or shared bath/toilet facility.” The proposal allows a maximum of three rooms to be rented this way for up to six people. “The use of that portion of the dwelling devoted to transient occupancy shall be accessory to the use of the dwelling as a single-family residence and shall not change the character thereof.”
According to Planning Board Chairman John Wheeler, planners have been working with the Board of Health on addressing vacation dwelling issues. He said the Board of Health is monitoring internet sites, such as Airbnb and VRBO (Vacation Rentals By Owner). While the health board hasn’t received any complaints, it will advise the Planning Board if complaints arise that could be addressed through zoning, to maintain the character of the village.
How many parking spaces should be required for redeveloped buildings or building sites in Shelburne Falls has been much discussed this year, because the historic buildings are clustered close together and there isn’t much available space for adding more parking without detracting from its historic character. The parking revisions are intended to serve as a guideline for the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA), and it gives the Zoning Board the authority to modify or even waive parking requirements “if it is determined that to do so is in the public interest.”
Without a ZBA waiver or modification, parking requirements for new structures will require two parking spaces for each new dwelling with two or more bedrooms and one parking space for single-bedroom or studio apartments. Lodging houses, bed-and-breakfasts and hotels are normally required to provide one parking space for each guest dwelling. Commercial, industrial and retail buildings will require one space for every 300 square feet of floor, up to 50,000 square feet.
The hearing will include public review and comment on a complete revision to the town’s Subdivision Regulations, which were last updated in 1988.