The public will once again have a chance to weigh in on how short-term rentals should be dealt with in the rural areas of the Sunshine Coast.
Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors gave second reading Feb. 27 to zoning bylaw amendments that removed references to temporary use permits for short-term rentals, triggering a second public hearing.
Directors had previously given first and second reading to zoning bylaw amendments allowing for the possibility of offsite short-term rental operators holding temporary use permits (TUPs).
Then, in February, they backtracked on that decision following a public hearing and another report outlining the implications of implementing TUPs. At committee they chose instead to implement higher fines for noncompliant operators.
At the Feb. 27 board meeting, directors formalized that decision by giving second reading to the new bylaw amendments. The bylaws as amended include some changes to the definition of bed and breakfast, and a definition of “residential use,” among other changes.
A second public hearing has been scheduled for April 21 at 7 p.m. at the Seaside Centre in Sechelt.
An operator of a short-term rental was present at the meeting and questioned directors about the removal of the temporary use permit option, given that people could still operate “under the table.”
Chair Lori Pratt responded that “it’s important to note that currently the bylaw does not actually support offsite operators and has not ever supported offsite operators.
They have been essentially operating illegally, so this has been a process to try to clean that up.”
The operator also addressed Roberts Creek director Andreas Tize, who owns an Airbnb rental on his property and who has strongly opposed the implementation of temporary use permits to allow offsite operators. She described him as an “extremely capable community leader,” but that “optically, it doesn’t seem right, because you’re almost eliminating all your competitors… It would be great, optically, to not be a part of that conversation,” she said.
