Councillors in Gibsons waded right into their first online public hearing this week, with three bylaws on the agenda for a Zoom-hosted hearing July 14 – rezoning for a cannabis production facility on Venture Way, new rules for secondary suites, and regulations for short-term rentals (STR).
The STR issue had the largest public response, so much in fact that council had to call a recess until July 21 when the hearing will resume.
The Town estimates there are about 91 short-term rental units in Gibsons.
If adopted, the bylaw would allow short-term rentals in “any zone that permits a principal residential use,” except apartment buildings unless it’s in a zone that allows tourist accommodation uses. It would also put short-term rentals booked through services like Airbnb in the same category as traditional bed and breakfasts and require business licences for operators. It would also require the host to remain on site during guest stays.
The requirement for the host to remain on site was the most contentious, which was also the case during a public hearing on proposed Sunshine Coast Regional District bylaws with a similar provision.
The majority of the written submissions and speakers that came forward July 14 were opposed to the bylaws, mainly because of that clause.
One of the written submissions in favour of the bylaws claimed the short-term rentals have “turned a sweet little town into a greedy, short-sighted nightmare that has destroyed our community.”
One opposed said, “You may change your tune when local restaurants/cafes/bars/breweries start to go belly up [when] visitors choose to vacation elsewhere because they can find suitable accommodation in other locations.”
The other opinions put forward, for and against, were not that extreme.
Several speakers who said they were both short-term rental operators and frequent users while travelling, pointed out that many clients prefer to book stays at STRs where the owner isn’t on site so they can have privacy.
Others, like Brett Beadle, who manages STRs on the Coast, spoke about the importance of short-term rentals for the local tourism industry. “We have a lot of visitors coming here and the proposed bylaws would turn those people away,” he said.
Another STR operator asked council to postpone the implementation of the bylaws.
“With the current COVID‐19 situation it is our opinion that these bylaws will hurt both the tourism industry and home owners alike while the region and local economy is trying to rebound,” they said.
In a written submission, local business owner Martin DesRosiers said he was worried the requirement to have the owner on site during visitor stays might make a unique part of his Beachomber Coffee business against the rules.
Beachcomber has a suite above the coffee shop for tourists.
“We have staff on site from 6:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. and we live in Gibsons, only a three‐minute drive from the Airbnb. However, the requirement to ‘live’ on‐premise will eliminate a unique destination that has garnered national attention for the Town of Gibsons,” DesRosiers wrote.
Another theme at the hearing was the argument that only a handful of STRs cause problems. “The majority of STR owners are tax-paying, law-abiding citizens who love their neighbours and communities. They continually monitor their properties and guests – as responsible citizens do,” one person said.
