Planning Board Discusses STRs

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
SUNAPEE — The town of Sunapee Planning Board discussed on November 17, 2022, the possibility of an amendment regarding short term rentals in their city plan. According to the town of Sunapee short term rental committee website, short term rentals are not allowed in the town. There are, however, several STRs currently in use in the town, as due to this the planning board has begun a conversation that will go to a vote as a warrant article in the future.

At the meeting on November 17, a number of Sunapee residents came out to speak against an open ordinance that would allow STRs in any of the zones of the town, including rural and rural residential districts. Many of the residents insisted that STRs remain only in the village, commercial and mixed use districts of the town.

The proposed amendment to the ordinance as read by planning board chairman Peter White, would allow for single and two family residences to be rented out in all districts as long as they are owner occupied. Should the house not be owner occupied the owner would require to obtain a site plan review from the planning board. Members of the planning board as well as citizens noted that obtaining a positive planning board review is a low bar to set and that nearly anyone who applied would be approved for one.

A member of the short term rental committee for the town of Sunapee also raised concerns with the wording of the amendment as it was not how the committee had originally passed that information along. The committee member stated that over the course of nearly a year the group had looked at 50 different ordinances in 50 different New Hampshire towns and the information they presented to the planning board did not approve STRs in all zoning districts. Specifically noting that in the original presentation rural residential would only be allowed with special exception and rural districts weren’t allowed STRs at all. The member also noted that a lawyer was put on retainer through the town and recommended that route as well.

“We are risking a sense of community.” one resident stated to the planning board.

A number of concerns were brought before the planning board as information is being gathered to create the final amendment that will be voted on by residents. The definition of owner occupied being someone who lives at the residence at least 120 days was an issue, as within that definition the house owner would be able to rent the entire house for a significant amount of the year. Sunapee residents also claimed that short term renters would likely be renting the properties to party at, which they say would potentially stress local resources and pollute natural bodies of water as well as create noise pollution.

“It’s about a bonanza of money that they stand to make, not whether or not they can afford our home. We want to know our neighbors, not have hotels popping up on our street,” one Sunapee resident warned at the meeting.

As the planning board continues to seek out the appropriate language for the amendment they are able to have two more public meetings to ask for public comment to determine what the voting public would like to see for their town.

“If they don’t live here they can’t vote,” one planning board member reminded the residents who draw concern with house owners who don’t reside mostly in Sunapee.