By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
A recently filed Kentucky bill could set “a dangerous precedent” if it’s signed into law, according to Joint City-County Planning Commission Director Kevin Myatt.
“From a cohesiveness of community standards this could set a dangerous precedent,” Myatt said. “It’s nulling and voiding out certain uses that have to be, and need to be, regulated because there are certain areas that are different from other areas with regards to residential usage.”
Kentucky Senate Bill 112 prohibits local governments from requiring a conditional use permit or from “imposing density-based restrictions” on short-term rentals, which is defined as a place a person stays at 30 days or less, he said.
Short-term rentals in Glasgow are allowed in business and professional districts, prohibited in industrial, medium density multi-family residential, and public zoned districts, and allowed in three of the four residential zoning districts through conditional use. Removing the conditional use allowance bars public input, Myatt said.
Short-term rentals are also not allowed within 1,000 feet from another, except in low density residential zones where it is 1,500 feet, according to the Glasgow zoning regulations
If the bill passes, Myatt said it would require the commission to rewrite its Glasgow, Cave City and Park City zoning regulations, which is a lengthy process.
“If any portion of this proposed bill is passed by the legislators, our requirement would be to write the [zoning regulations] applying the new language to them,” Myatt said. “That isn’t done behind closed doors, we have to hold public meetings for public input…then once the planning commission holds a public meeting, we hold a public hearing to officially change the language…and then we forward that to the city councils for two readings to approve our recommendations.”
Though a local government cannot impose regulations related to density or conditional use, the bill does allow governments to require a short-term rental owner to obtain a permit “for each property used as a short-term rental.” Myatt told Glasgow News 1 that there were other regulations on short-term rentals since they were seen more as a business.
“There are some things that come into play regarding a short-term rental because it’s considered more along the lines of a hotel,” Myatt said. “Sometimes your state fire marshal can get involved because you may have to put in exit signs and have fire extinguishers readily available. If you have food services at all…then the health department has to get involved. The building inspector’s office would get involved…so that would be where the permit comes into play.”
Myatt said the Glasgow Board of Adjustments has granted 12 to 20 short-term rentals requests, and denied one.
Senate Bill 112 has been sitting in the Senate Committee on Committees since Jan. 21. Private restrictions and the transient room tax would still apply to short-term rentals.
Key Facts
– Senate Bill 112 removes conditional use and density-based restrictions on short-term rentals
– There are currently conditional use and density restrictions in Glasgow’s zoning regulations
– Joint City-County Planning Director Kevin Myatt said it could set a dangerous precedent if passed
– Senate Bill 112 is in the Senate Committee on Committees
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