As I understand it the decision to review STA Regulation was largely predicated on complaints. Noise, capacity, septic concerns etc. When will the complaints data be provided? Currently a survey exists asking laypeople with no qualitative data to opine on the scope of regulation. I would suggest this subjective review without access to numbers and areas of heightened concern, is of little value and simply pits those with STAs against those without. When will the data be provided to the community?
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Hello,
The municipality has in the past received complaints with respect to some short-term accommodation incidents. The municipality is currently aggregating that data for the purposes of the study, but this is not the sole motivation for reviewing STAs. Many municipalities are reviewing their policies and procedures regarding STAs and they are an emerging land use issue as their popularity has grown. The municipality recognizes that STAs provide benefits, however they can also create new issues with respect to land use and by-law enforcement. That is an experience not unique to this municipality. The municipality has embarked upon this review with the first goal being to collect a wide range of input from all parties which may have an interest in STAs. That input will be utilized in the determination of how the municipality may proceed to deal with STAs. There are no preconceptions in this regard. Obtaining public input on this important issue is in no way intended to pit one segment of the community against another. Instead, hopefully, with everyone working together constructively and with as wide a range of input as possible, the municipality can come to decisions that address the needs of all.
Going back to the top post, an alternative view might also be that this is at it's heart a planning and zoning issue that potentially effects the character and enjoyment of owner residents. The complaints are only one facet of a problem that is universally recognized, sufficiently so that the province published guidance for municipalities on the matter. Deconstructing this to just those numbers is senseless. Under-reporting has many reasons. So those "lay people", are perhaps more than a little able to participate in that light and they have a RIGHT to have an opinion here. Today the Bylaw says what is allowed in Zones. That's pretty important. As a matter of fact its all we have. B&B are the limit of that. Let's not forget that. “You can’t throw a rock in the country right now without hitting a city that’s moving to more aggressively regulate short-term rentals,” said David Wachsmuth, an assistant professor at McGill University’s School of Urban Planning, who has studied Airbnb around the world. (CNBC) He goes on to say "I don't think there's a single place that really solved this problem," (CBC)