The City Council is back to square one on the thorny issue of Short Term Vacation Rentals.
The council last Tuesday night voted 6-3 on first reading to approve a substantial overhaul of the ordinance - after an amendment passed to further limit absentee rentals in single-family areas.
However, on Tuesday night no one made a motion to approve the ordinance on second reading.
That leaves the current ordinance in place that includes "overlay" areas where the rentals are allowed. Four council members blocked rentals in their districts, saying their residents are in opposition.
The new ordinance would have set up a nine-member board that would have had some say-so over rentals. It would have given neighbors the right to write letters of complaint about a rental that would trigger a hearing by the board.
There would have been a maximum five percent of rentals in multi-family areas.
Last Tuesday, Councilwoman Marvene Noel, who has fought to limit the rentals in her District 8, made a motion to amend the revised ordinance. The amendment would stretch the distance an absentee unit would be allowed from 500 feet to 1,000 feet to the nearest absentee rental in single-family areas.
That passed 5-4 with support from Council members Noel, Raquetta Dotley, Isiah Hester, Carol Berz and Demetrus Coonrod. Voting no were Chip Henderson, Darrin Ledford, Ken Smith and Jenny Hill.
At the afternoon session last Tuesday, Councilman Henderson said the move to 1,000-foot "would effectively shut it down." He said the majority of other cities looked at by the city were in the 300 feet to 500 feet range.
Ms. Noel said with 500 feet that 45 more rentals could go into her district. It would be 15 with the 1,000 feet.
She denied that it would shut down the rentals. She said, "Who says we have to be cookie cutter and like everybody else?"
On the amended version, No votes were cast by Council members Henderson, Ledford and Ken Smith.
At a recent council discussion, several members said they might be willing to allow rentals city-wide if the rentals are focused on commercial areas.
The current moratorium on new STVR applications by absentee owners is set to end July 10.