The Gainesville Planning and Appeals Board recommended approval Tuesday of a set of code changes that include changes to the city's vacation rental zoning rules.
The changes will now allow for vacation rentals to be held in the city's Residential-Office zoning, which includes areas like Green Street and parts of downtown. City Manager Matt Tate said the new codes do not allow for vacation rentals in any of the city's other residential zonings.
Planning and Appeals Board Chairman Doug Carter said vacation rentals had previously only been allowed in commercial zonings, but recent complaints led the city to try to clarify their codes.
"There had been some situations in the city, unfortunately, where there were some vacation rental-type homes that have had some problems over the last year," Carter said. "There were already some codes on the books for the city of Gainesville, but because [the problems] were brought to their attention, they decided it was time, perhaps, to have a little bit more clarification on that."
Residents both in favor of and opposed to vacation rentals spoke in a nearly 30-minute public hearing before the board's vote Tuesday. Those opposed, like Bill Morris, said he does not want the city to start allowing vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods.
"This issue is very complicated," Morris said. "The bottom line is, they want to make money in our neighborhoods. That's it. It's all about money and we don't want that. We want a quiet place to live."
Some vacation rental property owners also spoke in the public hearing, including Jeff Hilton who owns multiple large rental properties in Gainesville and Hall County. He said the city should look at enacting and eforcing regulations on rentals, rather than stopping them altogether.
"Short-term rentals are here to stay," Hilton said. "The answer is not to shut down short-term rentals, because I feel for all the people that are here that are opposed to the short-term rentals in their neighborhoods. The answer is to have the proper regulations in place to shut down the bad apples."
The proposed code changes will now go to the Gainesville City Council for a final vote on March 1.
