Working on the Short Term Rental Issue in Our Community
By Charles Dice
The issue of Short Term Rentals (STRs) has become a hot topic in Falcon Cove Beach and Arch Cape. On July 28, Clatsop County hosted a teleconference on Short Term Rentals in Falcon Cove that was well attended and that focused on some of these issues.
The agenda and minutes from the meeting have been posted on the Clatsop County website.
Key issues raised during the teleconference included:
Livability: The large number of STRs in a small, residential community like Falcon Cove Beach is changing the character and livability of our small community.
Septic: Concerns about large groups (10-14 people) in a house originally designed for a family of 3-4, especially with respect to septic system design and capacity.
Cars/traffic: The large number of cars associated with such groups (sometimes as many as 8-10 cars at an STR with some cars parked on the street).
Parking on the streets: The streets in Falcon Cove Beach aren’t county roads and are often only 12 feet wide so cars parked on the street present a hazard to other cars traveling the road and to any emergency vehicles such as large fire engines).
Noise: Some of the groups that rent STRs are “party” groups that don’t necessarily pay attention to the “quiet hours” specified in the Clatsop County Short Term Rental Ordinance.
Lack of enforcement: Most often, violations of the STR Ordinance occur on the weekends when Code Enforcement is not reachable. By the time they get the complaint as a voicemail or email, the weekend is over and the renters are gone. This has occurred with some regularity for a few specific STRs. The County is looking at possibly using a third party vendor who can provide a 24/7 hotline service to log complaints and to contact the STR representative immediately to get the issues resolved.
Other suggestions from community members who were on the July 28 teleconference (and/or submitted suggestions by email) included:
Capping the number of STRs in small communities such as Falcon Cove Beach or Arch Cape.
Limiting STRs to owner-occupied residential dwellings.
Requiring STRs to post a notice (visible from the street) listing the STR permit number and name/contact info for a Property Manager or contact person.
STR permits to be for a fixed period (e.g., 3 years) and NOT automatically renewable.
Limit how close an STR can be to another STR (e.g., 500 feet).
Have Code Enforcement log ALL complaints with a written response required to be given to the complaining party regarding the outcome of their complaint.
If you have comments or suggestions, please submit them using the form below. Your input would be greatly appreciated. Community input also provides guidance to the Southwest Coastal Citizens Advisory Committee (SWCCAC) that’s currently working to update the Clatsop County and Southwest Coastal Planning Area Comprehensive Plans which will include looking at Short Term Rentals.