Dunkirk town resident Sue Hazelton called for a resolution to the ongoing short-term rental property issue in the Town of Dunkirk. Photo by Braden Carmen

DUNKIRK — Many of the usual speakers at the Dunkirk Town Board meetings over the past year made their voices heard again at the most recent meeting.

Dunkirk town residents Phil Leone, Jay Warren, and Sue Hazelton all spoke to their opposition of short-term rental properties in residential districts and their support of the momentum toward a law to restrict such properties in the town.

Leone brought up amortization and non-conforming uses and stated his belief that short-term rentals currently in place would not qualify for such protections. “Non-conforming uses are uses that were allowed before the new law. Right now, our zoning board decided it wasn’t allowed, the Supreme Court (of Chautauqua County) agreed they were not arbitrary… We define what a non-conforming use is,” said Leone. “As it stands right now … the use of short-term rentals in R1 districts are not allowed, so that’s not a non-conforming use. … It was never allowed according to the code.”

Warren brought up a local law from the town of Canadice used as a guide in the recent workshop meeting to discuss a short-term rental law that was described as the gold standard of state laws on the matter. “I hope you don’t change it too much because we don’t want it to go from the gold standard to the lead standard or the copper standard. If it’s the gold standard that means it’s got integrity to it,” Warren said.

Warren also mentioned the town’s restrictive zoning uses as cited in the town’s Comprehensive Plan. “It does support your code, and it supports the decision the zoning board made, and it supports the decision of (Supreme Court Justice) Grace Hanlon,” Warren said.

At the beginning of her time to speak, Hazelton joked she did not write a letter to read aloud, as she had in the past. She did however reiterate that the entire process has gone on long enough.

“Everything has been said. I’ve voiced my opinion,” Hazelton said. “With the short-term rentals, I don’t want them, none of us want them, none of the 87 people (who signed a petition) want them. … I just hope we come to a conclusion and we settle this. We can’t keep coming and going. We just need it to be put to rest, once and for all.”

The Dunkirk Town Board scheduled a workshop on Wednesday at 5 p.m. to further discuss the drafting of a short-term rental law.

Also at the recent meeting, the Town Council approved a Uniform Code Law as required by New York State. The meeting began after a public hearing was held on the matter.

The Town Council also appointed Steve Zentz as marshal to the court at no additional cost to the town. Rebecca Yacklon was appointed as tax collector and registrar of vital statistics, while Kyle Coughlin was appointed as deputy tax collector and deputy registrar of vital statistics. Yacklon serves as the Town Clerk, while Coughlin is the Deputy Clerk.

The next Dunkirk Town Board meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 10 at 6:30 p.m., which will serve as an organizational meeting to begin the new year, as well as the monthly Town Council meeting.