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Short-Term Rentals Are An Opportunity For County To Lead A Needed Discussion

Short-term rentals aren’t a new issue in Chautauqua County. But they do seem to be creating new issues for towns and villages throughout the county.

The town of Dunkirk now faces a lawsuit over its short-term rental limitations. The town of Sheridan has discussed a moratorium to give its Zoning Board time to iron out zoning laws to avoid future problems. The village of Lakewood has adopted a yearlong moratorium on new short-term rentals, while Cassadaga discussed a moratorium earlier this week.

There are legitimate neighborhood issues with some short-term rentals. They can create noise and congestion. Some neighbors have complained of all-night parties or a perceived increase in crime. Some cities have created “quiet-hour” guidelines for short-term rentals to prevent loud, late-night parties that disturb neighbors. Other areas have created guest limits at short-term rentals to limit parking congestion and noise in residential neighborhoods.

On the flip side of those local issues is a stated desire in many comprehensive plans approved by towns, villages, cities and Chautauqua County to increase the number of visitors coming to Chautauqua County to spend time at local attractions and spend their money in local shops. There is a recognizable economic benefit to short-term rentals that must be considered with any moratoriums or limits.

Short-term rentals are here to stay. They’re popular with visitors and allow local property owners to make money that had previously been reserved for the largely out-of-town owners of big hotels.

Given the sheer number of discussions happening locally regarding short-term rentals, this is an area that could benefit from direction from the Chautauqua County Planning Board. Many of the issues follow the same general theme.

Rather than have dozens of individual localized discussions, the county should lead a broader discussion that informs the local discussions.

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