The Parkville Board of Aldermen approved a slate of permits allowing short-term vacation rentals in downtown Parkville.
Three short-term rental properties received conditional use permits from the city at the Tuesday, June 7 meeting at Parkville City Hall.
Two permits that received preliminary approval in May were approved for 804 Main Street and 11 West Fifth Street.
The owner of the third property, Annette Lou Hagen, spoke to the board about the application for her site at 500 East Street. There are four units at the property, but the city’s planning and zoning commission only authorized a conditional use permit for one of the units. One Airbnb already operates on the property.
Director of community development Stephen Lachky said Hagen hoped the board would consider approving additional units.
Hagen said she couldn’t foresee using all four for short-term rentals, but one long-term renter is set to soon move out and so she hoped to use that unit for an Airbnb as well.
Mayor Dean Katerndahl, who previously chaired the city’s planning and zoning commission, said the permits were for a six-month period to allow city residents and officials to test the waters of allowing short-term vacation rentals in the city.
Vacation rentals of this type, brokered through online vendors such as Airbnb, have proven controversial in many communities, with Weston also wrestling with the issue over the past decade. Neighbors typically are concerned about strangers rotating in and out of rental units and previous to changes in state statute city officials had no mechanism to tax or regulate such lodgings.
With this in mind, Katerndahl said the request to only allow one unit for the six-month trial seemed reasonable. Meetings are planned for the end of the term to discuss any concerns or findings.
“Because we’re just now getting into the AirBnB business, we need to be patient and do things the right way,” said alderman Greg Plumb. “I’d like to see what happens in six months and move ahead from there.”
Some aldermen suggested adjusting the application to allow for two units, with others suggesting the board should follow the planning and zoning commission’s recommendations.
Ultimately, the board voted to approve the application as recommended, for one short-term rental, with the permit to be reviewed in six months.
Also at the meeting, the board gave preliminary approval to rezoning orders in preparation for the construction of Taylor Animal Hospital at 6300 Highway 9.
Several such development projects are on the itinerary for Parkville this summer, with construction already under way on the Dairy Queen near the intersection of Hwys. 9 and 45.
Also of note is a major project application for a Whataburger location in Parkville off Hwy. 45. The restaurant is set to open this fall.