The Blue Mountains council has approved a moratorium on the licensing of certain types of short-term accommodations (STAs) until the town’s official plan review process is complete.
At its meeting on March 27, council, in a 7-0 vote, approved a recommendation from staff to implement a moratorium on issuing licenses to type-B STAs in the community while the official plan review process is underway.
Type B STAs are those properties that are outside the town’s STA exception area (STAs are permitted within the exception area) and must go through a full public rezoning process to become a short-term rental property. The town has three other types of STAs: those within the exception area, bed and breakfasts and legal non-conforming.
Staff previously recommended to council that the town proceed with implementing new planning rules, through its official plan review, that would outlaw new STAs outside the exemption area.
CAO Shawn Everitt followed up with a report recommending the moratorium on new licenses until the official process, which will take several months, is complete.
“Type B is the one license that we believe from a staff perspective causes a bit of concern with the community and council,” said Everitt, who explained how the moratorium would work. “Staff would not be processing any application for these type B licenses until we have the opportunity and council has an opportunity, as well as the community, to go through that official plan amendment process.”
Everitt said the moratorium would apply to the licensing aspect of the program and would not prevent a property owner from initiating a rezoning process in an attempt to become a class B STA.
The moratorium received full support from members of council.
“This is the right time to be able to deal with this,” said Coun. Gail Aridel. “This is a really good thing for our town.”
Deputy Mayor Peter Bordignon thanked staff for the initiative.
“I think this will go a long way in being able to gauge where we are with a few things,” he said.
