Village council appoints new member

The Pinehurst Planning and Zoning Board conducted a special meeting Sept. 6 to continue discussions on short-term house rentals.

The Pinehurst Village Council asked the planning board for a recommendation on whether to allow or ban short-term rentals. An overflow crowd of over 300 were present, and 56 citizens spoke about the proposal at the previous Planning Board meeting last week.

The Planning Board meets as an advisory body to the Village Council. They can recommend the planned development ordinance’s adoption, rejection or modification.

Currently, three out of five Village Council members support the idea of banning short-term rentals in single-family areas.

Those in favor of the ban pointed the Village Council has heard numerous complaints about noise, litter, and other poor behavior at short-term rentals.

On the other side is the Pinehurst Vacation Association, which has launched a Change.org petition opposing the ban. Currently, 1,603 signatures have been gathered.

This group does not believe there is a problem with rentals. Instead, they think it is just a few outspoken residents. They also believe it would be a matter of property rights and a clear overreach of power. Additionally, they think it would have an outsized, adverse effect on tourism in the area.

After a lengthy meeting, a divided Planning Board voted 5-3 to allow short-term rentals in all residential areas including single family by right. A survey commissioned by the village found that residents’ satisfaction with Pinehurst was affected by their proximity to short-term rentals.

To try to offset this, the board recommended instituting a permitting process with specific recommendations including the presence of a working fire extinguisher, clear exit plans in case of emergencies, the posting of clear contact information of the owner and provisions for the proper care and placement of waste containers.

The Village Council will hold a public hearing on short-term rentals on Sept. 27 at 4:30 p.m.

You can stream the entire meeting here

Sandhills_Sentinel~Written by Sandhills Sentinel Reporter Chris Prentice. Contact him at [email protected].

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