Town to stick with current short-term rental bylaw despite additional concerns

By Ron Giofu

An Edgewater Beach resident is looking for additional action due to her and her family’s issues with short-term rentals.

Mary Anne Adam appeared before town council last week outlining her concerns not just with noise and disruption but with the possibility additional houses on her street could turn into short-term rentals. She said the issue of short-term rental is very passionate for people in her neighbourhood, telling town council they have to endure “a tremendous amount of disruption, chaos and trespassing” from several units over the past year.

Adam said six calls have been placed to the Windsor Police Service – Amherstburg Detachment. She noted town council voted unanimously April 17 to go forward with a short-term rental bylaw, with a clause to have a manager or designate available within a 30-minute time period, if needed.

A petition calling for a moratorium on short-term rentals until town council could get a grasp of the situation was simply tabled with no further action, she said.

Adam added they are pleased with the bylaw that was finalized and passed May 23, but she said she wanted to see density and proximity clauses added.

“These clauses currently exist in other municipalities namely Essex and Blue Mountain as they experienced an influx of short-term rentals and the problems that came with them,” said Adam. “We were surprised not to see these in our bylaw. Very surprised.”

Adam told town council Edgewater Beach has seven homes operating as short-term rentals.

“This is not a ‘not in my backyard issue,’” she said.

Some of the homes are not causing issues and neighbours have had problems with others, she asserted, and more rental units are planned with that causing concern among long-term owners of the street. Houses are close in that subdivision and more short-term rentals could cause additional problems, she feared, noting short-term rentals may be next to each other.

“Please also remember these establishments don’t operate on a weekly seasonal basis,” said Adam.

Noise enters their homes even when windows are closed, Adam claimed.

Adam pleaded with council to include density and proximity clauses, adding it does very little for local tourism as she told town council she doesn’t believe those who attend the short-term rentals don’t buy groceries or alcohol locally.

Councillor Peter Courtney asked if it was possible to include such clauses into an Amherstburg bylaw, with manager of licensing and enforcement Bill Tetler saying it is possible. Tetler listed concerns about how it is tracked, the size of the areas defined, whose application is accepted first and other issues.

Tetler added to include such clauses, it would have to be taken back and the bylaw would be delayed from a planned June 5 launch. He pointed out all bylaws are living documents and could be brought back for amendments at a later time.

Mayor Michael Prue asked if the bylaw were passed and if town council were to ask administration to investigate amendments currently, he wondered if it could be done. Tetler said if a report would be brought back later, those with licenses should be “grandfathered” since they are issued.

“We have a bylaw we all know is necessary,” said Prue. “Edgewater is a unique place as is Lake Erie where there is a lot of homes together. I’m trying to figure out a way to help residents of those two areas and have a bylaw to get us going.”

CAO Valerie Critchley agreed licenses should be grandfathered if they have been issued.

Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb wanted to know how many Edgewater Beach residents could get licensed, with Tetler saying he didn’t know as they would have to actually apply for a license.

“Until we start accepting licenses, I don’t know where those short-term rentals will be,” said Tetler.

Gibb said the situation is “overwhelming” for many residents and wanted to know how many police and bylaw complaints were received. Bylaw received eight complaints all over Amherstburg since he started, said Tetler, with Staff Sgt. Brian Caffarena stating police had also received eight complaints.

Gibb asked why there weren’t more complaints filed, with Adam stating “people in Edgewater don’t want to complain. They don’t think anything is going to be done.” Adam recognized a proximity clause is difficult but told town council the current situation is “unfair to us.” Gibb encouraged residents to call police to inform them of problems.

“If there are bad actors, complain, complain and complain so we can do something about it,” said Gibb.

Courtney believed the town could open “a can of worms” with the clauses but suggested the shortterm rental units be governed under a “pilot project” but Critchley said the grandfathering issue would still be in place.

Councillor Linden Crain asked what could occur to help Adam and other residents with similar issue, with Tetler saying existing bylaws or police could provide assistance.

Courtney believed “I think we should stay the course” because if it is delayed further, it could lead to the continuance of problems. He said there is something now to enforce in terms of a short-term rental bylaw. Councillor Molly Allaire said “we need to start with this” and said she had faith the existing bylaw will help.

“I feel the other route would slow it down too much,” said Allaire.

Allaire believed a lot of people will be “weeded out” with the current bylaw. Prue said he’d like to see a report in six to eight months on how the program is going and if amendments are still required.

Two local stops on Motorcycle Ride for Dad

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