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Lauderdale Lakes BREEZE Summer 2015 • THIRD Edition
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County reviewing idea of short-term rentals Changes to zoning ordinance hinge on local municipalities’ response By Kellen
Olshefski
STAFF WRITER
T
he Walworth County Zoning Agency is expected to review responses from a letter sent out to municipalities in the county relating to the possibility of amending the county’s zoning ordinances when it comes to short-term rentals. County committees began looking at the idea again after Supervisor David Weber submitted a letter to the Walworth County Board of Supervisors in February. The county again picked up the topic of short-term rentals at the May 21 county Zoning Agency meeting, looking to gauge exactly how municipalities feel about amending the county’s current zoning ordinances through a survey. Under county zoning laws, short-term rentals are only allowed in very specific zoning districts and for no less than 30 days. Weber said he doesn’t think the county Zoning Agency will come to a majority consensus on the issue unless some type of major catastrophe were to occur. “If we’ve got one of the few houses that are used and abused, a house fire, 30 people on a deck that collapses, massive injuries, all of a sudden everybody’s got our attention and somebody’s going to come forward and say, ‘Why the hell aren’t you guys dealing with this,’” he said. Weber said he’s not looking to create a fright scenario, but he feels the county needs to be able to say they have records documenting the 800 or so properties being actively advertised and rented on a short-term basis. “We need to start some place with record-keeping, licensing, inspection, meeting state standards as well as our own, and that whole list of criteria,” he said. Weber said municipalities that have determined they don’t want short-term rentals can control their own communities, though the areas that don’t have that declaration need a “broader sense of responsibility to start controlling it.” Supervisor Rich Brandl said the reasoning behind sending the letter to townships is to gauge whether or not the idea of amending the county’s code regarding short-term rentals is worth a closer look. “If the majority of them say we like things the way they are, why beat our heads against
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the wall and keep pushing forward,” Brandl said. “That’s why we thought we’d talk to the townships, see if they’re even willing to listen. Maybe they’re not, maybe they are.” Michael Cotter, director of the county’s Land Use and Resource Management Department, said with countywide zoning control, individual municipalities cannot allow short-term rentals
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to allow for short-term rentals. “We have done our homework, we have carried it as far as we can carry it and if there’s not support for it, then it should die, and rightfully it should die,” he said. “It’s worth putting the time into it and making sure we make a wise decision at the end of the day, whatever that is.” A July 10 deadline was set for responses from the towns,
When I talk to individuals privately, whether they’re for or against, it takes on a little bit of a different spin, a different level of understanding, if they see this bigger picture.”
– David Weber, Supervisor, Walworth County Board
at their level if it’s not allowed on a countywide level. Zoning Agency citizen member Jim Van Dresser said it’s a worthwhile effort to check in to whether or not municipalities would support amending county zoning codes
allowing county municipalities to review the idea in their local governmental meetings. The Walworth County Zoning Agency planned to tentatively discuss the topic further, after having time to review responses from municipalities,
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at its July 16 meeting. Supervisor David Weber’s Feb. 20 letter to the Walworth County Board of Supervisors relating to short-term rentals can be found online at co.walworth.wi.us, on page 26 of the May 21 county Zoning Agency packet. Concerned residents Thus far, the county Zoning Agency has already received multiple letters of opposition from county residents, a large portion from the Lake Geneva area and included in the committee’s March 19 packet. Many of the letters opposing amending zoning ordinances to allow for rentals shorter than 30 days echo similar sentiments, that the allowance of short-term rentals would undermine the culture and beauty existing in the county today. Phil Stopa, a resident of Linn Township, wrote to the board in March stating he fears changing a law that had already been passed would not be in the best interest of the county.
“I believe short-term rentals bring people who do not really care about their neighbors or surroundings,” he wrote. Stopa further questioned committee members about who would monitor the rentals, what rights property owners living adjacent to a short-term rental property would have and if the county has the financial resources and staff to oversee these rentals. Others, such as Tim Freund, a part-time resident of Lake Geneva, commented that the area already has a sufficient number of hotels, motels and resorts that would make the allowance of short-term rentals an unnecessary provision. Andy Schmidt, president of
the Sunset Hills Homeowner’s Association in the Town of Geneva, argued supporting short-term rentals would support “personal and financial agendas for a few,” while disturbing the tranquility and peace of those who have obeyed the laws in place. Schmidt also noted the allowance of shortterm rentals could create a “security nightmare” for both homeowner’s associations and law enforcement who would be forced to respond to reports of short-term renters trespassing and making use of homeowner’s association private amenities.
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