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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDepartment Report 01-27-252 of 18 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS HEARING OFFICER DEPARTMENT REPORT MONDAY, JANUARY 27, 2025 (SE) Chung Short Term Residential Rental. The applicant seeks the following special exception approval for a STRR unit: 4. Docket No. PZ-2024-00227 SE UDO Section 2.09 Residential Special Exception. The site is located at 731 E. Main Street (Carmel Meadows, Lot 38). It is zoned R2/Residence. Filed by Hyunjin Chung, owner. General Info: • Petitioner seeks approval to rent out all of their 3-bedroom home (or individual rooms as needed), in order to operate a Short Term Residential Rental (STRR) use. (Familiar STRR terms are Airbnb, VRBO, FlipKey, HomeAway, etc.). • This is the Petitioner’s primary residence; they will stay at an extended family's home when the subject dwelling is rented out and occupied in full. • Per the zoning ordinance, a residential special exception approval from the BZA Hearing Officer is required for STRR’s located in the R2/Residence zoning district. • The subject residential parcel is located in the perimeter of the Carmel Meadows Subdivision, along a major street. Single family homes surround the subject site. And, the Carmel High School is located around 920 feet to the west/northwest. • The Petitioner currently does not have a Standard Homestead deduction on the property. (They recently moved into the property in mid-November 2024, so it does not show up on the tax records just yet.) • It does not appear that an active Homeowners’ Association exists for Carmel Meadows subdivision. • On-street parking is not allowed; however, off-street parking on the driveway is provided. • Please see the Petitioner’s info packet for more detail on the special exception request. Analysis: • The Carmel Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) defines Short Term Residential Rental Unit as: A Dwelling, or portion thereof, that is rented or leased to transient guests by a Permanent Resident of the Dwelling for a period of less than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days. • The short term residential rental ordinance was adopted by City Council in January 2018, under ordinance Z- 629-17. In addition, City Council adopted resolution CC-03-18-24-03 on March 18, 2024 which allows for 30 specific dates in 2024 where this STRR ordinance is not enforced (freebie dates), such as major holiday weekends and very large local events. (A 2025 resolution will be proposed, soon.) • Under UDO Section 5.73.A, the purpose of the ordinance is to benefit the general public by minimizing adverse impacts on established residential neighborhoods and the owners and residents of properties in these neighborhoods resulting from the conversion of residential properties to tourist and transient use. • UDO Section 5.73.B spells out the Special Exception Eligibility: A Permanent Resident of a Dwelling located in a Residential District may use the Dwelling as a Short Term Residential Rental Unit if: The Permanent Resident applies for and is granted a Special Exception, pursuant to Section 9.08: Special Exception (Group Homes and Short Term Residential Rentals) hereof (among other requirements). • The UDO Definition of “Resident, Permanent” is a natural person who occupies a Dwelling for at least sixty (60) consecutive days with intent to establish the Dwelling as his or her primary residence. A Permanent Resident may be an owner or a leasee. • UDO Section 5.73.C goes on to list the Required Information for Application: Both the initial application and any renewal application for a Special Exception permit shall contain the following: Information sufficient to show that the applicant is the Permanent Resident of the Short Term Residential Rental Unit…. Permanent residency shall be established by showing that the Unit is listed as the applicant’s residence on at least two (2) of the following: motor vehicle registration; driver’s license; voter registration; tax documents showing the 3 of 18 unit as the applicant’s primary residence for a standard homestead credit; or utility bill. (A renewal application shall contain sufficient information to show that the applicant is a Permanent Resident and has occupied the unit for at least two hundred seventy-five (275) days of the preceding calendar year.) • UDO Section 9.08 states that a Special Exception shall be considered as an exception to the uses allowed under the UDO, and thus the original application for a Special Exception shall not generally be entitled to favorable consideration; however, an application for the renewal of a Special Exception shall generally be entitled to favorable consideration. • UDO Section 9.08 lists out the criteria for the Basis of Review: A Hearing Officer, in reviewing a Special Exception application, shall consider the needs and circumstances of each application and shall examine the following items as they relate to the proposed Special Exception: 1. Surrounding zoning and land use; 2. Access to public streets; 3. Driveway and curb cut locations in relation to other sites; 4. Parking location and arrangement; 5. Trash and material storage; 6. Necessary exterior lighting; and 7. Protective restrictions and/or covenants. • UDO Section 9.08 also lists out the criteria for the Basis of Approval or Rejection: A Hearing Officer, in approving or rejecting a Special Exception application, shall base his or her decision upon the following factors as they relate to the above listed items (Basis of Review) concerning the proposed Special Exception: 1. The economic factors related to the proposed Special Exception, such as cost/benefit to the community and its anticipated effect on surrounding property values; 2. The social/neighborhood factors related to the proposed Special Exception, such as compatibility with existing uses in the vicinity of the premises under consideration and how the proposed Special Exception will affect neighborhood integrity; and 3. The effects of the proposed Special Exception on vehicular and pedestrian traffic in and around the premises upon which the Special Exception is proposed. Remaining Review Comments: • All Planning/Zoning comments have been addressed. Final Comments: • The Carmel Code Enforcement Dept. has not had any issues with this property. • Planning Staff could not find any neighborhood covenants and restrictions. It may be because the subdivision was developed in the 1960s, and they did not execute any. Findings of Facts: • Please refer to the Petitioner’s Findings of Facts. Recommendation: • The Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) recommends consideration of this petition. • The Dept. of Community Services (DOCS) also recommends the adoption of the Findings of Fact, if the petition is approved. • Please note that, if approved, the special exception approval is only valid for 1 year.