Rosendale sets hearings on short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units – Daily Freeman

The Rondout Municipal Center, on Lucas Avenue in Marbletown, N.Y., shown on May 4, 2020, is shared by the town governments of Marbletown and Rosendale. Tania Barricklo/Daily Freeman, File)

ROSENDALE, N.Y. — The Town Board has set public hearings on proposed zoning law changes that would allow short-term rentals and accessory dwelling units.

The sessions are scheduled for Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. in the Rondout Municipal Center at 1915 Lucas Avenue in Cottekill.

“The accessory dwelling units is basically a code to allow residents to add a unit somewhere on their property for the use of regular rentals but it cannot be short-term rental,” Supervisor Jeanne Walsh said. “It can be a garage, it can be renovation of a garage, renovation of the inside of a house to an already existing unit. It’s basically a zoning boost so you don’t have to have another acre-and-a-half to put that unit in.”

Among the goals of the proposed accessory dwelling unit regulations is to ease the housing shortage and help property owners find long-term accommodations for their families.

“One of the most common things people ask for when they come into the Building Department is trying to accommodate family members that don’t have a place to live,” Walsh said.

“It’s a lot of extra work, time and energy to go to the zoning board and Planning Board trying to get all these things approved,” she said. “This kind of gives power to the Building Department to evaluate something that’s proposed for an accessory use.”

The proposed short-term rental law sets permit requirements for a primary residence or entire non-owner-occupied house to be used for rentals of fewer than 30 days. Under the regulation, an owner would have to live in the house for at least 180 days to be considered owner-occupied.

Property owners who currently operate short-term rental businesses would have 90 days to seek a permit if the law is adopted.

Under the proposed regulations, short-term rental owners will need to provide information on which platforms, such as AirBnB or VRBO, are being used; have off-street parking, with one parking space provided for each bedroom being used; and cannot have people housed separately from the residences by using a tent, trailer, camper, recreational vehicle or boat.