Planning Update: Short-Term Rental Text Amendment Meeting & Planning Board Vote Set for April 22

Buncombe County’s Planning Department is continuing  work on proposed short-term rental text amendments stemming from recommendations from the recently approved 2043 Comprehensive Plan.

As part of that work, the Planning Board has held public meetings to hear how the proposed regulations would impact our community and adjust the draft changes to the ordinance. The next meeting is set for April 22 at 5:30 p.m. at A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium, which will include a public hearing and a vote by the County’s Planning Board. It will be streamed live on the County’s Facebook page. Please note: the Planning Board’s vote does not make the proposed text amendments to the ordinance law, it’s a nonbinding recommendation to the Board of Commissioners. The next step would be taking the proposal to Commissioners for a public hearing and official vote.

What you need to know
The proposed restrictions would only apply to newly created short-term rentals. Existing properties would be grandfathered. These proposed rules would not be applicable to any of the six municipalities within Buncombe County; the regulations would only be for unincorporated areas of the County.

If approved by the Board of Commissioners, the proposed text amendments to the ordinance would:

• Limit new short-term rentals to certain districts,
• Set limits on the total permitted square footage of each short-term rental,
• Prohibit such rentals in manufactured home parks and affordable housing developments, and
• Create requirements around waste disposal, parking, and signage.

Again, these proposed rules would only apply to unincorporated areas of Buncombe County. The County’s Planning staff is currently working on an updated draft of the proposed text amendments and a list of frequently asked questions. See those attached below. To view previous meetings and supporting documents, please visit engage.buncombecounty.org or click here.

What: Short-term rental Planning Board meeting, public hearing, and vote
When: Monday, April 22 at 5:30 p.m.
Where: A-B Tech’s Ferguson Auditorium