Northampton once again postpones adoption of STR ordinance

Northampton County once again postponed action on new regulations for short-term rentals at Tuesday night’s regularly scheduled board meeting, which had been delayed due to a conflict with the annual meeting of the Virginia Association of Counties, which ran through Tuesday at the Homestead.

The Board held a public hearing on a proposal crafted by the Planning Commission that would create three different classes of STRs: A, B, and C, based on owner occupancy and the number of bedrooms. Category A is an STR where the owner lives in the residence and is allowed by right. Category B applies to properties where the owner does not occupy the dwelling and has 4 or fewer bedrooms. Category C applies to properties where the owner does not occupy the dwelling and has 5 or 6 bedrooms. Short-term rentals in Category B would require a minor special use permit, while those in Category C would require a major special use permit. The plan also requires operators to have written permission from the property owner, ensure parking spaces are on-site, and comply with occupancy and noise limits, among other regulations.

Several speakers spoke both in favor of and against the plan.

Susie Charnock with Coastal Shore Vacations questioned the need for special use permits. She suggested that regulations could be adopted to address any concerns Supervisors may have, such as requiring a 24-hour hotline for neighbor complaints.

Cheryl Dalessio of Eastville, who has frequently spoken against STRs in Northampton, said she liked the Planning Commission’s document but felt it could have been more restrictive. Nonetheless, she concluded that the Planning Commission had created a structured, concise document.

Donna Bozza, representing Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore, expressed concern about the lack of clarity around enforcement.

“Are neighbors responsible for monitoring and reporting? To whom? And how?” she asked. “CBES believes that the county needs to include clarity and specific details regarding responsibility and a process for monitoring and enforcing any new regulations.”

MJ Golibart of Eastville said he opposed any rules or regulations that might dissuade young families from moving to the area. Citing his own family as an example, he explained that they purchased their house in Eastville in 1998 with plans to use it as a getaway and rent it when they weren’t using it. Eventually, he relocated his family—his wife and four children—to Northampton County.

“I am against the use of a Special Use Permit, because they do three bad things,” he said. “It injects uncertainty into a decision that is already packed with uncertainty. It adds friction, difficulty, and time into an equation that already has plenty of those things. It sends a message that Northampton County may not want you here.”

Golibart concluded by saying he would like to see more young families moving to the shore, rather than just the large numbers of retirees who relocate here annually.

After public comment, Supervisors Dixon Leatherbury and John Coker, who had been tasked by the board with working on the STR issue, offered their thoughts.

Leatherbury stated that while he generally likes to avoid requiring Special Use Permits, he felt it was necessary in this case.

Coker said he thought the Planning Commission’s ordinance was good, but after hearing public comment, he didn’t think they were ready to move forward. He asked County Administrator Charlie Kolakowski to draft a plan for the enforcement mechanism of the ordinance, which could then be reviewed to ensure compliance with Virginia law.

“We like STRs and we want a reasonable and rational ordinance. Tourism is important to this County. The Virginia Tourism Commission estimates that annually this County brings in about $70 million in tourist spending. They support our businesses… that money generates a lot of tax. There are about 550 people in this County who work in tourism,” he said. “I talk to lots of people about this, and some people say ‘get rid of them, don’t have them’… and the answer is that’s not the right solution.”

Coker added that he thought the decision would likely be delayed another couple of months.