The Kerrville City Council and the city's planning and zoning commission will hold a joint meeting Thursday to discuss managing short-term rentals, including a possible moratorium.
The two bodies will meet at 2 p.m. on Thursday at City Hall to discuss options on managing the influx of short-term rentals — there are currently more than 70 with conditional-use permits, but the number may be far higher. Short-term or vacation rentals have become a flashpoint for the City Council and planning and zoning — offering competing ideas about their approval.
The issue has frequently split the planning and zoning commission, which rejected some permits. The City Council overturned those decisions, citing property-owner compliance with the city's existing short-term rental ordinance.
Thursday's agenda features a discussion about zoning, permitting and a possible moratorium. The tricky part is that there's a clear demand for the properties. VRBO, one of the online booking sites, reports only a handful of rentals available for this weekend — many commanding more than $200 a night or higher.
The questions over property rights and the rights of neighbors, who have a promise in the city's 2050 plan to maintain a neighborhood's character, are certainly to be a focal point of the conversation.
Speaking of property rights
The intense battles over Kerrville's development will continue in Thursday's 4 p.m. planning and zoning meeting, which follows the joint council meeting.
The planning and zoning commission will see the preliminary plats for a 41-home development and then a second presentation on a massive 1,600-unit housing project in southeast Kerrville.
In northwest Kerrville, the 41 homes are part of the Cibola Trails development along Coronado Drive. Initially rejected by the planning and zoning commission, the City Council overturned that decision.
The other project, dubbed The Reserve at Kerrville, was discussed in last month's planning and zoning commission. Chairman Mike Sigerman was troubled by the number of variances requested by the developers. Comanche Trace residents have sent numerous letters opposing the project.
