What’s happening?
Lewisville City Council members signaled support for city staff to further research short-term rental regulations based on density during a retreat meeting held Feb. 21. City Manager Claire Powell said city staff will undergo a public input process with outreach into the community after direction from council.
That process is expected to take four to five months, she said. With the interim ban expected to lift March 4 however, it will be up to council members to determine if they want to set a cap on the number of short-term rental permits issued citywide.
Powell said city staff will bring the action to council on March 3 with a recommendation from staff. Suggestions by council members for a citywide cap ranged from 90 short-term rentals to 150 short-term rentals so further discussion is expected at the March 3 meeting.
The details
Density-based regulations can come in the form of minimum distance requirements between each permitted short-term rental or a cap on the number of permitted short-term rentals within a single block, according to a staff presentation.
City staff presented three types of density regulations with examples of how that could look in Lewisville:
- Per block (practiced by Euless and San Marcos)
- Per block face (practiced by Corpus Christi and San Antonio)
- Minimum distance (practiced by Austin and Denton)
Council member William Meridith said he supported a closer look at regulating short-term rentals by a minimum distance of 500 feet. That means a short-term rental couldn’t be located within 500 feet of another short-term rental.
Council member Kristin Green said she had concerns with a 500-foot minimum requirement because that can encroach on potential short-term rentals in another subdivision. Some places in Lewisville are going to experience a higher density of short-term rentals compared to others though, she said.
“I do also understand that to preserve and protect our neighborhoods there is some type of regulation that we probably do need to explore,” she said.
Mayor Pro Tem Patrick Kelly said even with a 100-foot minimum requirement, that can still affect short-term rentals in a separate subdivision. Patrick said he was interested in seeing more information coming from staff.
Council member Bob Troyer said he was most interested in seeing more information from staff about regulations per block face. Council member Brandon Jones said he was open to examining regulations per block or based on minimum distance requirement.
What’s next?
While the city gathers public input and more information on the regulation types, council has the ability to set a maximum number of permits allowed citywide, Powell said.
Green voiced support for a citywide cap set at 150 short-term rentals while Kelly supported a cap at 90. There are currently 90 permitted short-term rentals in Lewisville, according to the staff presentation.
Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ronni Cade said she also supported placing a cap at 120 or 150 short-term rentals. Meredith suggested setting a cap at 125.
“I don’t think I have a total consensus but that’s fine,” Powell said. “We are going to bring it back to you on March 3 with a recommendation from staff and then you guys can have this discussion and armwrestle it out.”
Get involved
The city launched a survey in February to gather public input on how to best manage short-term rentals. The survey is open through 5 p.m. Feb. 28 and can be accessed through the city’s website.
