For those that were denied, often residents needed to voice opposition that reside in the immediate area around the home in question.
“There are instances where the zoning already allows a short-term rental, and they don’t have to request the SUP,” said Christopher Looney, director of planning and development services for the city. “So there might be one or more that exists, and they didn’t appear on the council agenda.”
Put in perspective
Websites that allow homeowners to list properties to rent list hundreds in New Braunfels, though many are outside the city.
Looney said often New Braunfels is listed for its regional advertising appeal.
“They’re in Bulverde, and they’re in Canyon Lake. People are just advertising them as being in New Braunfels to get the customers,” Looney said.
In their own words
A North Houston Avenue home was denied its rezoning request at a City Council meeting June 24. Neighboring resident Jessica Harley said she opposed using that property as a short-term rental due to the lack of long-term rentals in the area and other issues.
“I do appreciate what they’ve done with the house. It is beautiful. I am here, however, to oppose the short-term rental for many reasons, one of them being the loss of affordable housing in New Braunfels,” Harley said. “The second one being the increased cost of living due to taxes when investors who are not local come in and overbuild in a neighborhood.”
The owner of the home in question, Jessica Bacchus, said that the property is zoned for a variety of commercial and light industrial uses.
“We, or any future owner of this property, could build a hotel and not need a SUP, not have uses, but she would prefer to go through this because it is permitted by right per city zoning ... the list goes on and on,” Bacchus said. “However, the highest and best use for us would be utilizing the home as a short-term rental and maintaining a residential character.”
Stay tuned
Looney said city staff might propose some minor changes to the land development ordinance concerning short-term rentals, but added that the Smart City Policy Group—an Austin-based organization that focuses on city regulations that encourage economic innovation to the public’s benefit—lists New Braunfels’ policy as a model for other cities.
Organizations such as the Texas Neighborhood Coalition contend that short-term rentals create a noise nuisance in neighborhoods as well as issues with parking, security and housing values. In the past two years, many Texas cities have considered changes to their short-term rental codes or even banned short-term rentals.
In June, San Antonio added revisions, including a mandate that online platforms remove listings without a legitimate permit number and adding a required quiet hours notice.
