[00:00:01]
UH, IT[CALL TO ORDER & ROLL CALLs]
IS, UH, IT IS NOW 6 0 2.I AM GOING TO CALL THE, UH, THE MEETING TO ORDER FOR THE, UH, BEDFORD ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
UH, AND BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET INTO THE, UH, AFTER, BEFORE WE GET INTO THE MEETING ITSELF, I'D LIKE TO KIND OF REVIEW WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
UH, I'M ASSUMING THAT MANY PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY THERE HAVE NOT BEEN THROUGH THIS.
AND AGAIN, UH, IF THE CITY LAWYER HEARS ME SAYING SOMETHING WRONG, PLEASE INTERRUPT.
UH, BUT IN GENERAL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS BOARD IS DIFFERENT IN IS THAT IT'S A QUASI-JUDICIAL BODY.
SO IT'S, UH, IT'S BASICALLY A COURT AND TO BEGIN WITH.
SO ANYTHING SAID HERE IS CONSIDERED TESTIMONY.
AND WITH THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO DO A COUPLE THINGS.
ONE IS ANYBODY WHO, UH, WANTS TO SPEAK NEEDS TO SIGN IN WITH THEIR NAME, HOW THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ITEM BEING DISCUSSED, AND, UH, WHERE YOU LIVE.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A STREET ADDRESS.
IT CAN BE BEDFORD OR, YOU KNOW, IT CAN BE ANY CITY.
BUT IT, THE IDEA IS THAT YOU CAN BE IDENTIFIED.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT EVERYBODY WHO SPEAKS NEEDS TO BE SWORN IN.
AND WHAT WE'LL DO, UH, A LITTLE, UH, A LITTLE FURTHER ON IS WE'RE GONNA START STOP.
AND EVERYBODY'S GONNA SW GET SWORN IN ALTOGETHER, UH, AT ONE TIME.
UH, SO BEFORE WE GET UP THERE, THAT'S, THAT'S IMPORTANT HOW WE GO THROUGH ABOUT DOING THIS.
SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY WILL, UH, DISCUSS THE ITEM UNDER DISCUSSION.
UH, AND THEN AFTER THEY GIVE THEIR PRESENTATION, THE BOARD WILL ASK THE PERSON QUESTIONS.
AFTER THAT, UH, WE'LL OPEN UP FOR THE NOT OPEN UP, I SHOULD SAY THAT THE PERSON REPRESENTING THE REQUEST FOR THE, UM, SPECIAL EXEMPTION WILL COME UP AND PRESENT.
AND AFTER, AND WHEN THEY'RE DONE SPEAKING, THE, UH, THE BOARD CAN ASK THEM QUESTIONS.
AFTER THAT, WE WILL OPEN UP FOR PUBLIC INPUT.
AND, UH, A COUPLE THINGS I'D SAY THERE, UH, ALL, ANY STATEMENTS NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO THE BOARD, NOT NOT TO THE CITY STAFF, NOT TO THE PERSON, UH, ASKING FOR THE SPECIAL EXEMPTION, AND DEFINITELY NOT AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBORS WHO YOU MAY DISAGREE WITH.
SO KIND OF KEEP THE DISCUSSION TO THE STATEMENTS TO THE BOARD.
UH, AND WE NEED TO HAVE ONE PERSON SPEAK AT A TIME.
UH, WE REALLY, AND ALONG WITH THAT, I SHOULD SAY THAT THERE'S A THREE MINUTE LIMIT, UH, FOR COMMENTS.
UH, I'VE NEVER HAD TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THAT, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS THE FIRST TIME, UH, AND I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT WHAT ELSE.
UH, AND AGAIN, ONCE YOU NEED TO HOLD YOUR COMMENTS FOR WHEN YOU COME UP AND PRESENT, YOU SHOULD NOT BE, WHEN ONE PERSON SAYS SOMETHING, YOU SHOULDN'T JUMP UP AND START COMMENTING ON IT.
ALL RIGHT? AND SO, I THINK THAT'S IT.
AM I, HAVE I, HAVE I GOTTEN THINGS PRETTY GOOD? THAT'S GOOD.
UH, UH, WITH THAT, WHEN WE OPEN UP THE MEETING, AND WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY OPENED IT UP, BUT ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE'LL DO IS, UH, WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL, ROLL CALL FOR THE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, THEN WE WILL GO INTO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, AND THEN AFTER THAT, WE'LL DO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
AND I BELIEVE THAT'S KIND OF OUR OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
I, I DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE ANY QUESTIONS WITH THAT.
UH, I WILL TELL YOU, I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS, AND I WILL SAY THAT EVERYBODY WILL BE ALLOWED TO COMMENT IF THEY WANT TO.
I'LL JUST ASK FOR ANY COMMENTS TO BE TIMELY, UH, BECAUSE, UH, I KNOW IN THE PAST SOME MEETINGS HAVE LASTED AFTER MIDNIGHT, AND I'M WAY TOO OLD FOR THAT NOW.
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I WOULD LIKE TO OPEN UP THE MEETING FOR THE BEDFORD ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS.
AND WITH THAT, THE FIRST ITEM WE NEED TO DO IS TO GO THROUGH AND DO A ROLL CALL.
SO I'M GONNA ASK TO START AT THAT END AND GIVE YOUR NAME AND SAY, HERE, STEPHANIE YARBOROUGH.
UH, WITH THAT, WE HAVE A QUORUM TONIGHT, AND WE CAN GO ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
AND I'D LIKE EVERYBODY, I'M GONNA ASK EVERYBODY TO STAND WITH THAT.
UH, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, UNITED OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUAL WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING.
UH, TONIGHT, WE DO NOT HAVE, UH, MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING, SO IT IS TIME TO, UH, ONE OTHER ITEM I SHOULD BRING UP.
AND IT WAS IN THE AGENDA, UH, SOMETIMES
UH, SO I CAN RELATE TO THAT QUITE WELL, UH, UH, SINCE THIS IS A QUASI JUDICIAL BOARD AND THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT LAWYERS BY TRADE.
UH, WE HAVE THE CITY LAWYER HERE, AND WE MAY ASK TO GO IN TO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION IF LEGAL ISSUES COME UP.
OKAY? AND SO I JUST DON'T WANT ANYBODY SURPRISED IF ALL OF A SUDDEN WE TAKE A BREAK AND, AND WE GO ONTO ANOTHER ROOM AND, AND DISCUSS THINGS WITH, OKAY, WITH THAT, WE'RE, IT
[1. Conduct a public hearing and consider action on a Special Exception request from Section 5.16.B of the City of Bedford Zoning Ordinance to allow a short-term rental property to be located within 1,000 feet of another short-term rental property. The subject property is located at 1208 Briar Drive in Bedford, Texas, legally described as Kelmont Park Addition Block 7 Lot 3, generally located south of Briar Drive and east of Circle Lane. The property is zoned R-9,000 Single-Family Residential Detached District. (EXPT-26-2)]
IS NOW TIME TO DO THE FIRST ITEM.UH, AND THAT IS, UH, ITEM ONE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S EXEMPTION 26 DASH TWO IS SOMEBODY HERE FROM THE CITY TO GO OVER THAT.
CO INTERIM DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM BEFORE YOU TONIGHT IS PUBLIC HEARING.
SO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER ACTION, UH, OF A SPECIAL EXEMPTION REQUEST FROM SECTION FIVE POINT 16 POINT B OF THE CITY OF BEDFORD ZONING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW A SHORT-TERM RENTAL OF PROPERTY TO BE LOCATED WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF ANOTHER SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTY.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 1208 BRIAR DRIVE IN BEDFORD, TEXAS, LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS MONT PARK EDITION BLOCK SEVEN, LOT THREE, GENERALLY LOCATED SOUTH OF BRIAR DRIVE IN EAST OF CIRCLE LANE.
THE PROPERTY IS ZONED R 9,000 SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DETACH, AS SHOWN ON THE LOCATION MAP.
THIS IS THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IN QUESTION.
IN 2021, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED AN ANNUAL REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION PROGRAM FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTIES.
EARLIER IN 2025, THE CITY COUNCIL AMENDED THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO APPLY, ESTABLISHED A DENSITY LIMITATION, PROHIBITING SHORT-TERM RENTALS FROM BEING LOCATED WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF ANOTHER REGISTERED SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
SO, AS PART OF THAT AMENDMENT, A PROCESS WAS ESTABLISHED TO ALLOW PROPERTY OWNERS TO REQUEST A SPECIAL EXEMPTION FROM THE ZONING BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT.
THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING THIS EXCEPTION TO ALLOW THE PROPERTY AT 1208 BRIAR DRIVE TO BE REGISTERED AS A SHORT TERM RENTAL, DESPITE IT BEING WITHIN THE THOUSAND FOOT SEPARATION.
THE PROPERTY WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1980 AND LOCATED WITHIN THE R 9,000 ZONING DISTRICT, WHICH REQUIRES A LOT SIZE OF 9,000 SQUARE FEET MINIMUM THE LOT IS APPROXIMATELY 11,374 SQUARE FEET WITH APPROXIMATELY 3,161 SQUARE FEET.
THE PROPERTY PREVIOUSLY OPERATED AS A RENTAL FROM DECEMBER 18TH, 2023 THROUGH NOVEMBER 15TH, 2025, AND THEY JUST FAILED TO REALIZE THAT THEIR, UH, REGISTRATION HAS EXPIRED AND SOMEBODY ELSE CAME AND REGISTERED FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UH, WITHIN THE THOUSAND FEET.
THESE PHOTOGRAPHS JUST PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW VIEW OF YOUR SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, WHICH INCLUDES THE ADJACENT PROPERTIES TO THE EAST, WEST, AND, UH, THE PROPERTY ACROSS FROM THE STREET.
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THE PROPERTY LOCATION IN RELATION TO THE OTHER REGISTERED SHORT-TERM RENTALS, AS SHOWN IT FALLS WITHIN THE THOUSAND FOOT SEPARATION REQUIREMENT.UH, THE CLOSEST SHORT-TERM RENTAL IS APPROXIMATELY 199 FEET, AND THE FURTHEST ONE IS ABOUT 9 0 1 UH, FEET.
IN CONSIDERING THIS REQUEST TONIGHT, THE BOARD MUST EVALUATE THE FIVE FACTORS OUTLINED IN THE ZONING ORDINANCE.
FACTOR NUMBER ONE, WHETHER OPERATION OF A SHORT-TERM RENTAL IS IN EXCESS OF THE DENSITY LIMITATION WILL NOT ADVERSELY IMPACT THE RESIDENTIAL QUALITY OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH THE PROPERTY IS LOCATED.
FACTOR NUMBER TWO, WHETHER SUCH OPERATION IS LIKELY TO DISRUPT ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER'S RIGHT TO QUIET ENJOYMENT OF THEIR PROPERTY.
AND FACTOR NUMBER THREE, WHETHER SUCH OPERATION WILL SUBSTANTIALLY IMPACT NEARBY STREETS, INCLUDING WHETHER THE PROPERTY PROVIDES ONLY OFF STREET PARKING.
AND FACTOR NUMBER FOUR, WHETHER THE APPLICANT SEEKS TO OPERATE AN ENTIRE RESIDENCE AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, OR WHETHER THE SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE IS LIMITED TO A PORTION OF THE RESIDENCE.
AND THEN FACT FACTOR NUMBER FIVE IS WHETHER OTHER SHORT-TERM RENTALS IN EXCESS OF THE DENSITY LIMITATION ARE ALREADY OPERATING ON THAT BLOCK.
SO AS PART OF THE PUBLIC NOTIFICATION, THE CITY RECEIVED THREE LETTERS OF OPPOSITION.
UH, SOME OF THEM WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT TO THE MEETING.
SO THE LETTERS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO YOU GUYS.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF'S PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, QUESTIONS? I'M GONNA ASK YOU KIND OF A, UH, OBVIOUS QUESTION, UH, BUT I WANT TO GET INTO THE RECORDS.
WHAT TYPE OF NEIGHBORHOOD OR PRO PROPERTY IS THIS? YOU ALREADY SAID IT'S ZONED, IT'S A RESIDENTIAL.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A RESIDENTIAL, IT'S A RESIDE SINGLE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND IT'S REALLY A TOTAL KIND OF RESIDENTIAL TYPE NEIGHBORHOOD.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE, UH, IT LOOKED LIKE THE OTHER TWO PROPERTIES ON THERE, UH, RIGHT THERE, UM, OVERLAPPED SLIGHTLY.
SO, IS IT CORRECT TO SAY THAT ONE OF THOSE ALREADY RECEIVED AN EXEMPTION? I DON'T, I DON'T BELIEVE IT RECEIVED.
DID ONE OF THEM RECEIVE AN EXEMPTION? SO THOSE TWO PROPERTIES, UM, WERE IN PLACE BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, ENACTED THE 1000 FOOT DENSITY REQUIREMENTS.
AND AS PART OF THEIR DECISION, THEY ALLOWED ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES TO BE LEGAL, NON-CONFORMING, UM, AS LONG AS THEY KEPT RENEWING THEIR REGISTRATION.
ANY, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH THAT AS THERE'S, UH, UH, SOMEBODY SPEAK FOR THE APPLICANT? GOOD EVENING CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS, UH, EMMANUEL ABREGO.
I AM THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY AT 1208 BRIAR DRIVE, AND I'M HERE WITH SYLVESTER RAMIREZ, UH, OUR PROPERTY MANAGER.
SO WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A SPECIAL EXEMPTION FROM THE 1000 FOOT SEPARATION REQUIREMENT SO THAT THE PROPERTY CAN BE REGISTERED FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE.
NOW, I PURCHASED THE HOME BACK IN JANUARY 15TH, 2025 AS MY FIRST, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROPERTY.
UM, UH, NOW THERE WAS A REGISTRATION EXPIRATION THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF.
UH, WE BELIEVE IT PROBABLY WAS SENT TO THE ORIGINAL OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY, SO I WAS UNAWARE OF THE REGISTRATION EXPIRATION.
UH, NOW GRANTED, OBVIOUSLY, UH, THE MAINTAINING THE REQUIRED REGISTRATION IS MY RESPONSIBILITY.
SO GOING FORWARD, UH, WE WILL USE A SHARED COMPLIANCE CALENDAR WITH ADVANCED REMINDERS AND NOTIFICATIONS OF RENEWALS, INSURANCE, AND INSPECTIONS.
NOW ALSO, WE UNDERSTAND OBVIOUSLY THAT THE CENTRAL QUESTION TONIGHT IS HOW THE PROPERTY CAN OPERATE COMPATIBLY WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND WITH THE NEIGHBORS.
UH, SO WE HAVE READ THE NEIGHBORING OWNER'S CONCERNS, AND OBVIOUSLY WE TAKE THEM VERY SERIOUSLY.
SO, UM, WE WOULD WELCOME SPECIFIC DATES AND DETAILS SO THAT WE CAN REVIEW OUR RECORDS AND RESPOND ACCURATELY TO THOSE CONCERNS THAT THEY RAISED.
UH, BUT WE HAVE BROUGHT A WRITTEN PROPOSED OPERATING PLAN WITH SPECIFIC SAFEGUARDS LIKE PROHIBITING PARTIES, EVENTS, UNREGISTERED VISITORS, AND IT ALSO REQUIRES GUEST, UH, PARKING ENTIRELY ONLY ON THE PROPERTY.
AND IT PROHIBITS OUTDOOR AMPLIFIED MUSIC TO BE PLAYED UNDER THE PROPOSED PLAN.
UH, POOL USE HOT TUB USE AND OUTDOOR GATHERINGS WOULD END AT 10:00 PM AND WOULD NOT RESUME UNTIL AFTER 7:00 AM.
UH, NOW SYLVESTER AS WELL AS I, WE LIVE APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY.
UH, SO WE PROPOSE PROVIDING NEIGHBOR NEIGHBORING HOUSEHOLDS WITH A 24 HOUR PRIMARY CONTACT NUMBER, AS WELL AS A BACKUP PHONE NUMBER.
AND OUR PLAN COMMITS US TO ACKNOWLEDGING CONCERNS WITHIN 10 MINUTES AND HAVING A RESPONSIBLE PERSON ATTEND WITHIN 30 MINUTES.
WHEN AN ONSITE INTERVENTION IS NEEDED.
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UH, WE WOULD DOCUMENT EACH CONCERN, OUR RESPONSE AND THE OUTCOME.NOW, GRANTED, SINCE I SAID I LIVE, UH, WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF THIS PROPERTY, I DO STAY THERE OCCASIONALLY AND FROM TIME TO TIME, UH, SO IT GIVES ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK ITS CONDITION AND REMAIN FAMILIAR WITH THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN GENERAL.
SO DURING, BUT DURING GUEST DAYS SPECIFICALLY, WE WERE, WE WILL REMAIN LOCALLY, UH, AND AVAILABLE TO RESPOND TO ANY CONCERN THAT COULD OCCUR.
UM, NOW WE HAVE ALSO BROUGHT OUR INSURANCE DOCUMENTS, WHICH LIST THE HOME RENTAL ENDORSEMENT, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF BEDFORD AS A, UH, COVERED ENTITY ALONG WITH THE INSURANCE'S, EXPLANATION OF THE RENTAL COVERAGE, UH, FOR THE STAFF'S REVIEW IF NEEDED.
NOW, THE HOME'S DISTINCTIVE DOME DESIGN, AS YOU COULD SEE, IS KIND OF UNIQUE.
UM, AND SO THAT KIND OF ATTRACTS VISITORS AND WE VALUE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HOST THEM IN THE CITY OF BEDFORD.
SO WE, WE GREATLY APPRECIATE, UM, THE CITY OF BEDFORD AS IT IS, UH, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT DOING SO SUCCESSFULLY REQUIRES RESPECTING THE RESIDENTS WHO LIVE AROUND IT.
UH, SO WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST APPROVAL OF THIS SPECIAL EXEMPTION WITH APPROPRIATE CONDITIONS AND SAFEGUARDS, AND WE ARE PREPARED TO IMPLEMENT THE OPERATING PLAN AND COMPLETE THE REMAINING REGISTRATION AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
UH, VERA AND I ARE AVAILABLE TO EXPLAIN THE MANAGEMENT PROCEDURES AND, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF NEED BE.
BUT THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING OUR REQUEST.
UH, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT? OKAY.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT, UH, IS THERE ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT? OKAY, WE'VE GOT ONE PERSON.
IN ADDITION, WE WILL ALSO NEED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, WE ALL NEED TO STAND UP AND TAKE OUR, OUR OATH, UH, FOR THE HEARING.
IF YOU TEND TO SPEAK, WE'VE GOT THAT, UM, YOU PLACE YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
YOU JUST SAY, UH, I STATE YOUR NAME AND YES, THAT WAS A MOVIE LINE, IF YOU REMEMBER IT OR NOT.
SOLEMNLY SWEAR OR AFFIRM OR AFFIRM TO TELL THE TRUTH, TO TELL THE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
I TOTALLY GOT THIS OUT OF ORDER.
AND THEN IF YOU CAN OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND STATE THE TIME.
AND, AND FOR THE RECORD, EVERY, EVERYBODY KIND OF STOOD UP IN THE PUBLIC HEARING, SO EVERYBODY TOOK THE OATH, SO IF THEY NEED TO COME BACK.
UH, SO WITH THAT, I THINK, UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE APPLICANT, AND WE'RE READY FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC TO, UH, COMMENT.
AND IF YOU CAN STATE THE TIME IN WHICH YOU'RE OPENING THE PUBLIC HEARING.
THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW AT SIX 20.
I LIVE AT 1217 BRIAR DRIVE, WHICH IS CATTYCORNER FROM THE PROPERTY.
UM, WE HAVE HAD SEVERAL ISSUES WITH THE PROPERTY, UM, INCLUDING THE PARTIES.
THIS IS A VERY DESIRED PROPERTY WITH FOUR BEDROOMS AND A BUILT-IN POOL.
THERE WERE OUR PARTIES EVERY WEEKEND IN THE SUMMER AND WITH MUCH, MUCH, UM, ON STREET PARKING.
UM, THE PARK, THE DRIVEWAYS WE HAVE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ARE A SINGLE LANE DRIVEWAY.
IT'S NOT A DOUBLE PARK DRIVEWAY.
SO WHILE YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO FIT THREE CARS IN A ROW, MUCH OF THE PARKING IS TAKING PLACE ON THE STREET.
UM, I DRIVE A LARGE SUV, OFTENTIMES THEY HAD RESIDENTS PARK OR VISITORS PARK BEHIND MY DRIVEWAY, AND I ENDED UP HAVING TO DO MULTIPLE POINT TURNS TO GET OUT OF MY OWN DRIVEWAY.
UM, AS WELL AS I HAVE TWO YOUNG DRIVERS, A 17-YEAR-OLD AND 18-YEAR-OLD IN MY HOME, THAT HAVING THOSE EXTRA CARS SURROUNDING MY DRIVEWAY IS DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO NAVIGATE IN AND OUT OF THIS SUMMER, WE ALSO HAD A PROBLEM, UM, WITH ONE OF THEIR GUESTS WALKING INTO MY HOME.
UM, THEY KNOCKED ON THE DOOR AND OPENED THE DOOR AND CAME RIGHT IN.
UM, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE OUR HOME WELL MARKED WITH OUR ADDRESS ON BOTH THE MAILBOX AND A SIGN IN OUR
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FLOWER BED, UM, THEY STILL DID THIS.SO IT WAS A SAFETY ISSUE FOR US.
AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THAT THEY ARE WILLING TO HAVE SOME CONTINGENCIES ON THE RENTAL, INCLUDING NO PARTIES AND LOUD MUSIC, AND NO PARKING ON THE STREET, I FEEL THAT BECAUSE THEY DON'T LIVE THERE NOW, THAT MEANS THAT THE RESIDENTS, WE WOULD HAVE TO POLICE THAT.
AND I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO, EVERY TIME I SEE A PARKED CAR ON THE STREET, HAVE TO CALL SOMEBODY TO COME AND TAKE CARE OF IT.
I FEEL LIKE THAT'S AN EXTRA BURDEN ON THE RESIDENTS THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE.
ANYBODY ELSE WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT? EXCUSE ME.
THE APPLICANT WANTED TO COME UP.
UH, AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, YOU CAN COME UP, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC NOW.
AND JUST LIKE THE PUBLIC SHOULDN'T INTERRUPT YOU.
YOU DON'T, YOU SHOULD NOT INTERRUPT THE PUBLIC.
SO MAKE A NOTE OF WHAT YOU WANTED TO COMMENT ALREADY.
MY NAME IS MIKE SUTTON, AND I WANT TO ADDRESS THE, UH, LANDLORD, THE OWNERS OF THE PROPERTY.
WE'VE LIVED, UH, OUR PROPERTY BACKS UP TO THE CORNER OF THEIR, THERE'S LIKE THE POSTS AND THEN THEIR FENCE GOES THIS WAY AND THE NEIGHBOR BEHIND US GOES THAT WAY.
SO WE'RE JUST KIND OF RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, BEEN A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE.
BUT WHEN, UH, THE PEOPLE SOLD IT AND, UH, THE CHANGES WERE MADE, IT'S GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE IN THE BEGINNING IT WAS FINE.
IT WAS MOSTLY FAMILIES, YOUNG FAMILIES BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN IN, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS, BUT OF LATE, IT'S BECOMING MOSTLY MALE.
THE LAST BATCH, JUST THIS LAST WEEK, THERE WAS FOUR MALES AND THEY DRINK AND THEY GET LOUD AND THEY CUSS AND THEY SAY THINGS THEY DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T BE SAYING IN FRONT OF OTHER CHILDREN THAT LIVE, LIVE RIGHT AROUND IT.
UH, WE WERE GONNA HAVE A SWIM, KIND OF THE END OF THE SUMMER SWIM FOR US.
OUR GRANDKIDS AND SOME OF THE, THEIR FRIENDS AT, UH, CHURCH HAD TO CALL, CANCEL IT.
UH, SHE HAD TO STOP ME FROM GOING OVER THERE, AND IT'S JUST DISGUSTING.
AND IT'S GOTTEN TO BE THAT WAY.
THE FAMILIES WERE NEVER A PROBLEM.
BUT NOW THAT IT'S DOWN TO THIS POINT WHERE, I MEAN, GOING ON AT 3 45 IN THE MORNING, I FINALLY GOT TO SLEEP A LITTLE AFTER TWO.
AND THEN AT 3 45, I GET WOKE UP BY SOMEBODY BANGING SOMETHING OVER THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRYING TO THROW ALL THE BEER BOTTLES INTO THE TRASH CAN OR WHAT, BUT 3 45 I'M WOKE UP AND THE DOG'S GOING CRAZY.
AND, UH, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST DISGUSTING TO HAVE TO TOLERATE THAT.
AND, UH, UH, MY WIFE'S THE ONE THAT KEPT ME FROM GOING OVER AND GETTING INVOLVED IN IT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AN ADULT SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN TO ACT LIKE THAT.
AND THEY SHOULD JUST CONSIDER SENDING THESE OTHER HOMES OR PROBABLY FAMILIES LIVING THERE.
AND THERE'S GONNA BE SOME CHILDREN IN SOME OF THOSE HOUSES.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I WANNA SAY.
BUT TO THE OWNERS, YOU HAVE A CHALLENGE.
UH, AS LONG AS IT'S ALL MALES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, I THINK THAT PROBLEM'S GONNA CONTINUE TO EXIST.
THOSE AND FEMALES, YEAH, SOME, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE MALE FEMALE COUPLES DO THE SAME THING, BUT NOT AS BAD AS WHAT WE WENT THROUGH THIS LAST THREE OR FOUR DAYS, HOWEVER LONG THEY WERE THERE.
AND, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS.
OH, YOU HAVE A QUESTION? SURE.
WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR ADDRESS? 1205 DONNA LANE.
AND THEY'RE THE THIRD HOUSE, I THINK, ON THE HOUSE BEHIND US.
UH, IS THERE ANY, DOES ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC? OKAY, WE GOT ANOTHER ONE.
I, I WATCH A LOT TAPE TELEVISION RUN.
RIGHT? WAS IT RUN RIGHT? WHAT, WHAT'S MAKE A DEAL RUN RIGHT UP
I HOPE I CAN PROPERLY ARTICULATE MYSELF.
UM, BUT I, AS I'M A, OH, WENDY SORENSON, I APOLOGIZE.
UM, AS A, UM, LANDLORD MYSELF, I HAVE DONE THE SHORT TERM RENTAL AND I'VE DONE THE LONG-TERM RENTAL.
UM, I'VE HAD, THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO BOTH.
IF ANYONE IS A LANDLORD THEMSELVES, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO EMPATHIZE WITH THAT STATEMENT THAT THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO BOTH.
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PRO FOR A SHORT-TERM RENTAL, UM, IN MY OWN EXPERIENCE IS, UM, IN THE FACT THAT THEY ARE SO HEAVILY REGULATED AND THEY, WITH CERTAIN, I KNOW THERE'S MULTIPLE PLATFORMS, BUT I KNOW WITH, SPECIFICALLY WITH AIRBNB, THEY ARE ONE OF THE MOST RESPONSIVE AND DIRECT PEOPLE THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH.THEY'RE AVAILABLE WITHIN MOMENTS.
AND I ALSO KNOW THAT I HAD A, UM, WITH MY RENTAL PROPERTY, I STOPPED DOING AIRBNB DUE TO ZONING.
AND I WENT TO A LONG-TERM RENTAL.
AND WE LIVED OUT OF STATE, MY HUSBAND AND I, AND THE TENANT AFTER
AND ALL OF THE THINGS ENDED UP BEING A DRUG DEALER.
SO FOR ME PERSONALLY, AND WE LIVED OUT OF STATE, THE ONLY REASON WE KNEW IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A WARRANT IN OUR HOUSE THAT WE WERE NEVER INFORMED OF.
A NEIGHBOR WAS LIKE, HEY, YOUR GARAGE DOOR'S BEEN OPEN FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO PERSONALLY, I WOULD RATHER HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS BEING MAINTAINED EVERY COUPLE OF DAYS, RATHER THAN HAVING A LONG-TERM RENTER THAT FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS AND THE GRASS GETS LONG BECAUSE YOU'RE OUT OF STATE.
OR WHEREAS WITH WHAT THESE PEOPLE ARE SAYING, THEY'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE WITHIN 10 MINUTES OF CREATING A CHANGE.
AND THAT'S, I DON'T KNOW, THAT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT OPTION RATHER THAN SOMEONE THAT HAS A DRUG DEALER IN THEIR HOUSE THAT IS, OR WITH SOMEONE THAT HAS OVERGROWN GRASS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
WHEN THESE, THIS, THIS COUPLE THAT HAS A HOUSE IS WILLING TO BE WITHIN THOSE HOURS.
AND ALSO WITH AIRBNB, WHO'S VERY RESPONSIVE AND HAVING THAT COMBO OF A RESPONSIVE LANDLORD AND A RESPONSIVE COMPANY.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT COMPANY THEY USE.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
ARE YOU RELATED TO THIS PROPERTY OR, I'M NOT RELATED TO THEIR, I JUST HEARD THEIR STORY.
UM, AM I NOT ALLOWED TO SAY ANYTHING? I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF YOU OKAY.
IF YOU, IT'S, IT'S THE REASON WHY YOU NEED TO STATE YOUR ASSOCIATION.
IT MAY BE I'M A RESIDENT OF BEDFORD, I'M RESIDENT OF ULI.
BUT NEXT DOOR, BUT OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
BUT, BUT THE POINT IS, THAT'S ONE OF THE CRITERIA TO COME UP IS STATE YOUR NAME, UH, WHERE YOU'RE LOCATED AND HOW YOU'RE, SO WHY, HOW YOU'RE TIED TO THIS CASE.
AND BEING A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC IS OKAY.
UH, BUT IT JUST NEEDS TO BE CLEARLY STATED.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM WITH THAT? I THINK THE APPLICANT WANTED TO, UH, DO YOU WANNA, OH, WE HAVE ANOTHER, OKAY.
DO YOU WANNA CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE OR DO YOU WANT THE LAWYERS GOING THROUGH AND DOING A VERY GOOD JOB? IT IS NOW SIX 30 AND WE'RE CLOSING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION FOR ITEM ONE.
AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE APPLICANT, UH, WHO WISHES TO SPEAK.
HI, MY NAME'S SYLVESTER RAMIREZ.
I REPRESENT THE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT FOR THE PROPERTY.
AND, UM, I WANNA START BY FIRST, UH, APOLOGIZING TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, IN ANY NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU LIVE IN, WHETHER IT'S THE CITY OF BEDFORD OR ELI, YOU SHOULDN'T BE, UH, HAVING TO DEAL WITH, UH, PUBLIC NUISANCE THAT KEEPS YOU UP TO THREE IN THE MORNING.
AND WE TAKE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS VERY SERIOUSLY.
WHENEVER WE SEE IT, WE HEAR IT OR MADE AWARE OF IT, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR NEIGHBORS.
UH, AS THE PROPERTY MANAGER, WE'RE THE FIRST LINE OF DEFENSE, WHICH MEANS IF THERE IS A SITUATION GOING ON AT ONE IN THE MORNING, LIKE I JUST EXPERIENCED AT A DIFFERENT HOME IN A DIFFERENT CITY THAT WE MANAGE, I HAVE TO BE UP TRYING TO RESOLVE THE SITUATION WITH AIRBNB, WITH THE CURRENT GUESTS BECAUSE WE WANT THE QUALITY OF LIFE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS EXPERIENCE TO BE GOOD, EVEN IF IT'S A SHORT-TERM RENTAL OR A LONG-TERM RENTAL THAT IS OPERATING NEXT TO THEM.
SO I FIRST WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND WANT TO SAY WE WILL DO BETTER.
AND I WILL PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, FRONT SIDE, BACK, AND ANYONE NEEDED, ANYONE NEEDED SO THAT THEY HAVE OUR INFORMATION.
IF THEY SEE ANYTHING, HEAR ANYTHING, IT CAN BE ADDRESSED PROMPTLY.
UH, QUIET HOURS LIKE, UH, EMMANUEL EXPLAINED PREVIOUSLY WILL BE ENFORCED EVEN MORE THOROUGHLY.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE, UH, PILOTING IN ONE OF THE OTHER HOUSES, 'CAUSE I LIKE MY SLEEP AS WELL.
[00:30:01]
TILL ONE OR TWO IN THE MORNING TRYING TO DEAL WITH BAD GUESTS.THERE ARE BAD APPLES, BAD ACTORS IN OUT THERE.
WE DO OUR BEST TO VET THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT COMING IN HERE TO RUIN THE, UH, EXPERIENCE THAT OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, HAVE LIVING THERE.
WE CHECK HOW LONG ARE YOU GONNA BE HERE FOR? HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE HERE, HOW MANY VEHICLES ARE YOU GONNA BRING TO MITIGATE ANY PARKING THAT MAY BE HAPPENING ON THE STREET? AND ALSO, AGAIN, NO PARTIES 'CAUSE NOBODY WANTS TO BE INTERRUPTED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TRYING TO SLEEP.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN'T, UM, VET THE CHARACTER OF THE PEOPLE IF THEY LIKE TO SMOKE, IF THEY LIKE TO CUSS.
THAT'S NOT PART OF OUR VALUES, BUT EVERY PERSON IS DIFFERENT, UH, WHETHER IT'S OUR NEIGHBOR OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
SO, IN CONCLUSION, UH, I WANT TO MENTION THAT WE DO MANAGE THE PROPERTY, UM, WITH GOOD GUARDRAILS AND IF A NEIGHBOR OR EVEN A GUEST COMPLAINS ABOUT ANYTHING, WE TAKE THOSE THINGS VERY SERIOUSLY AND WE WELCOME ANY FEEDBACK FROM OUR NEIGHBORS SO THAT WAY THEY CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE LIVING INSIDE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT A SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT WAS ALREADY OPERATING PREVIOUSLY.
UH, DO WE HAVE ANY, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DO.
SO IF THE NUMBER OF CARS IS EIGHT, THEY TELL YOU THEY'RE GONNA HAVE 12.
DO YOU TELL 'EM NO? YES, WE'VE DECLINED PEOPLE.
WE DON'T EVEN LET THEM BOOK OUR PROPERTY IF THEY DON'T HAVE A GOOD REVIEW.
WE'VE DECLINED PEOPLE FROM BOOKING THE PROPERTY.
WHAT'S A GOOD REVIEW? YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 4.9 OR ABOVE TO BOOK THE PROPERTY AND IT'S AT A FIVE.
SO WE DON'T LET ANYBODY JUST STAY AT THE PROPERTY TO PREVENT PARTIES OR TRASHING THE PROPERTY ITSELF, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DAMAGES THAT HAPPEN AS WELL.
UH, DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, STATISTICS THAT SHOW A COMPLIANCE RATE AND PARTICULARLY COMPLIANT OR LET'S SAY NON-COMPLIANCE RATING, NON-COMPLIANCE RATE THAT YOU HAVEN'T BEEN NOTIFIED ABOUT? BECAUSE AS, AS WE HEARD HERE, PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS AND THEY REALLY DIDN'T NOTIF THEY DID NOTIFY YOU, THEY DIDN'T, UH, PUT A COMPLAINT INTO THE CITY.
UH, AND THE BOTTOM LINE IS, YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO SAY LIFE IS A DISTRIBUTION AND YOU GET POSITIVE PARTS OF THAT DISTRIBUTION AND NEGATIVE PARTS.
AND THERE, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY'S GONNA FOLLOW THE RULES
YOU KNOW, I, I, YOU KNOW, I HAVE NO DOUBT THERE'S A HIGH COMPLIANCE RATE, BUT YOU GET ENOUGH PEOPLE IN THERE AND THERE'S GONNA BE PROBLEMS. I MEAN, AND SO DO YOU TRACK WHAT THAT NUMBER IS AND DO YOU MANAGE TO IT OR, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK EVEN THE WORST PART IS, IS THAT WHEN SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY OR SOME NEIGHBOR HAS A PROBLEM AND MOST OF THEM AREN'T GONNA PROVIDE ANY FEEDBACK, UH, THAT THERE'S EVEN A PROBLEM.
AND I, I WOULD THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THESE SITES THAT THAT'S THEIR BUSINESS WOULD HAVE SOME PRETTY GOOD STATISTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THAT, WHAT THAT, WHAT THOSE RATES ARE.
SO I DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC, UH, DATA 'CAUSE THEN I DUNNO HOW I WOULD HAVE TO PROVIDE IT TO YOU.
WELL, I WILL SAY THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT STAY AT OUR PROPERTIES THAT WE MANAGE ARE BETWEEN 85 TO 90% COMPLIANT.
IT USUALLY COMES DOWN TO THOSE 10% OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE VETTED.
THEY HAVE A GOOD RATING THAT WE'VE ASKED WHY THEY'RE COMING TO THE PROPERTY.
WE'RE CHECKING THE CAMERAS TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN, HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE COMING IN.
AND LIKE THEY MENTIONED EARLIER, WE MOSTLY TRY TO RENT TO FAMILIES THAT ARE GONNA RESPECT THE HOUSE.
THEY'RE GONNA ENJOY IT AND ULTIMATELY THEY'RE GONNA BE GOOD NEIGHBORS.
WE HAVE ACTUALLY REPEAT CUSTOMERS, UM, THAT ARE LOCAL TO ULI THAT ALWAYS RENT THE PROPERTY.
THEY HAVE FOUR LITTLE GIRLS AND THAT'S THEIR STAYCATION 'CAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE AND THEY ENJOY THE PROPERTY THE RIGHT WAY AND RESPECTFULLY.
SO IT REALLY COMES DOWN TO 10% OF THESE GUESTS THAT CAUSE 80% OF THESE ISSUES THAT WE DO TRY OUR BEST TO MITIGATE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE WILL BE PROVIDING THAT INFORMATION TO OUR, UM, NEIGHBORS TO BE GOOD NEIGHBORS, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN GIVE US THAT FEEDBACK AND INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HEAR FROM IT THREE MONTHS, SIX MONTHS LATER, WE COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT IN REAL TIME AND PREVENT
[00:35:01]
ANY ISSUES GOING FORWARD.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I I HAVE ONE MORE.
HOW DO YOU LET THE NEIGHBORHOOD KNOW WHO'S COMING? HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU LET THEM KNOW THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO DO THIS OR WE'RE ABOUT TO DO THAT? I, I DON'T THINK WE, WE, WE CAN LET THEM KNOW IS, IS THERE, YOU SAID YOU, YOU, YOU.
NO, WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE COULD PROVIDE OUR INFORMATION FOR THEM TO REACH OUT TO US IF THERE IS A GUEST DATE THERE AND THERE IS ANY ISSUE, THEY CAN LET US KNOW SO THAT WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY 10 MINUTES AWAY.
UM, SO IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A ONE TIME THEY, THEY NEED TO PUT THAT ON, ON THEIR REFRIGERATOR.
EITHER THAT OR, UM, BUT WE, WE COULD PROVIDE A MAGNET THAT HAS THAT CONTACT INFORMATION.
ULTIMATELY, IT'S BEEN OPERATING FOR TWO YEARS AND IF THE PEOPLE COMING INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD ARE CAUSING ISSUES, WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT IT.
UM, BECAUSE AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO BE UP TILL TWO IN THE MORNING AND I KNOW MY NEIGHBORS DON'T WANNA BE UP TO TWO IN THE MORNING EITHER.
UH, BUT WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE AND REACTIVE WHEN ISSUES DO COME UP BY THE SMALL PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT COME AND RENT.
BUT SO FAR THE NEIGHBORHOOD HASN'T BEEN NOTIFIED CONTACT YOU, IS THAT CORRECT? THEY DID INITIALLY, UM, WHENEVER, UM, EMMANUEL, UM, BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DID RECEIVE, IT WAS, WE'LL USUALLY SEND MAIL TO THE, UH, NEIGHBORING PROPERTIES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ANOTHER CITY DOES THAT WE'RE GONNA DO NOW IS, UH, SIGN A RECEIPT THAT YOU ACTUALLY RECEIVED OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.
AND THAT WAY THERE'S A CLEAR RECORD THAT YOU DO HAVE OUR INFORMATION.
UM, AND IT'S NOT OF HE SAID, SHE SAID, I SENT IT.
HOW OFTEN IS THE, HOW OFTEN IS THE PROPERTY BEING BOOKED? UM, IT'S, IT'S A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ASK.
THERE'S SEASONALITY TO IT IN THE SLOW MONTHS.
UM, AND THE PEAK MONTHS, WHICH IS IN THE SUMMERTIME, IS CLOSER TO 80, 85% OF THE TIME OF A MONTH.
UM, AND USUALLY THEY'RE BOOKING FOR THREE TO FIVE NIGHTS AT A AT A TIME.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK THAT'S IT.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THERE'S ANY OTHER COMMENT.
AND WE ARE, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD, UH, MOVE INTO THE STAGE AND IT'S 6 39 OF THE BOARD DISCUSSING THE ITEM, UH, IN FRONT OF US.
UH, ANY COMMENTS? ANYBODY, ANYTHING UP FOR DISCUSSION? WELL, I THINK ONE OF THE, AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO AS PART OF OUR DISCUSSION IS TO MAKE SURE WE DOCUMENT THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH THOSE FIVE ITEMS THAT THE CITY TALKS ABOUT.
UH, THE NUMBER ONE ITEM IS THIS HOUSE IS WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF TWO DIFFERENT HOUSES, CORRECT? UM, I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET TO WHERE THOSE FIVE ITEMS ARE 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW 'EM OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SECOND ONE IS, DOES HA YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT CAN DISRUPT THE ADJACENT PROPERTY? UH, I THINK WE HAD SOMEBODY FROM THE COMMUNITY TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT HOW I WOULD MAYBE REPHRASE THAT IS, IS THERE ANYTHING UNIQUE ABOUT THE PROPERTY, UH, SUCH AS IT'S BEING ISOLATED OR SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT SETBACKS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, FROM THE PRESENTATION, IT APPEARS IT'S A NORMAL SUBURBAN RESIDENTIAL LOT.
UM, AND, UH, SO IF ANYTHING HAPPENS, IT'S GOING TO IMPACT EVERYBODY AROUND IT.
UH, THE THIRD ITEM IS STREETS, WHICH IS KIND OF INHERENT.
THE FOURTH ITEM IS, IS THE WHOLE RESIDENCE BEING, UH, UH, RENTED OUT OR IS IT A ROOM? HOW I THINK ABOUT THAT IS WE SHOULD THINK DIFFERENTLY, AND I'D LIKE TO GET ANY FEEDBACK FROM THE OUR CITY ATTORNEY, IS THAT THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN BETWEEN A LITTLE LADY RUNNING ONE OF THE ROOMS IN HER HOUSE AND IN FACT SOMEBODY RENTING THE
[00:40:01]
ENTIRE HOUSE OUT WITH, WITHOUT THE OWNER BEING ON THE PROPERTY.AND IT, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, INDEPENDENT, UH, HOUSE WHERE THERE'S NOBODY ON SITE TO MANAGE IT.
AND, UH, AGAIN, NUMBER FIVE IS CLOSE TO NUMBER ONE.
IS THE RENTALS IN EXCESS OF THE DENSITY LIMITATIONS ALREADY OPERATING ON THE BLOCK.
AND I, SO DID I GO THROUGH THE FIVE ITEMS? IS DOES THE BOARD WOULD LIKE THE BOARD LIKE TO COMMENT? OKAY.
I, UH, I ACTUALLY BROUGHT SOMETHING ELSE UP.
'CAUSE AT ONE TIME I ACTUALLY WAS A, UH, TECHNICAL SCIENTIFIC PERSON.
IT'S CALLED THE OB OBSERVA OBSERVER EFFECT.
AND, UH, IF, IF THE PEOPLE, IF I CAN'T REMEMBER IF YOU GUYS WATCHED, UH, UH, BREAKING BAD WHERE THEY ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HEISENBERG, HEISENBERG HAD AN EFFECT WHERE THE, IT GETS MIXED UP.
BUT THE COMMENT IS, IS THAT BY THE MA THE VERY NATURE OF OBSERVING SOMETHING, YOU HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE SURROUNDINGS.
AND THAT'S REALLY KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH ALL THESE SHORT-TERM RENTALS IS IN FACT YOU'RE BRINGING IN A, NOT ONLY A COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY, BUT A HIGHLY TRANSIT COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY INTO A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.
[EXECUTIVE SESSION ]
CHAIR, I RECOMMEND WE CONVENE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.WE NEED TO GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
CAN YOU STATE THE TIME? OH, IT IS NOW 6 44 AND WE'RE GONNA GO INTO AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT, UH, WE ARE BACK FROM THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AT 6 48.
UH, AND WE ARE AT JUST GETTING TO THE POINT WHETHER WE NEED TO DISCUSS MORE ITEMS, ANY, ANYTHING MORE TO DISCUSS.
AND IF THE ONLY THING I'M GOING TO ASK IS BEFORE FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS, AGAIN, TO LOOK AT THE SPECIAL, UH, EXEMPTION FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN POSTED AND THINK ABOUT THAT BEFORE WE LOOK AT ANY SORT OF, UH, MOTION.
'CAUSE I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A MOTION RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION BEFORE WE VOTE ON IT.
WHAT, WHAT IS THE MOTION THAT WE MOVE FOR A VOTE? WOULD IS YOUR MOTION TO APPROVE AND OR DENY THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION REQUEST FROM SECTION LIKE, SO YOU'LL, YOU'LL MOTION TO EITHER APPROVE OR DENY THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION CONCERNING THE SUBJECT AT PROPERTY AT, AND THEN YOU WOULD READ OFF THIS PORTION OF YOUR ITEM.
I MOVE TO DENY THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR, UM, EXCEPTION 26 DASH 2 4 1 2 0 8 BRIAR DRIVE.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? I SECOND.
WE ARE NOW OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
UH, DOES ANYBODY WANNA DISCUSS ANYTHING SINCE THERE IS NO DISCUSSION? UH, I THINK WE'RE READY FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, THE MOTION TO DENY THE SPECIAL EXEMPTION, SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED, LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT, UH, ALL
[00:45:01]
THE BOARD MEMBERS APPROVE THE MOTION TO DENY.UH, SINCE IT IS NOW 6 52, WE CAN GO ON TO ITEM TWO.
BUT BEFORE WE DO THAT, I'M GONNA ASK THE BOARD MEMBERS, DOES ANYBODY NEED TO TAKE A BREAK? I'M ASSUMING NOT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS NEED TO TAKE A BREAK SO WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS NEXT MOTION.
[2. Conduct a public hearing and consider action on a Special Exception request from Section 5.16.B of the City of Bedford Zoning Ordinance to allow a short-term rental property to be located within 1,000 feet of another short-term rental property. The subject property is located at 2417 Chestnut Way in Bedford, Texas, legally described as Oakmont Addition, The Block 5 Lot 3B, generally located north of Chestnut Way and west of Hospital Pkwy. The property is zoned MD-1 Medium-Density Residential – Duplex District. (EXPT-26-3)]
CAN NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, WHICH IS THE SPECIAL EXEMPTION FOR, UH, 26 DASH THREE AT 24 17 CHESTNUT LANE.IS THERE SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY TO SPEAK TO THIS CHAIR? WOULD YOU MIND READING THE FULL ITEM FOR ITEM NUMBER TWO, STARTING WITH CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING? UH, I DON'T EXACTLY.
OH, AS I, AS I WAS AT THE WRONG PAGE.
ITEM NUMBER TWO IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDER THE ACTION FOR A SPECIAL EXEMPTION REQUEST AT SECTION 5.1, 16 POINT B OF THE CITY, UH, OF BEDFORD ZONING BOARD ORDINANCE TO ALLOW SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTY TO BE LOCATED WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF ANOTHER SHORT TERM RENTAL PROPERTY.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS LOCATED AT 24 17 CHESTNUT WAY IN BEDFORD, TEXAS, LEGALLY DESCRIBED AS OAKMONT.
ADDITION, THE BLOCK FIVE LOT THREE B GENERALLY LOCATED NORTH OF CHESTNUT LANE WAY, AND WEST OF HOSPITAL PARKWAY.
THE PROPERTY IS ZONED MD ONE MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, IT IS NOW 6 54 AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY FROM THE CITY HERE TO SPEAK TO THIS.
THE NEXT ITEM BEFORE THE BOARD AGAIN IS ANOTHER REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL EXEMPTION FOR SECTION FIVE POINT 16 POINT B OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW A SHORT-TERM RENTAL WITHIN A THOUSAND FEET OF ANOTHER REGISTERED SHORT-TERM RENTAL.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS MENTIONED, IT'S 20, UH, 2004 17 CHESTNUT WAY, AND IT'S ZONED MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX, UH, DISTRICT AS SHOWN.
IT IS LOCATED NORTH OF CHESTNUT WAY IN WEST OF HOSPITAL PARKWAY, UH, SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS CASE.
THIS IS SUBJECT TO THE DENSITY LIMITATION ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL BACK IN 2025.
SO UNDER THE CURRENT ZONING ORDINANCE, THE APPLICANT WOULD BE REQUESTING A SPECIAL EXEMPTION TO ALLOW THE PROPERTY TO BE REGISTERED AS A SHORT-TERM RENTAL DESPITE THE SEPARATION REQUIREMENT.
THIS WAS ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1984 AND IS LOCATED, UH, WITHIN THE MEDIUM DENSITY RESIDENTIAL DUPLEX ZONING DISTRICT.
IT IS APPROXIMATELY 5,000 1 24 SQUARE FEET IN SIZE, AND THE ACTUAL STRUCTURE IS ABOUT 1,250 SQUARE FOOT.
UH, THESE PHOTOGRAPHS SHOWS THE SURROUNDING PROPERTIES, SO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY ON THE EAST, WEST, AND ACROSS THE STREET.
AND THIS MAP IDENTIFIES THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IN RELATION TO THE, UH, SHORT TERM RENTAL THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS THERE.
IT'S APPROXIMATELY 60 FEET TO THE EAST OF THE REGISTERED PROPERTY.
AS WITH THE PREVIOUS CASE, THE BOARD MUST CONSIDER THE FIVE FACTORS ESTABLISHED IN THIS ZONING ORDINANCE.
UM, AS PART OF THIS, WE DID SEND OUT, UM, LETTERS IN PUBLIC HEARINGS, AND WE ONLY RECEIVED ONE LETTER OF OPPOSITION FOR THIS.
THE APPLICANT DID PROVIDE LETTER OF SUPPORTS AS PART OF THEIR APPLICATION AS WELL.
THIS CONCLUDES THE STAFF'S PRESENTATION, BUT I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? I THINK YOUR PRESENTATION WAS VERY THOROUGH.
WITH THAT, DO WE HAVE SOMEBODY HERE TO SPEAK FOR THE APPLICANT? HAVE SOMEBODY.
AND, UH, PLEASE AGAIN, STATE YOUR NAME, HOW YOU'RE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, AND UH, WHERE, WHERE YOU RESIDE AT.
I AM, UH, RACHEL EISERMAN, AND WE HAVE OWNED THE PROPERTY AT 24 17 CHESTNUT WAY SINCE I WAS PREGNANT WITH THAT GIRL RIGHT THERE,
AND, UM, WE, UH, HAVE HAD IT AS A LONG-TERM RENTAL.
[00:50:01]
IT CAME AVAILABLE.OUR TENANTS HAD MOVED OUT AND SO WE HAD STRUGGLED A LOT AS LANDLORDS BECAUSE THE PROPERTY EV BETWEEN, WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME EVER EVEN, UM, MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY IN BETWEEN.
WE'D HAD LONG-TERM, LONG-TERM RENTERS AND THEN WE'D HAVE TO SPEND ALL OF THE PROFIT WE EVER MADE IN GETTING THE PROPERTY READY AGAIN TO RENT LONG TERM.
SO WHEN, UM, I LAST SUMMER, I WAS JUST KIND OF IN THE MOOD TO RETHINK THE WHOLE THING.
AND I ALSO HAD JUST STARTED A NEW JOB AND I REALIZED THAT UNFORTUNATELY ON MY INCOME AS A NEW EMPLOYEE OF A VERY GOOD JOB, I WAS NOT ABLE TO EVEN COVER ALL OF MY BILLS IN A HOUSE THAT I HAD OWNED FOR 24 YEARS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WAS THE, THE BILLS WERE TOO HIGH.
AND SO MY, UM, MOTHER RUNS AN AIRBNB IN HER HOUSE JUST, UH, AFTER MY GRANDMOTHER PASSED AWAY, SHE TURNED, UH, MY GRANDMA'S ROOM INTO JUST A SHORT TERM, YOU KNOW, COME FOR THE WEEKEND AT, UH, AIRBNB.
AND SHE'S ABLE, SHE WAS ABLE PRETTY EASILY TO SUPPLEMENT HER RETIREMENT INCOME.
AND SO I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE, UH, A GOOD BUSINESS VENTURE TO TRY AND TURN THE PROPERTY INTO A PARTIAL RESIDENCE AND A, UH, SHORT TERM RENTAL IN ORDER TO SEE IF THAT, UM, FISCALLY WOULD HELP US TO, TO LONG TERM, KEEP THE PROPERTY MANAGED CLEAN, NICE ALL THE BUSHES GROW UN YOU KNOW, KEEPING ALL THE BUSHES TRIMMED, THE FLOWERS BLOOMING, AND MEANWHILE COVERING ALL OF THE EXPENSES.
'CAUSE I MEAN, AS WE ALL KNOW IT, THE LIVING EXPENSIVE HEADS HAS INCREASED TREMENDOUSLY IN THE PAST 10 YEARS.
SO THIS WAS JUST MY EXPERIMENT.
AND THE INTERESTING PART OF IT WAS THAT, UM, I ALSO AM THE PARENT TO, YOU KNOW, YOUNG ADULTS WHO GREW UP IN BEDFORD.
AND IT WAS INTERESTING TO ME THAT NONE OF MY KIDS COULD AFFORD TO LIVE IN BEDFORD.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I, UM, KIND OF COINED THIS AS A PARTIAL RESIDENCE, RENT OUT A ROOM, SUPPLEMENT, THE, YOU KNOW, BILLS AND, YOU KNOW, LIVING ON SITE, WHICH IS WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING RECENTLY, LIVING ON SITE, RUNNING THE AIRBNB.
IT MADE IT SO WITH ABOUT, UH, EVEN 40 TO 60% OCCUPANCY, IT MADE, YOU KNOW, LIVING EXPENSES JUST MUCH MORE PALATABLE TO JUST AN AVERAGE, UH, LIKE A YOUNG, A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL, WHICH WAS MY CURRENT POSITION AS AN OLD PERSON
SO THAT WAS, SO THEN THE INTERESTING PART WAS THAT I GOT ALL OF MY YOUNG ADULT CHILDREN TOGETHER AND I SAID, HEY, THIS IS GONNA BE SO FUN.
LET'S START A FAMILY BUSINESS.
LET'S COPY GRANDMA AND RUN AN AIRBNB.
AND SO WE JUST KIND OF WORKED THROUGH IT.
WE SET IT UP, WE MADE IT SUPER CUTE, YOU KNOW, WE LISTED IT AND YOU KNOW, MY, UM, MY OLDEST DAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE LANDSCAPING AND MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE SPREADSHEETS AND MY MIDDLE DAUGHTER HELPS WITH THE BOOKING BECAUSE SHE SAYS I TEXT MEAN.
SO
SO, UM, ANYWAYS, SO THEN SUPER FUN THING.
UM, I HAVE ONE ADOPT, I ONLY HAD THREE DAUGHTERS, SO I ADOPTED THIS YOUNG MAN AS MY SON WHO IS GONNA BE THE ONE WHO HAS PREPARED THESE DOCUMENTS FOR ME.
SO BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING AS A FAMILY JUST TO KIND OF LIKE DABBLE IN THE AIRBNB BUSINESS BECAUSE WE HAD SEEN IT TO BE A POSITIVE, UM, A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR MY MOM.
I JUST TOLD THESE KIDS WHEN OUR, UM, APPLICATION GOT DENIED.
I WAS LIKE, WELL, NONE OF US ARE GONNA MAKE ANY MONEY IF YOU GUYS DON'T FIGURE THIS OUT.
AND SO HIM AND MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S CURRENTLY IN THAILAND AND UNABLE TO BE HERE PREPARED THESE DOCUMENTS FOR YOU GUYS AND, UM, HAVE JUST REALLY MADE ME SUPER PROUD AS YOUNG PEOPLE CONTRIBUTING TO THE COMMUNITY WHILE SUPPORTING THEIR OLD LADY.
SO AS YOUR LAST MENTION, I AM JUST AN OLD LADY TRYING TO RENT A ROOM IN A HOUSE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT SIDE OF THE AIRBNB BUSINESS.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF AIRBNB IN THE FACT THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T USE AIRB AIRBNB DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S LIKE A HOST APPROVAL, UM, HOST APPROVAL AND UH, UH, LIKE THE HOST AND THE GUEST, IT'S ALL RATED.
SO IF WE HAD A GUEST THAT BROKE ANYTHING OR HAD A PARTY OR DID ANYTHING, WHICH, I MEAN, OURS IS JUST A ONE BEDROOM AIRBNB, SO WE RENT TO PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING IN TOWN TO GO TO THE COWBOYS GAME AND THEN LEAVING THE NEXT DAY.
OURS IS, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, SIDE OF THE AIRBNB BUSINESS.
SO, I MEAN, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS
[00:55:01]
OR I BET MY NEIGHBORS, I MEAN MY NEIGHBORS THAT SUBMITTED THEIR, UM, THEIR OPINIONS, UH, WERE ALL, THEY'VE ALL SPOKE, SPOKEN VERY FONDLY OF IT JUST BEING AN EXPERIENCE TO BE AMBASSADORS FOR BEDFORD FOR THESE TYPES OF EVENTS.SO JUST IN, UH, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND GIVE, UH, PEYTON BACON WHO HAS PREPARED THESE DOCUMENTS FOR ME, AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS ALL OF THESE FACTORS.
AND THEN I WOULD BE EXCITED TO, UH, TO OPEN THE FLOOR TO QUESTIONS TO YOU GUYS OR TO ANYONE ELSE.
ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
FOR THE NEXT, YOU DID IT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
I'M THE, UH, PROPERTY MANAGER AT 2 4 1 7 CHESTNUT WAY.
AND, UH, AS I SURE EVERYBODY ON THE STREET WOULD AGREE, WE'D LIKE TO KEEP THE CHARACTER OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD WITH A GOOD REPUTATION.
AND SO WE'RE ASKING THAT, UH, YOU GUYS PLEASE CONSIDER THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION FOR 2 4 1 7 BASED ON OUR, THE FIVE, UH, FACTORS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PROVIDED HERE.
THE, UH, FIRST ONE IS SINCE IT'S A DUPLEX AND SHE'S LIVING IN THE BACK PART, IT'S ONLY A ONE BEDROOM AND IT SLEEPS UP TO TWO MAX.
THE SECOND IS, UH, WE HAVE A RULES THAT ARE STATED ON EVERY LISTING, AND IT IS QUIET HOURS FROM 11:00 PM TO 7:00 AM NO PARTIES, NO EVENTS.
THERE'S, UH, CLEAR HOUSE RULES AND UH, THERE'S BEEN STATEMENTS THAT WE'VE GATHERED FROM MULTIPLE NEIGHBORS ON THE STREET WITH THEIR OPINIONS ON IT, AND THEY'VE ALL SPOKEN FONDLY ABOUT IT.
THIRD, UH, THERE'S THE OFF STREET PARKING.
WE A 42 BY NINE FOOT DRIVEWAY THAT CAN COMFORTABLY HOLD TWO VEHICLES.
AND FINALLY WE KNOW THAT THE, UH, PROPERTY IS WITHIN 60 FEET OF, OR 1000 FEET OF THE OTHER SHORT TERM RENTAL.
BUT WE'D LIKE YOU GUYS TO CONSIDER THE, UH, EXCEPTION SINCE THE SCALE OF THE PROPERTY IS MUCH SMALLER THAN THE AVERAGE AIRBNB AND THE OWNER WILL BE ON SITE AND THE PARKING RESTRICTIONS AND ACTUAL FEEDBACK FROM YOUR NEIGHBORS STATE THAT NOBODY HAS TOO MUCH OF AN ISSUE.
UH, DOES THE BOARD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
UH, MAY I, UH, ARE YOU PART OF THE APPLICANT OR PART OF THE PUBLIC? YES.
UM, AGAIN, STATE YOUR NAME AND ASSOCIATION.
SO I'M JORGE EISERMAN, CO-OWNER.
UM, RACHEL'S HUSBAND, FATHER OF THE, THE CHILDREN THAT SHE'S BEEN REFERRING TO.
UH, WE MOVED OUT, THAT WAS ACTUALLY OUR FIRST PROPERTY THAT WE PURCHASED WHEN WE GOT MARRIED.
UH, WE MOVED OUT IN 2006, SO IT'S BEEN 20 YEARS.
UH, BUT WE'VE, LIKE SHE MENTIONED, WE'VE BEEN RENTING IT OUT.
WE'VE HAD LONG TERM TENANTS AND AGAIN, TO HER POINT, UM, AND WE DECIDED TO GO DOWN THIS VENTURE, UH, WITH THE AIRBNB.
UM, THE ONLY CLARIFICATION OR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS I WANNA MAKE RELATIVE TO WHAT PEYTON JUST MENTIONED IS, UH, WHILE YES, IT IS WITHIN THE 1000 FEET, 60 FOOT AS A CROW FLIES THE OTHER PROPERTIES ON THE STREET TO THE NORTH OF IT.
SO IT'S NOT ON THE SAME STREET.
UM, LIKE RACHEL SAID, WE DID HAVE, UH, A FEW OF THE NEIGHBOR SUPPORT, UH, STATEMENTS THAT WERE SUBMITTED.
UM, AND WE LIVE, WE ACTUALLY LIVE RIGHT NOW, OR I LIVE, UH, ABOUT THREE MILES AWAY IN BEDFORD AS WELL.
SO I'M ABOUT 10, LESS THAN 10 MINUTES AWAY.
UH, MY IN-LAWS, LIKE SHE MENTIONED THAT HAVE THEIR OWN AIRBNB AS WELL.
THEY'RE IN U LIST, BUT ACROSS FROM WEST PARKWAY, SO THEY'RE EVEN CLOSER THAN WE ARE.
AND PEYTON LIVES NEARBY IN BEDFORD AS WELL.
SO WE CAN GET THERE, UH, RELATIVELY QUICKLY IF THERE'S EVER BEEN AN ISSUE.
UM, IT'S FROM THE TENANT SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, SWITCH WENT OUT OR WHATEVER.
SO BETWEEN, UH, OUR GROUP, OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM, WHETHER IT'S PEYTON, MYSELF, RACHEL, WHO IS LIVING IN THE BACKSIDE OF THE, THE PROPERTY, UM, WE GET ANY, ANY ISSUES ADDRESSED QUICKLY? TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY COMPLAINTS.
UH, NONE OF THE NEIGHBORS THAT WE KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME OF 'EM HAVE MOVED ON OR MOVED OUT.
UH, BUT WE KNOW, ESPECIALLY RACHEL KNOWS THAT, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE NEARBY, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY COMPLAINTS.
UH, SO YEAH, I APPRECIATE, UM, Y'ALL CONSIDERING, UH, OUR REQUEST TO, TO MAKE THIS EXCEPTION.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE TO SPEAK FOR THE, THE APPLICANT PORTION OF THIS AT THIS TIME? YES, I CAN.
[01:00:01]
PUBLIC? I'M NOT.I'M RACHEL'S MOM, AND I ALSO RUN AN AIRBNB.
I WOULD, I WOULD OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AT THIS TIME.
YOU WANT ME TO SIT DOWN? YES, YOU CAN.
UH, WITH THAT, IT IS TIME TO OPEN UP THE PUBLIC HEARING AND IT'S SEVEN, UH, AT 7 0 7.
AND SO IS THERE ANYBODY FOR THE PUBLIC, WHICH YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SPEAK JUST HA JUST PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING PORTION OF IT.
I AM LISA WALTON AND I, I, UM, I RUN AN AIRBNB LIKE, LIKE RACHEL TOLD ME, IT'S, UM, IT'S, I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THREE YEARS AND IT'S IN MY HOME.
IT'S JUST KIND OF A, A SIDE, LIKE A STUDIO, ONE BEDROOM, YOU KNOW, I'M THE SAME.
I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF GUESTS COMING IN FOR A COWBOY GAME AND IN THE THREE YEARS I KNOW YOU'RE ASKING THE OTHER GENTLEMAN FOR SOME STATISTICS OR WHATNOT, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD NOTHING.
BUT I MEAN, YES, I HAVE HAD, YOU KNOW, YOU DO HAVE THAT ONE GUEST THAT YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, AS SOMEBODY LIVING THERE, YOU, YOU KNOW, GO AND ASK THEM TO LEAVE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEN THEY DO, OR YOU CALL AIRBNB.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT EVER BEEN A PROBLEM FOR US.
AND, AND OUR, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NICE TO HAVE A SMALL PLACE WHERE PEOPLE COME.
AIRBNB, LIKE EVERYBODY SAID, IS, UH, THEY SCREEN THE PEOPLE AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW WHO YOU'RE GETTING AND IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BOOK THEM, YOU JUST, YOU JUST DON'T, IF THERE'S A CONCERN FOR YOU.
BUT I KNOW MY DAUGHTER RACHEL AND HER AND HER FAMILY ARE LIKE THE BEST TEAMWORK EVER IN TAKING CARE OF THINGS.
AND, AND JUST THE BACKUP THAT, THAT THEY HAVE IF THEY WERE TO EVER HAVE A PROBLEM IS, IS SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE NO CONCERN.
I'M JUST, I'M JUST, I JUST, I JUST HAD A THOUGHT COMING TO ME AND THEN IT LEFT.
UM, ANYWAY, IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT HAS BEEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPLEMENT OUR INCOME AND IT HASN'T BEEN A PROBLEM.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THE CITY OF ELI WHAT OUR RULES ARE, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S FOR SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PERMIT IN ULI TO DO OUR AIRBNB, AND WE ALSO PAY AN OCCUPANCY TAX TO OUR CITY.
THAT IS, I THINK 7% OF WHAT WE, WHAT WE MAKE GOES TO THE CITY OF ULUS, WHICH IS FAIR.
THEY, WE, THEY BRING IN ACTIVITIES AND IT COSTS MONEY.
AND SO WE HELP SUPPLEMENT THAT ACTIVITY TO THE CITY OF ULUS.
SO I'M NOT SURE HOW BEDFORD DOES THAT, BUT I ALSO OWN A DUPLEX IN BEDFORD.
IT'S ACTUALLY ON OAKMONT COURT, ONE BLOCK OVER FROM RACHEL'S, AND, AND IT'S BEEN RENTAL PROPERTY FOR US.
AND, AND IT'S JUST A, A GREAT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S A, A VERY VARIETY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE LIKE ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
IS IT, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE IN THE PUBLIC WHO'D LIKE TO SPEAK? GOT, OKAY.
UH, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, HOW YOU'RE RELATED TO THE CASE AND WHERE YOU LIVE.
I LIVE DOWN THE STREET ON CHESTNUT WAY TO THE WEST.
UM, I DIDN'T OR DON'T RECALL GETTING A LETTER ABOUT THIS IN THE BEGINNING, LIKE THEY SAID, UM, AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I WAS TOO FAR DOWN THE STREET.
UM, RACHEL HAD SAID THAT SHE WAS LIVING THERE, AND I GUESS I WANNA KNOW, IS SHE GONNA CONTINUE TO LIVE THERE OR IS SHE GONNA RENT OUT THE LONG-TERM PART OF THE HOUSE OR I DON'T, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN HAVE TWO THINGS IN ONE LITTLE TINY DUPLEX ON ONE SIDE.
UM, THAT, THAT, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WE ALLOWED AIRBNB THINGS IN BEDFORD.
I JUST ASSUMED THAT, THAT WE DIDN'T, UM, I WOULD BE PROBABLY LESS CONCERNED ABOUT THIS.
I TALKED TO A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORS THAT KNOW HER REALLY WELL AND, UM, THAT HAVE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, SHE WON'T PUT UP WITH ANY KIND OF STUFF GOING ON.
[01:05:01]
BUT MY CONCERN IS SAFETY.I MEAN, WHEN THE OTHER LADY WAS TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WALKING INTO HER HOUSE, UM, THAT'S SCARY.
AND WHAT IF, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE WALKING DOWN THE STREET OR DOING SOMETHING.
WE LIVE IN A REALLY SAFE NEIGHBORHOOD AND, UM, ALL THE NEIGHBORS, YOU KNOW, REALLY KNOW EACH OTHER AROUND.
SO I'M SORT OF ON THE FENCE ABOUT THIS, BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF MY QUESTIONS IS DOES SHE HAVE A LICENSE NOW OR IS SHE DOING IT, OR IS SHE JUST STARTING THIS? OR, UM, YOU KNOW, DID SHE DO CONSTRUCTION? DID SHE GET PERMITS TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION, OR IS IT JUST A MATTER OF PUTTING UP A DOOR AND A LOCK? I'M, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ON HOW THAT ALL WORKS.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY NOT JUST DIRECTED AT HER, BUT THAT'S KIND OF IN GENERAL, THOSE WOULD BE MY QUESTIONS.
ANY, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I DON'T KNOW THAT MY MIC IS WORKING, BUT I WILL NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM THIS ONE.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? HI, MY NAME IS ELIZABETH GETZ AND I LIVE AT 24 13 CHESTNUT WAY, WHICH IS RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO THIS PROPERTY.
AND, UM, I'M HAVING A LITTLE HARD TIME HERE WITH SOME OF THIS SIMPLY BECAUSE, OH, WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AND WE'RE GONNA DO THAT.
WELL, I TELL YOU WHAT, RACHEL IS NOT THE BEST COMMUNICATOR.
'CAUSE IN THE PAST WHEN SHE WANTED TO DISCUSS SOMETHING WITH ME, SHE WOULD YELL AT ME FROM 20 OR 30 FEET, NOT WALK UP TO THE, LIKE A FIVE FOOT CONVERSATION AREA AND DISCUSS SOMETHING WITH ME.
THE OTHER THING IS SHE WOULDN'T EVEN CALL ME ON THE PHONE, MA'AM.
WE DO, WE, WE ASK THAT ALL COMMENTS BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD REGARDING THE PROPERTY ITSELF.
WELL, IT IS IN RESPECT THAT SHE DOESN'T COMMUNICATE, AND SHE'S SAYING THAT IF ANYTHING GOES WRONG, SHE'S, SHE'S, YOU KNOW, GONNA COMMUNICATE BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, THIS AND THAT.
AND IF SHE, I MEAN, THEY LITERALLY, SHE FORBADE ME.
COULD I, I THINK WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY IS, INSTEAD OF MAYBE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE APPLICANT TO SAY THAT SHE'S HAD COMMUNICATION, SHE SUPPOSED TO BE ABOUT THE, THE PROPERTY AND SHE'S HAD COMMUNICATE, SHE HAD PROBLEMS WITH COMMUNICATING ISSUES ABOUT THE PROPERTY.
I'M ASKING HOW, HOW TO, HOW TO HELP GET THIS THAT'S CORRECT.
I SHOULD SAY THE PROPERTY MANAGER DOESN'T COMMUNICATE WELL OR YOU'VE, YOU'VE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROPERTY AND HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY GETTING A DIRECT RESPONSE, OR IS, IS THAT A BETTER WAY OF STATING? EXACTLY.
AND I HAD BEEN CUT OFF FROM THEM ON A DISCUSSION AND DECISION ON A FENCE AND MOVED OVER TO HER HUSBAND, AND THEN I WORKED WITH HIM FOR FOUR MONTHS WITH NO DECISION.
AND THEN IT CAME BACK TO RACHEL, EXCUSE ME, THE PROPERTY MANAGER.
ANYWAY, WHEN I, I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT, SO I'M NOT SURE HOW QUICKLY THEY MIGHT RESPOND TO A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE A TENANT WHO ISN'T OBEYING THE RULES.
THE OTHER THING IS, IS THAT I AM CONCERNED ABOUT PARKING BECAUSE YES, WE HAVE LIKE A 60 OR 90 FOOT, UH, SINGLE LANE DRIVEWAY THAT CARS ARE PARKED IN, BUT PEOPLE ARE VERY RETICENT TO PARK MORE THAN ONE CAR IN THE DRIVEWAY ANYWAY.
AND THEN THERE'S ONE OUT ON THE STREET.
AND THEN DEPENDING ON HOW, YOU KNOW, IS THIS GONNA BE A ONE PERSON RENTAL? IS IT GONNA BE A TWO PERSON RENTAL? ARE THEY GONNA HAVE TWO CARS? YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND I DON'T REALLY, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE CAR, MULTIPLE CARS AS IT IS AND PARK IN THE DRIVEWAY AND ON THE STREET.
I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU CAN GET FOUR CARS ACROSS OUR STREET, OR IF YOU CAN, YOU'RE GONNA BE SIDESWIPING SOMEONE.
SO PART THE PARKING SITUATION IS IMPORTANT.
THOSE ARE MY TWO CONCERNS, IS THE COMMUNICATION WITH THE PROPERTY MANAGER TO RESPOND TO ANY ISSUES.
AND THEN THE OTHER IS THE PARKING SITUATION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? UH, THANK YOU.
IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE TO, UH, FOR THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT? SURE.
AND AGAIN, STATE YOUR NAME, UH, YOUR RE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOUR
[01:10:01]
RESIDENCE IS AND, AND HOW YOU'RE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.I LIVE AT 24 0 4 CHESTNUT WAY.
UM, I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 24 YEARS.
UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVERALL IS QUIET.
I'M GONNA READ THIS 'CAUSE I'M SO NERVOUS AND A TERRIBLE SPEAKER.
UM, I FEEL SAFE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND IT'S QUIET.
UM, I MAY NOT KNOW ALL MY NEIGHBORS BY NAME, BUT I KNOW THEM BY FACE.
I DON'T THINK I WOULD FEEL AS COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE THAT I DON'T KNOW HERE AND THERE UP AND DOWN THE STREET.
AND I WOULD WONDER, WHO ARE THEY? WHERE DO THEY BELONG? WHAT ARE THEY HERE FOR? UM, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RENT IT OUT TO VACATIONERS.
UM, VACATIONERS ARE ON VACATION TIME.
I GET UP IN AT 6:00 AM AND I GO TO WORK.
AND WHILE IT'S ALL WELL AND GOOD THAT YOU CAN HAVE A NUMBER AND A NAME TO CONTACT SOMEBODY SHOULD THINGS GET LOUD AND OUT OF HAND TO ME, THAT'S ALREADY, NOW YOU'VE DISTURBED MY SLEEP.
I'VE HAD TO MAKE A PHONE CALL.
I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT.
I HAVEN'T HAD THAT IN 24 YEARS.
THESE DUPLEXES ARE VERY SMALL.
MINE IS TWO BEDROOM, ONE BATH.
UM, THE NEXT, THE ONE THAT IS ATTACHED TO ME IS A TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATH THAT WAS RENTED OUT TO TWO WOMEN WHO HAD CONSTANT PARTIES.
ONE PARTY THEY HAD, THERE MUST HAVE BEEN 40 CARS UP AND DOWN THE BLOCK.
THE POLICE WERE CALLED, THE MUSIC WAS LOUD, THE POLICE WERE POUNDING ON THE DOOR.
THERE WAS TRASH IN MY FRONT YARD, BACKYARD, THERE WAS NOWHERE TO PARK.
I HAD PEOPLE GOING IN MY DRIVEWAY THINKING THEY WERE GONNA PARK THERE, WALKING UP MY PERSONAL SIDEWALK, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, FIVE FEET FROM MY DOOR.
UM, THERE'S JUST, THERE'S NOWHERE TO PARK.
THESE ARE VERY, I DON'T WANNA SAY THEY'RE ZERO LOT LINE HOMES, BUT THEY'RE VERY SMALL.
UM, AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WORRY ABOUT.
PEOPLE SAY ONE THING AND THEN THEY'LL DO ANOTHER.
YOU CAN PUT ALL THESE, YOU KNOW, RAILS IN PLACE TO KEEP THINGS THE WAY YOU WANT IT.
BUT PEOPLE TODAY, THEY DON'T RESPECT THAT.
I WOULDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE GOING OVER TO SOMEBODY'S DOOR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND SAYING, HEY, CAN YOU TURN IT DOWN? I MEAN, IF THE CITY OF BEDFORD WANTS TO HAVE THE POLICE OUT CONSTANTLY ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR, YOU KNOW, NOISE, THEN, THEN, THEN THAT'S WHAT YOU'LL HAVE.
THEY DON'T LIKE THE ONE HOUSE.
THE DOME HOUSE HAS FOUR BEDROOMS, THREE BATHS, A POOL.
THESE HAVE LITTLE DINKY YARDS IN THE BACK.
THERE'S, THERE'S REALLY NO POOLS.
I THINK THERE'S ONE POOL IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WOULD DO IN THESE HOMES OTHER THAN PARTY AND, AND HAVE A GOOD TIME.
UM, I THINK IF YOU WANNA DO THAT, THERE'S HOTEL OPTIONS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A POOL AND YOU CAN HAVE A PARTY AND THERE'S MANAGER ON SITE THERE TO SAY, HEY, TAKE IT DOWN.
THERE'S PARKING THERE, THERE'S, THERE'S RULES THAT'LL BE ENFORCED.
UM, I, I JUST, I DON'T WANT THIS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I PROBABLY HAVE MORE REASONS, BUT I'M LOSING MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
UM, I, I, IT'S RESIDENTIAL FOR A REASON.
THIS IS MY HOME WHERE I COME TO AT THE END OF THE DAY FOR MY PEACE AND QUIET.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE LIVED HERE 24 YEARS AND, UM, I'M ABOUT GETTING READY TO RETIRE.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO BE MAKING PHONE CALLS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT.
I DON'T WANNA HAVE TO BE WOKEN UP BY PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THE HOMES, THE FRONT PORCH AREA, I'LL USE MINE AS AN EXAMPLE.
MY DOOR'S HERE, MY NEIGHBOR'S IS HERE, AND THERE'S A PORCH RIGHT HERE, TWO WINDOWS, ONE MINE, ONE THEIRS.
AND THEN THERE'S THE WALL THAT YOU DON'T SEE IN BETWEEN.
WHEN YOU COME UP TO THE FRONT PORCH TO GO INTO MY DOOR, THEIR DOOR, I HEAR IT.
IF YOU'VE GOT 20 PEOPLE, FIVE PEOPLE, THREE PEOPLE SCREAMING, KIDS DRINKING, MAKING NOISE, YOU HEAR IT BECAUSE THERE'S, THOSE TWO ROOMS ARE BEDROOMS RIGHT IN THE FRONT OF MOST OF THESE DUPLEXES.
UM, SO I JUST, I DON'T WANT THIS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD IN GENERAL.
I THINK IT'LL, UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT A GOOD THING.
WE'VE ALL SEEN THE, THE HORROR STORIES.
I'M SURE THERE ARE DECENT PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE QUIET AND CALM AND JUST WANT A PLACE TO RELAX.
BUT I FEAR THAT THAT'S THE MINORITY, NOT THE MAJORITY.
SO I DON'T WANT THIS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? GOOD.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON TO THE COMMENTS OR, UH, I CAN, WE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, UH, CLOSE THE PUBLIC PORTION.
FIRST, WE NEED TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC PORTION, AND THEN WE'LL ASK
[01:15:01]
THE APPLICANT IF THEY WISH TO COMMENT ABOUT WHAT WAS DISCUSSED.SO WE NEED TO CLOSE ONE SECTION OFF BEFORE WE OPEN THE OTHER ONE.
SO ARE WE, IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE FROM THE PUBLIC WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT OR PUT, PUT THEIR INPUT IN? OKAY.
WITH THAT, I BELIEVE THE APPLICANT WOULD LIKE TO, UH, SPEAK.
WHAT TIME ARE YOU CLOSING THE PUBLIC HEARING? SORRY.
IT IS NOW 7 22 AND WE'RE CLOSING THE PUBLIC SECTION, AND WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP A, UH, UH, FURTHER COMMENT FROM THE APPLICANT'S SECTION.
SO WITH THAT, IF YOU WANTED TO COME UP SPEAK, GO AHEAD.
UM, WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I'M JUST, THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A, UH, SUCH A, UH, ENLIGHTENING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE ALL THINK WE KNOW WHAT WE HEAR AND SEE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AIRBNB AND THE NEWS OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHERE YOU'VE GATHERED YOUR INFORMATION AND FROM THE SOURCE FROM WHICH YOU'VE GATHERED YOUR INFORMATION IS PROBABLY GOING TO AFFECT THE INFORMATION THAT YOU ACTUALLY HAVE.
AND ALSO BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE THEORY OF LIKE, THERE'S TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY.
THERE'S, AND THERE'S, THEN THERE'S THE TRUTH.
YOU KNOW, LIKE THE TRUTH ABOUT AIRBNB IS THAT IT IS A HIGHLY, UM, IT'S A HIGHLY REGULATED, YOU KNOW, SHORT TERM RENTAL SITE THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD, I MEAN, FOR US IT'S BEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT LIKE SOLID, EASY, QUIET, HAPPY THING.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE.
I KNOW FOR OTHER PEOPLE THEY'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT RATIOS.
BUT, UM, AS FAR AS MY RELATIONSHIP WITH BETTY, EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENED WITH BETTY WAS, PRIOR TO AIRBNB, WE HAD A HUGE ISSUE, YOU KNOW, THE POEM ABOUT GOOD FENCES, MAKE GOOD NEIGHBORS, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT ONE
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, HARD COMMUNICATION AT A HARD COMMUNICATION TIME FOR ME AND MY FAMILY.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD HOPE, I MEAN, BETTY'S BEEN TO, YOU KNOW, BIRTHDAY PARTIES AT MY HOUSE, SO I WOULD HOPE SOMEDAY TO BE ABLE TO MEND THAT.
BUT, UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'M NOT TRYING TO ADDRESS BETTY.
I'M TRYING TO ADDRESS YOU THAT NEIGHBORS ARE IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, THE OTHER, UM, THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP WAS, UM, THE COMMUNICATION.
I DO THINK IT'S SUPER UNCLEAR THE WAY THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN AIRBNB AND THE CITIZENS IS.
LIKE, IF I WAS SITTING HERE AS A FIRST TIME PERSON, WHATEVER, I WOULD HAVE NO CLUE LIKE HOW THIS COMMUNICATION GOES ON.
SO I JUST WANNA LIKE, JUST GIVE A QUICK, LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMETHING HAPPENS, YOU KNOW, AIRBNB, UM, AND THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DIRECT OWNER AND THE NEIGHBORS IS ALL, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL AVAILABLE, BUT IT'S ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.
AND LIKE, SO LIKE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT ALL NEIGHBORS NEED TO DISCUSS AMONGST THEMSELVES.
AND YOU KNOW, LIKE, AGAIN, GOOD COMMUNICATION MAKES GOOD NEIGHBORS.
SO, UM, THE OTHER THING ABOUT PARKING, PARKING IN THIS ISSUE IS, UH, THIS PARKING IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN AN ISSUE.
WHEN WE, UM, THOUGHT ABOUT THIS IDEA OF HAVING, UM, THE AIRBNB, WE DO HAVE ONE OF THE LOTS THAT HAS A LOT OF SIDE YARD.
SO IF WE WERE TO JUST, WE COULD EASILY, UM, TAKE LIKE NINE INCHES ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF OUR DRIVEWAY AND WE COULD PARK TWO CARS.
SO IF WE EVER DID HAVE, YOU KNOW, AN EASIER, IF WE WERE ABLE TO GET APPROVED, WE COULD EASILY IMPLEMENT AN EXTRA PARKING SPACE, WHICH WOULD ALLOW FOR, UH, ALLEVIATING THE CONGESTION ON THE STREET TO BE COURTEOUS TO OUR NEIGHBORS.
UM, IF THERE ARE, UM, I'M GONNA LET MY, UH, REPRESENTATIVE, 'CAUSE HE SENT ME A LIST AND THEN I CAME UP HERE AND PROBABLY SAID ONLY ONE OR TWO THINGS OF IT.
SO I'M GONNA LET HIM GIVE THE FINAL REBUTTAL OR THE FINAL, YOU KNOW, RESPONSE.
AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
UM, ONE OF THE, UM, PUBLIC SPEAKERS HAD MENTIONED KIND OF WHAT THE IDEA IS FOR, UH, RENTING OUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROPERTY.
OR DID YOU GUYS HAVE THE MAP OF THAT? I DO HAVE THE MAP, YEAH.
SO ARE YOU GOING OR IS YOUR PLAN TO LIVE ON SITE? YEAH, I MEAN, WE, SOMEONE IN MY FAMILY, LIKE I'M JUST ENTERING THE AGE OF ADULT CHILDREN NEEDING A PLACE TO LIVE.
SO LIKE, IT'S KIND OF LIKE OUR, UH, SECONDARY RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, SO SOMEONE IN OUR FAMILY IS, YOU KNOW, ADULT CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, NIECES, NEPHEWS, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT FAMILY MEMBERS, UH, THAT NEEDED TO STAY THERE, UM, BEFORE THIS TOO.
[01:20:01]
HUSBAND AND I ALSO ARE, I, I WORK AS, UH, I HAVE A JOB WHERE I HAVE TO GET REALLY GOOD SLEEP AND MY HUSBAND SNORES, SO I, UH, GO OVER THERE TO SLEEP A LOT BECAUSE IT JUST MAKES IT A LOT EASIER.SO, I MEAN, WE ARE JUST USING IT AS A FLEX SPACE THAT IS NOT CONNECTED TO OUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE, BUT IS OUR SECONDARY RESIDENCE.
AND WE DO, UM, WE ARE THERE, I JUST PLANTED A FALL GARDEN.
I'VE GOT BROCCOLI, CAULIFLOWER, AND ARUGULA GROWING.
LIKE, IT'S JUST REALLY FUN TO HAVE, UM, A SECONDARY SPACE IN BEDFORD TO, UM, BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF, WE HAVE ALSO REALLY ENJOY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
I KNOW THAT, UM, LIKE AIRBNBS DO NOT, LIKE THERE'S, WE HAVE HAD ALL OF OUR COMMENTS ON ALL OF OUR AIRBNBS HAVE BEEN, IT'S A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE APPRECIATED A QUIET NEIGHBORHOOD AND WE MAYBE WALKED OUR DOG.
AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE'RE PROVIDING IS, UH, WE ALLOW PETS TO BE IN OUR AIRBNB.
AND SO THAT IS A, THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND FOR THAT IN THE PEOPLE TRAVELING, YOU KNOW, WITH A, WITH A PET, HAVE AN EASIER TIME BOOKING AN AIRBNB THAN BOOKING A, UM, STANDARD HOTEL.
SO WE DO GET A LOT OF PET OWNERS THAT, YOU KNOW, ARE VERY, VERY QUIET AND THEY JUST ENJOY THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WE HAVEN'T HAD, LIKE, THE, THE, THE PICTURE THAT'S BEING PAINTED ON AIRBNBS HAS NOT BEEN OUR EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER.
SO I'LL LET HIM FILL IN ANY HOLES THAT I LEFT IF YOU, NO, AND JUST TO CONFIRM, YOU ONLY OWN THE ONE SIDE OF THE DUPLEX, CORRECT? YEAH, THEY ARE ALL SINGLE OWNERSHIP.
THEIR, UM, INDIVIDUAL SIDES ARE WHOLE MORTGAGES.
QUICK QUESTION ON THE ACTUAL FLOOR PLAN LAYOUT AS WELL.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE WAY THAT IT'S PARTITIONED OFF FOR THE RESIDENTIAL PORTION, UM, IS THERE ONLY ONE BATHROOM IN THIS? NO, THERE'S THE, THE UNIT IS A TWO BEDROOM, TWO BATH, SO, OKAY.
THE FRONT, THE, THE ROOM THAT WE HAVE PARTITIONED OFF IS ACTUALLY WHAT WOULD BE CALLED THE MASTER BEDROOM.
SO IT HAS, UH, A MASTER GOT IT.
THE MASTER BEDROOM THERE IS WHAT OUR GUESTS USE.
AND THEN, UM, IT JUST HAS LIKE REGULAR HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS, COFFEE MAKER, MICROWAVE, MINI FRIDGE, AND IN THE MAIN PART OF THE HOUSE HAS THE FULL KITCHEN, THE FULL BATHROOM, AND ANOTHER FULL BEDROOM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS WITH THAT? UH, I THINK SOMEBODY ELSE WANTS TO SPEAK AND JUST STATE YOUR NAME.
WE, WE HAVE LAURIE EISERMAN, AGAIN, CO-OWNER, RACHEL'S HUSBAND.
UM, JUST TO, UH, ADD A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, RELATIVE TO, UH, BETTY, THE SECOND PUBLIC SPEAKER.
UM, TO REITERATE WHAT RACHEL SAID THAT, UH, OFFENSE SITUATION WAS PRE AIRBNB PHASE, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, LIKE SHE SAID, THERE'S HIS SIDE TO THE STORY, HER SIDE TO THE STORY AND THE TRUTH.
THERE'S BEEN COMMUNICATION ISSUES.
UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY, UH, COMPLAINTS THAT I'M AWARE OF, UH, SINCE WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS, UH, AIRBNB THING.
EVERYBODY THAT GOES THERE, IT'S EITHER A YOUNG COUPLE OR LIKE WE'VE MEANT TO, UH, COME INTO THE, THEY'RE COMING INTO TOWN TO GO TO THE COWBOYS GAME OR WHATEVER.
ONE INDIVIDUAL, UH, WAS UH, DOING LIKE A TWO WEEK RENTAL, UH, BECAUSE SHE WAS TRAVELING FROM EUROPE, UH, TO WORK HERE.
UH, I GUESS THE HEADQUARTERS IS HERE IN THE DFW AREA.
SO YEAH, NO, IT'S NOT A PARTY HOUSE.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY ISSUES THAT I'M AWARE FROM ANY OF THE NEIGHBORS RELATIVE TO THE PARKING SITUATION.
SO TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE'VE ONLY HAD TWO CARS THAT HAVE HAD TO PARK THERE, UH, WHEN WE'VE HAD GUESTS.
THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM IN THE DRIVEWAY THERE.
UM, AND THEN WHAT'S THE OTHER THING? YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH IT.
SO NO ISSUES THAT I, THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE ALL VERY CLOSE BY AND, UH, WE CAN BE THERE WITHIN 10 MINUTES TO, UH, TO ADDRESS ANYTHING IF NEED BE.
UH, ANY QUESTIONS WITH THAT? UH, IT IS NOW 7 31 AND I THINK WE'RE READY TO CLOSE THE, UH, UH, THE COMMENTS TO THE BOARD.
AND THE NEXT STAGE WOULD BE TO, UH, HAVE A BOARD DISCUSSION.
ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS ANYTHING IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION? UH, THE NEXT THING IS, ARE WE OPEN FOR A MOTION?
[01:25:01]
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO, UH, PROVIDE A MOTION? I MOTION TO DENY THE SPECIAL EXEMPTION REQUEST 26 DASH THREE FOR 24 17 CHESTNUT WAY.UH, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, SAY AYE.
UH, ALL THOSE, UH, OPPOSED, SAY NAY.
UH, THE MOTION PASSED TO DENY THE SPECIAL EXEMPTION.
[3. Conduct a public hearing and consider approval of a variance request from Section 5.1.A of the Zoning Ordinance granting an accessory building to encroach on the required side yard setback of property located at 3904 Welwyn Way Drive in Bedford, Texas, legally described as Bedford Estates Addition Block 1 Lot 5 and is generally located east of Welwyn Way Drive and north of Wellington Court. (VAR-26-1) ]
WE ARE ON TO ITEM THREE.IT IS NOW 7 32 AND ITEM THREE IS TO CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING, A PUBLIC HEARING, AND CONSIDER THE APPROVAL OF THE VARIANT.
UH, UH, THE REQUEST OF, UH, SECTION FIVE ONE A OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE GRANTING ACCESSORY BUILDINGS TO ENCROACH ON THE REQUIRED SIDE YARD SETBACK OF THE PROPERTY, UH, AT THREE, UH, 3 9 0 4 WAYLAND WAY DRIVE IN BEDFORD, TEXAS.
UH, WOULD SOMEBODY HERE FROM CITY LIKE TO SPEAK FOR THAT? MR. CHAIR? YES.
I NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF FOR THIS.
WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO RECUSED THEMSELVES AND WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO CAME BACK HERE.
THE FINAL PUBLIC HEARING ITEM BEFORE THE BOARD THIS EVENING IS A VARIANCE REQUEST FOR SECTION FIVE 1A OF THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW FOR A STRUCTURE TO ENCROACH INTO THE REQUIRED SIDE YARD SETBACK.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY IS 39 0 4, WILL WIN WAY DRIVE WITHIN BEDFORD ESTATES EDITION.
THE SUBJECT PROPERTY CONTAINS AN EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE WITH AN ATTACHED SIDE ENTRY GARAGE FOLLOWING A COMPLAINT.
NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES IDENTIFIED A STRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN CONSTRUCTED WITHOUT A PERMIT AND WAS ENCROACHING INTO THIS SIDE YARD SETBACK.
THE ZONING ORDINANCE ESTABLISHES A MINIMUM FIVE FOOT SIDE YARD SETBACK FOR THIS PROPERTY.
BECAUSE THE SHED IS LOCATED WITHIN THE REQUIRED SETBACK, THE APPLICANT IS REQUESTING A VARIANCE TO ALLOW THE STRUCTURE TO STAY IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION.
IT'S CURRENTLY EIGHT INCHES FROM THE PROPERTY LINE.
THIS IS JUST KIND OF A PICTURE TO SHOW YOU WHERE THE SHED IS BEING PLACED.
AND THESE ARE CURRENT IMAGES THAT WERE PROVIDED ON THE RIGHT IS WHAT THE APPLICANT PROVIDED US WITH.
AND THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT, YOU KIND OF, YOU KIND OF CAN SEE THESE SHED WHITE IN THE BACKGROUND.
IN REVIEWING THOSE REQUESTS, THE BOARD MUST CONSIDER THE FOUR VARIANCE CRITERIA.
CRITERIA NUMBER ONE, THAT THE VARIANCE IS NOT CONTRARY TO THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
TWO, THAT DUE TO SPECIAL CONDITIONS, A LETTER OF ENFORCEMENTS OF THE ORDINANCE WOULD RESULT IN A NECESSARY HARDSHIP.
THREE, THAT BY GRANTING THE VARIANCE, THE SPIRIT OF THE ORDINANCE IS OBSERVED.
AND NUMBER FOUR, THAT SUBSTANTIAL JUSTICE WILL BE REALIZED BY GRANTING THE VARIANCE AS PART OF THE PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, WE SENT LETTERS AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY LETTERS OF SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION TO THIS REQUEST.
AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UH, MY QUESTION IS, UH, EXCEPT FOR ITS LOCATION, IS THERE ANYTHING NON-CONFORMING ABOUT THE STRUCTURE? NO.
THE HEIGHT IS ALLOWED FOR AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE AND SO IS THE SIZE.
AND SO IF, UH, SOMEBODY JUST MOVED THAT FOUR FEET, FOUR INCHES AWAY FROM THE FENCE, IT WOULD BE FINE.
IT WOULD BE, IT WOULD BE ACTUALLY NEEDED TO BE MOVED THREE FEET BECAUSE IT'S AN ACCESSORY STRUCTURE.
UM, AND GIVEN THE HEIGHT FOR THAT, IT, WE ALLOW IT TO BE WITHIN THREE FEET INSTEAD OF FIVE FIVE.
IT'S JUST THE GENERIC FOR EVERY PROPERTY WITHIN THAT DISTRICT.
AND SO IT'S SLOWLY ABOUT THE LOCATION, NOT THE STRUCTURE, AND YOU CAN JUST MOVE THOSE STRUCTURES? RIGHT? THAT'S THE ONLY THING THE CITY'S ASKING FOR.
IT, IT, IT WOULD, OR IN TERMS OF CONFORMING TO OUR REGULATIONS? CORRECT.
THIS IS, THIS IS SOLELY BECAUSE IT IS IN THE SETBACK.
AND WHO COMPLAINED? IT WAS A RESIDENT? I DON'T, IT WAS A RESIDENT.
[01:30:01]
NEIGHBOR, BUT IT WAS A RESIDENT DUE TO NOISE? YES.I WA I WAS WONDERING WHETHER IT WAS ON A UTILITY EASEMENT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE UTILITIES COMPLAINED THAT THERE WAS NO, NO, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S AN ACTUAL UTILITY EASEMENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? UM, WAS THIS BUILT BY THE HOMEOWNER OR, I BELIEVE IT WAS CONSTRUCTED BY THE HOMEOWNER.
I'M NOT SURE IF THEY HAD SOMEBODY ELSE OKAY.
DO THE WORK, BUT I BELIEVE WHEN THEY CONSTRUCTED IT, THEY DID NOT HAVE A PERMIT EITHER.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY, WITH THAT, UH, IS THERE ANYBODY HERE TO SPEAK FOR THE APPLICANT AGAIN? UH, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME, HOW YOU'RE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS ITEM.
I'M, UH, AND YOUR RESIDENCE? I'M GARRETT GARNER.
I'M THE APPLICANT AND I LIVE AT THE SEC, THE PROPERTY WITH MY MOTHER.
UM, SO SHE'S THE PROPERTY OWNER.
UM, SO I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF BOTH OF US.
UH, SO JUST TO ANSWER A QUESTION REAL QUICK, OR THE, THE COMPLAINT WAS FROM THE, UH, CITY, UH, THE, THE CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, UM, THAT WAS DOING ROUTINE DRIVE-BYS, UM, THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
HE'S THE ONE THAT TOOK THE ORIGINAL PHOTO AND NOTICED THE SHED WAS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UM, I PICKED THE LOCATION, UH, THERE DUE TO A VARIETY OF FACTORS THAT I OUTLINED IN DETAIL.
UM, IN THE, UH, IN THE, AND THE DOCUMENT, UM, OF WHICH WERE CONSIDERATIONS FOR DRAINAGE, UM, AESTHETICS, UM, EXISTING, UM, MATURE TREES THAT ARE BISECTING THE PROPERTY LINE.
UH, THERE IS A DECOMMISSIONED, UM, VERY OLD, UM, PROPANE BURIED PROPANE TANK THERE FROM THE PREVIOUS OWNERS OF THE HOME FROM THE SEVENTIES.
UM, I DID NOT FEEL THE NEED TO EXCAVATE THAT, UM, ESPECIALLY AFTER DISCUSSING WITH THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT, UM, TO SEE ABOUT ANYTHING ABOUT DECOMMISSIONING THAT.
UM, SO, UM, THE SIMPLE ACT OF MOVING IT ON PAPER IS IT'S NOT VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
I HAVE A GROUP OF FRIENDS READY THAT COULD COME OVER AND HELP ME MOVE IT.
UM, IT'S JUST THAT THE AESTHETICS, IT, UH, IT, IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, IT, IT WOULD GET IN THE WAY OF A LOT OF OTHER LIKE, THINGS THAT THE, THE YARD HAS, UH, MATURED, UM, OVER THE YEARS AND JUST KIND OF SET UP THAT WAY.
UH, I PICKED THIS LOCATION BECAUSE, UM, AND I JUST STARTED, STARTED BUILDING IT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'LL ADMIT, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T GET THE PERMIT, DIDN'T, DIDN'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT TO BE HONEST, UNTIL, UNTIL I GOT THE, THE LETTER.
SO, UM, I SPOKE TO MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR AS WELL.
HE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE SHED IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION.
UM, SO OTHER THAN THE, UM, LOCATION TO THE FENCE LINE, I'VE SPOKEN TO HI THE NEIGHBOR AS WELL.
UM, AND HE'S, UH, IN AGREEMENT TO, UH, POTENTIALLY WORK ON A WAY TO MAKE THE FENCE TEMPORARILY REMOVABLE, UM, FOR ACCESS INSPECTION, UH, MAINTENANCE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, THE, THE LOCATION WAS PICKED WITH A VARIETY OF FACTORS IN CONSIDERATION.
UM, SO THE INITIAL VARIANCE REQUEST HERE WOULD BE TO ALLOW FOR ITS CURRENT POSITION TO SIT, UM, AS TO NOT, UM, TO NOT MESS WITH ANYTHING IN THE BACKYARD AS IT CURRENTLY IS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, IT IS NOW, UH, SEVEN 40 AND, UH, UH, IF THERE ISN'T ANY, UH, UH, ANYTHING ELSE FOR THE APPLICANT TO SAY, WE'RE OPEN FOR THE, UH, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.
UH, NOBODY HAS APPEARED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, WE ASK THE BOARD AGAIN, IT'S STILL SEVEN 40.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS ITEM? CAN YOU CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? OH SEVEN 40 WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND NOW IT'S TIME TO OPEN THE, UH, UH, ALLOW THE BOARD TO DISCUSS WITH THAT.
WE NEED TO CLOSE THE BOARD DISCUSSION AND, UH, UH, I THINK WE'RE OPEN FOR A, UH, MOTION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
WOULD SOMEBODY CARE TO MAKE A MOTION? I MOTION TO DENY THE SPECIAL EXCEPTION CASE NUMBER VAR DASH 26 DASH ONE.
WE HAVE, UH, A MOTION TO DENY, UH, ITEM NUMBER THREE.
[01:35:01]
I SECOND.IT IS TIME TO OPEN A DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION.
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING FOR THE MOTION? IF THERE IS NO, UH, DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION, IT'S NOW 7 42.
WE ARE TIME, I'D LIKE TO OPEN IT UP FOR A VOTE, UH, ON THE MOTION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, MOTION TO DENY THE VARIANCE? SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE TO DENY IT, THE MOTION PASSED TO DENY THE VARIANCE.
UH, I BELIEVE GOTTA GO BACK TO THE, UH, TOTAL AGENDA.
I THINK WE'RE READY FOR, UH, ADJOURN.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN.
I SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN AND A SECOND ALL THOSE, UH, TO, UH, UH, APPROVE THE MOTIONS.
ALL THOSE TO DISAPPROVE WITH THAT THE, UH, THE, UH, BOARD IS CLOSED FOR THE EVENING.