Council nixes “Boarding House” idea, delays vote on Broadway trees

By a 3-1 vote (Councilmember Agrimonti absent) the Sonoma City Council ended up in agreement with the Planning Commission to pass on the idea of creating a new, legal vacation rental category called “Boarding House.” If passed, the measure would have allowed home owners to rent a spare bedroom of their house up 90 days per year to overnight visitors.

The council seemed reluctant to embrace the concept, concerned about parking and community character. Matters of enforcement and the difficulty in monitoring rental activity also seemed to play a role in their decision. Two speakers in the audience spoke in favor of the idea, while five others spoke against it. In the end, the council policy remained consistent with its previously expressed sentiment against vacation rentals in residential zones.

In further actions, the discussion and decision pertaining to the tree removal request on Broadway for the removal of 17 oak trees was postponed when the panel was reduced to three members. Councilmember Gary Edwards left the meeting  because of a conflict of interest: he owns property within 500 ft of a portion of the affected area.