EDIT:
Click here for the Agenda / Packet
Sister Bay May 16 at 6 PM Meeting
Zoom Link
Sister Bay May 16 at 6 PM & May 23 at 5:30 PM
The Village of Sister Bay has proposed significant changes to local regulations regarding short term rentals (“STRs”) within the Village including imposing a minimum 7 day stay on all STRs and 180 day limit on annual days rented!
The Village is changing both the STR Ordinance and Zoning Laws to Further Restrict STRs:
- The Village plans to vote on changes to Chapter 18 (the STR ordinance that was passed last April) this coming Tuesday, May 16 at the Village Board meeting, 6-8 PM. We are not certain if the meeting will be able to be attended via zoom. If there is a zoom link, it will be posted on the Home Hosts Facebook Group Page and the Home Hosts website, once we get the agenda, most likely, Friday afternoon.
- The Plan Commission will host a public hearing on May 23 at 5:30 PM, about a new zoning proposal regarding Chapter 66 (the Village’s Zoning Code).
Both of these meetings will be held at the Sister Bay/Liberty Grove Fire Department, 2258 Mill Road, Sister Bay, 54234
It is essential both meetings are attended by current STR owners.
Here is an overview of the proposed changes along with talking points you may use at the village meetings or in letters to town leadership: (to see the complete zoning changes see the attached document, the ordinance changes are not yet available but commentary here is based on a conversation today with the Village Administrator):
- Confine newly licensed STRs to a 7 day minimum stay, with a rental window of 180 days per year as soon as zoning and ordinance changes are approved.
- EXISTING STRs will also have the 7/180 rule beginning July 1, 2024 IF they have a completed application on file and fees paid by May 20, 2023.
- Existing STRs that do not meet the filing deadline may not be processed until after the new zoning and ordinance go into effect and then the 7/180 would apply immediately.
Talking Points:
- Negative impact on local businesses, arts organizations, contractors, etc. given the 7 day rule causes HALF the number of guests will be frequenting local establishments each week. And the 180 day limit harms frequenting these establishments in the shoulder and slower seasons. If you can only rent once every 7 days, and your typical stay is 3 to 4 nights, now a new group of guests is not frequenting local business, theater, etc.
- Room tax received by the village will go down (do residents know this may end up increasing their tax bills?)
- Fewer STRs available to guests will make Sister Bay significantly less attractive to tourists because this is a preferred type of lodging (families like to stay together). Today 30+% of guests to Sister Bay stay in STRs. Now half of those STRs won’t be available.
- BAN REMOVED: Amend Zoning Section that bans STRs in R-2 (Multi-family) zone to ALLOW STRs to operate in this zone
- Talking Point: Generally, most won’t have an issue with this. If you do, feel free to share that with the Village.
- It is not clear if CURRENT R-2 licenses will be renewed or if they will be considered in violation due to current zoning ban and therefore have to apply for a new license under the new rules. Contact the Village Administrator to understand this better.
- PARKING: Require that all STRs have a minimum of two conforming parking spaces (minimum of 9’ wide x 20’ long), but not more than four conforming parking spaces (two of which would need to be in a garage). – If there is no garage on site, the maximum number of conforming spaces would be two. Note: This restriction applies if you are at your home and it is NOT rented.
- Talking Point: Consider talking about how this will affect guests’ ability to visit the village, and how it could actually force guests to make the downtown Sister Bay parking situation worse, by groups parking extra vehicles in open parking spaces downtown so that they can abide by the hosts’ rules regarding not having more than two vehicles visible in their driveway.
- Recommendation: Use a formula of one car per 2 people, as long as there’s enough parking spaces on property to accommodate those vehicles and as long as the driveway has the capacity and cars aren’t on the lawn.
- DRIVEWAYS: Require all STRs to have asphalt or cement paved driveways
- Talking Point: The Village states that STRs have more cars on site, and thus have more trips per day, causing sedimentation issues with the village’s sewer system. Consider using the point that even if there is increased activity at an STR when rented, the fact that most properties are rented less than half the year, the overall impact of an STR is likely to be less than that of a year round resident
- Prohibit boat, boat trailer, RV, camper, etc. parking on any property licensed as an STR
- Talking Point: Consider talking about how guests visiting a waterfront village typically enjoy the water. Many of those guests would be boaters. It seems like those guests would clog the boat trailer parking in Sister Bay if they weren’t able to park their boat trailers at the property they are staying at.
- Violations Reporting: After July 1, 2023 village staff will be visiting and reviewing each STR and if they discover violations, the owner will get a personalized letter outlining the violations. They intend to give the owner until the next licensing period to correct the violations.
There are some more details included in the proposal, such as limits on shared driveways and home signage. Please read the whole zoning document yourself. When the ordinance changes are available, we will post them on the Home Hosts website. This email is meant to be a help, not your baseline for knowing everything there is to know about what is being proposed.
We are suggesting that anyone that wants to provide feedback to the Village, should do so in person. If that is not possible, please write letters before 4:00 PM on May 14. Email your letter to this contact list.
Please be professional in your letters to the Village, we want to get their attention and highlight the reasons that portions of revised zoning code may have unintended consequences as noted above.
Some owners have already started reaching out to former guests to ask that those guests share letters with the Village about how the 7 day minimum stay would affect their ability to visit Sister Bay, as well as reaching out to owners of local businesses to ask that they write or attend the meetings on the 16th and 23rd, as this will have a negative affect on their business as well.
Details on meetings:
Tuesday, May 16, 2023, Village Board, 6-8 PM
Tuesday, May 23, 2023, Plan Commission, 5:30-8:30 PM
Sister Bay-Liberty Grove Fire Station – Large Meeting Room
2258 Mill Road, Sister Bay, Wisconsin
Action needed:
- If you are in Sister Bay, attend the Village Board and the Plan Commission Meetings. We are not certain if the meeting will be able to be attended via zoom. If there is a zoom link, it will be posted on the Home Hosts Facebook Group Page and the Home Hosts’ website, once we get the agenda, most likely, Friday afternoon.
- Share your perspective and ask for support from local business and arts organizations AND contact board members if you are not able to attend the board meeting.
- Learn more about what Home Hosts is doing to represent STR owner’s with local governments. Become a member of Home Hosts. We take a partnership approach with towns and villages, but if they break the law, we will take legal action to stop them.
- Join our Sister Bay Action Team by contacting Holli Kohls at homehostsdoorco@gmail.com