Village Board to vote on short-term rental law Thursday night
The Greenport Village Board will vote on a proposal to regulate short-term rentals in the village at its board meeting Thursday, Oct. 25.
The board has been discussing enacting such a law for six years and held two packed public hearings on the proposal this year.
The village is one of the few East End municipalities that doesn’t regulate short-term rentals.
Mayor George Hubbard Jr. said he had met Saturday with Greenport homeowner Brian Cheeseman, who said he’d met with many of the short-term rental owners who opposed the proposed law and offered an alternative.
However, the majority of the board wanted to move the issue to a vote, rather than consider more changes, which would likely require another hearing.
The proposed law, which the village now appears ready to adopt, defines a short-term rental as less than 14 days and a long-term rental as a period of at least one year.
Short-term rentals of less than 14 days would be permitted only in one- or two-family homes that are either owner-occupied or occupied by a long-term tenant.
Board members decided to stick with that proposal, which is the version that went to public hearing most recently.
“The law we have is adequate,” Trustee Julia Robins said. “I’m going to support it.”
“I like the law that was written,” Trustee Jack Martilotta said.
“It’s time for us to stand up and go with our convictions and do what the village residents what us to do, which is to do something,” Trustee Doug Roberts said.
Mr. Roberts said the board can adopt the existing proposal and then make changes later.
