A policy for vacation rentals in residential districts could return to Riverside in some form, more than seven years after hundreds of residents swayed the village board to repeal a previous version of the policy.
At their Nov. 6 village board meeting, Riverside trustees directed the village’s planning and zoning commission to opine on a potential policy allowing residents who live in a multi-family home they own to pursue short-term vacation rentals, through such apps as Airbnb or VRBO, in the other units of their building.
The PZC considered a potential vacation rental policy on Oct. 22, but four of the five commissioners said they didn’t recommend implementing such a policy, as there seems to be little demand for short-term rentals in Riverside’s business districts, which have allowed bed-and-breakfasts for years, though none have cropped up in town.
Commissioners said short-term rentals could disrupt residential life, as most residents “want to know who their neighbors are and wouldn’t be happy with different groups of people next door every weekend,” according to minutes from the meeting.
The PZC’s review followed a request in August from a Riverside resident, Maria Bernardi, who said she lives in one side of a duplex that she owns and would like to offer the other half to short-term renters.
“I really do believe very strongly that if the village regulates this properly, it would not be a problem. You need to have owners or landlords that understand keeping the community properly cared for,” said Bernardi, who has hosted short-term rentals through Airbnb in Chicago. “I don’t think people should be allowed to buy a house and rent it immediately for an Airbnb because that’s where you get the absentee landlords, and that’s where the problems come into play,” she said.
Bernardi said she would like to host her family and friends in the other side of her duplex as well as rent it out in the short-term to people who’d like to visit Riverside. She described it as a form of supplementary income.
The village board in 2018 repealed a previous vacation rental policy in response to a petition from nearly 300 residents after the sole rental property in town, on Michaux Road, drew complaints for hosting large events like weddings and family reunions. Residents at the time said the transient nature of the rental’s occupants changed the character of the neighborhood.
Trustees seemed split on whether Bernardi’s request could cause history to repeat. Trustee Cristin Evans said she felt residents had made their stance clear in 2018.
“I’m not inclined to go against the PZC. They had a very thoughtful discussion. I’m uncomfortable reopening the idea. I was here when the residents came, not on the board, but 300 residents; that’s a very rare number to get on a petition,” she said. “I don’t think it’s fair to reopen this discussion when they’re all going to remember this. It was a very tense, high-emotion discussion, and with the short-term rentals, there’s more of a transient aspect to it.”
Other members of the board, like Trustee Elizabeth Kos, said they felt the new policy would be specific enough to avoid a situation like the rental on Michaux Road while expanding upon Riverside’s bed-and-breakfast allowance.
“This seems like a different circumstance than, you rent your house, and you’re someplace else, and you have no idea what’s going on,” she said. “The situation feels different.”
Trustee Jill Mateo said the owner occupancy requirement addressed some of the PZC’s concerns about residents not knowing their neighbors.
“I’m intrigued by the idea of tweaking [the] bed-and-breakfast [policy],” she said. “Where the owner is in part of the duplex, and visitors are in the other part of the duplex, then they do know who their neighbor is, and there is accountability there.”
Village Manager Jessica Frances noted the homeowner of the rental on Michaux Road was usually on the property while the space was being rented out. Village President Doug Pollock, who was a trustee at that time, said residents’ issues lay more with the use of the home as an event space.
After nearly 40 minutes of discussion, the village board reached a consensus to have the PZC reconsider the policy, with short-term rentals limited to homes occupied by the owner full-time. Trustees agreed homeowners should have to notify neighbors within 500 feet of their home, with a separation requirement of 1,000 feet between short-term rentals, which would “prevent proliferation,” said Village Attorney Bob Pickrell, and a limit on the number of guests and the duration of each stay.
