At today’s 10 a.m. meeting of county supervisors in San Bernardino, a handful of items relevant to our Morongo Basin are on the consent calendar and as such, approvals are all but certain. One such item is the extension of county contracts to provide law enforcement service for Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms. Under the amended contracts Yucca Valley will pay $5.9 million and Twentynine Palms will pay $4.5 million for service through next June.
Supervisors will release county hold on some right-of-way along the highway at Senilis Avenue in Morongo Valley to clear the way for a new Circle K convenience store and gas station development planned for the northeast corner of that intersection. And among other items, the county will make final the code amendments relating to Short-Term Residential Rental fees and regulations. First introduced at the June 14 meeting, the amendments are intended to address adverse impacts of STRs on unincorporated communities.
Summary of Board Amendments to Chapter 84.28
Section 84.28.040 Permit Required. The Board adopted a proposal originally recommended by staff that restricts the total number of STR permits to a maximum of two for each STR owner, with the exception that an STR owner that holds more than two active STR permits on the effective date of the ordinance shall be eligible to renew applicable existing STR permits as a legal non-conforming use.
Section 84.28.050 Application Process. The Board added language requiring an STR owner to update the responsible department and surrounding property owners of any changes to the name of the managing agency, agent, or property manager of the dwelling unit, which requires an additional notification fee requirement.
Section 84.28.060 Occupancy Standards. This section was amended to revise STR occupancy limits based on the number of bedrooms and an allowance of two additional occupants, resulting in the following occupancy limits: four occupants for a studio/single bedroom STR; six occupants for a two-bedroom STR; eight occupants for a three-bedroom STR; 10 occupants for a four-bedroom STR; and 12 occupants for a five-bedroom STR. The proposal also set a maximum occupancy cap not to exceed 12 occupants, notwithstanding the number of bedrooms. Language allowing a maximum of two people per bedroom and distinguishing the difference between occupants and minor children was removed from the proposed amendments.
Section 84.28.070 Minimum Rental Period. The Board deleted the requirement of a two-night minimum rental period.
Section 16.0215C(a)(4)(E)(V) Special Use Permit – Short-Term Private Home Rental Permit
New Noise Monitoring Device Fee Credit: The Board added language specifying that in order to receive the one-time $150 fee credit for the installation of a noise monitoring device, the device must be for monitoring outdoor noise.
