Two vacation rental permit requests will be on the Seal Beach Planning Commission agenda for Wednesday, Oct. 17.
Harold B. Rothman, owner of 1115 and 1115½ Seal Way, and John Lima, owner of 546 Ocean Avenue, have each applied for conditional use permits to rent their properties to short-term tenants.
A Seal Beach urgency ordinance extended in May allows vacation rentals provided they are located in the Old Town area and provided the owners receive a conditional use permit from the Planning Commission. Vacation rentals are not allowed in the Surfside Colony.
The ordinance has been criticized by both property owners who wish to rent their units and residents who do not want to live next door to short-term renters.
A recent sunnews.org poll asked, “Does Seal Beach need more regulation of vacation rentals?”
Of those polled, 61.5 percent said yes.
“It’s a joke that planning commission is to regulate the CUPs on these rentals,” wrote resident Mark Loopesk. “They have approved every single one so far, even those that don’t have enough parking. Shut it down now please!”
However, 30.8 percent of those polled said no.
“It is a fact, that out of the 65 vacation rental homes(approximate) in old town, less than 5 have been a problem,” wrote resident Frank Carvajal. “And yes problematic vacation home owners should be dealt with!”
Only 7.1 percent of those polled were undecided.
Urgency ordinance
On Monday, Sept. 10, the City Council rejected three requests for exemptions from the conditional use permit requirements for vacation rentals.
Robert Beck, owner of a vacation rental on Ocean Avenue, said the ordinance did not specify the length of time a unit could be rented out.
That same night, several residents called for an end to vacation rentals.
Jim Klisanin, a real estate dealer, suggested imposing increasing fines on vacation rental owners for each police call to a property—and revoking the permit after the fourth police visit.
Libby Applegate said she would like to see a moratorium on vacation rentals.
Councilwoman Ellery Deaton, whose council district includes Old Town and Surfside Colony, said the city “grandfathered” licensed vacation rentals in January 2011.
The council directed staff to draw up a proposed ordinance that would cap the number of vacation rentals allowed in Seal Beach.
