By Paula Peterson
EL DORADO COUNTY, Calif. – In order to strike a balance between quality of life for those living in El Dorado County and those who own second homes and rent them out to tourists, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the first reading of an updated vacation home rental (VHR) ordinance.
The updated provision prohibits new vacation rentals within 500 feet, measured from property line to property line, of a legally existing vacation home rental.
This new buffer zone will be applied to all VHRs in El Dorado County, not just those at Lake Tahoe. This decision follows a change to the ordinance in May putting a cap on the number of VHR permits allowed in the County portions of the Lake Tahoe Basin to 900. At that time they asked the staff to come back with buffer zone information for another update.
Staff made a presentation to the Board, outlining the reasons for the buffer: Reduce commercialization of neighborhoods, create more of a sense of community, and, it helps with housing allocations from the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) during the performance review system every two years.
The second reading of the ordinance change will be during the Board meeting on August 31, with it taking affect 30 days later.
This will affect all future permits issued and won’t affect those currently having a permit. Once a homeowner sells a property or lapses in renewing it, they no longer fall within the grandfathered rules.
The new buffering rule would remove approximately 50 homes from the VHR pool, though staff did not have those figures available.
There some people on the waitlist for a permit including some homeowners who have been operating VHRs without a permit for over a dozen years. Two of those people gave comment during the meeting saying they thought all they needed was a business license and paid tourist occupancy tax. The Board directed staff to return with potential options for those that claim they did not understand the process change when the program administration was transferred from the Treasurer/Tax Collector’s office to the Planning Department.
All others on the waitlist will have to fall within the new rules for VHRs.
Several homeowners called in during the meeting to voice their displeasure at the new buffering, and some local residents called to comment the supervisors on their decision.
Supervisor George Turnboo, who represents District 2, asked they wait 60 days to approve the changes to the ordinance due to the Caldor Fire, stating people were going to need housing. The buffering actually helps in that matter as planned VHRs can possibly turn over to long-term rentals.