Letter to the editor: Sewickley short-term rentals ordinance needs specifics

Having read the draft ordinance for short-term rentals being proposed by the Sewickley Borough Council, and after reading council member Tom Rostek’s comments in the Sewickley Herald on Aug. 18, I have the following comments:

I agree with Mr. Rostek that the proposed ordinance is a “registration mechanism.”

Where are the rules and regulations? What are the number of renters permitted per bedroom? What is the minimum stay required for a renter? Will short-term renters be required to use off street parking? What are the maximum days per year that property can be rented before it is considered for hotel/motel use? What is the minimum distance between short-term rental properties so as not to overburden any residential street?

The questions raised are all addressed in the Edgeworth Borough short-term rental ordinance, except for the minimum distance between short-term rental properties. The Sewickley Borough ordinance reads as if these issues may be resolved on a case by case basis? Why not be more specific on these issues in the ordinance?

Currently, two short term rentals opened in the past year on Melville Lane directly across from each other. Melville Lane has 14 homes and is a one way street with limited parking for the residents. I recognize that there is a place for short-term rentals in the borough, but why should they be allowed to cluster in close proximity? The proposed ordinance appears to be more favorable to the property owners of short-term rentals than it is to the residents of the borough.

Ron Tisch

Sewickley