Planning Commission to hear draft vacation rental ordinance update on March 17

Santa Rosa, CA  –  March 11, 2022  –  The Sonoma County Planning Commission will consider updates to the Vacation Rental Ordinance at a March 17 hearing. The proposed changes create a new vacation rental license permit program, performance standards, enforcement strategies, and permanent caps on vacation rentals in areas disproportionately impacted by vacation rental businesses. The planning commission's recommendation will then go to the Board of Supervisors for final adoption. 

Tourism plays an important role in Sonoma County’s culture and economy, however, an overconcentration of vacation rentals can negatively impact surrounding neighborhoods. Permit Sonoma has worked to balance these interests with an updated vacation rental ordinance and program.

The updates to the ordinance reflect direction from the Board of Supervisors and input from members of the public. Permit Sonoma staff held more than 20 meetings, including with every municipal advisory council in the county, and extensive meetings with stakeholders and industry groups.

The draft ordinance, staff report, and related materials are available at Permit Sonoma, 2550 Ventura Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95403 and digitally on the Planning Commission webpage at sonomacounty.ca.gov/Planning-Commission/

The Planning Commission public hearing will be conducted via video conference on March 17 beginning at 1:05 PM. No in-person commenting will be held. Members of the public may watch, listen and participate in the hearing through Zoom or by phone. In addition, written comments may be submitted until March 15 at 5 PM via email at PRMD-VacationRentals@Sonoma-County.org.

For more information about the public hearing, to submit comments, or to review project files digitally, send an email to PRMD-VacationRentals@Sonoma-County.org, call (707) 565-1900, option 5, or visit the project website at sonomacounty.ca.gov/PRMD/Regulations/Vacation-Rentals/.

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