The Empire Village Council voted Tuesday night to approve a short term rental (STR) registration ordinance and a related zoning amendment, capping off years of debate over how the village should regulate rentals amid concerns about housing stock and neighborhood character.
The STR registration ordinance passed 6-1, with council member Meg Walton casting the lone dissenting vote. The zoning amendment, which clarifies the definition of “transient” occupancy in the zoning code, passed by a narrower 5-2 margin, with Walton and March Dye voting no.
“The village council agreed to start with a registration ordinance,” council member Maggie Bacon said, urging the other council members not to let the debate reopen old divisions. “Our residents spoke loud and clear to us. Lower the temperature, take it slow, make decisions on behalf of the entire community that we serve. Unite us, don’t divide us.”
