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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... Our View: Oath Keepers find another mine to 'protect' ... Giving kids a leg up on learning ... Table Rock Road slated for improvements ... ASHLAND Council approves short-term rentals in multi-family zones Comment By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News The Ashland City Council Tuesday approved the creation of short-term rentals in the city's multiple-family residential zones. The ordinance, which amend's the city's land-use code, allows short-term rentals in the R-2 and R-3 zones but expressly prohibits them in the R-1 and R-1-3.5 single-family zones, which make up a significant portion of the city's overall land base. "I think we've about done this up and down with our last meeting and I'm prepared to move this forward," said Councilor Pam Marsh. Officials say the issue of so-called "accessory travelers' accommodations" first came before the council several years ago, when the city was was considering whether to allow expansion of whole-house rentals, which have been popularized by websites like Airbnb.com. While the council ultimately decided not to expand opportunities for whole-house rentals — which are allowed via conditional-use permits under certain circumstances — it did decide it needed to address the issue of renting individual rooms in an occupied home. The ordinance requires the homeowner to be present at the residence for the duration of the rental and limits the number of accommodations in one residence to a single unit of two or fewer bedrooms. Property owners are also required to provide two off-street parking spaces, and are not allowed to display business-related signs on their property. The lone dissenter in the 5-1 vote was councilor Rich Rosenthal. Rosenthal, who'd voted against the first reading of the ordinance, said he was still worried that the attached travelers accommodations would drive up the cost of housing in the city. "A recent community survey said it was very difficult for people to find affordable housing," he said. "While this would help existing homeowners afford to stay in the homes they already own, I wouldn't see this as a benefit to long-term housing stock." Reach reporter Thomas Moriarty at 541-776-4471, or by email at [email protected]. Follow him at @ThomasDMoriarty. By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Thomas Moriarty Mail Tribune Posted Apr. 11, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501