The Peoria City Council is divided over the prospects of short-term rentals in Peoria. Two separate special use ordinances were denied. Uneasy with some personal reception from local residents, a majority of the council voted to deny two short-term rentals by votes of 6-5 and 7-4.
Third District Councilmember Timothy Riggenbach was the change vote in the discussion. These votes were after Director of Community Development Joseph Dulin proposed a new policy idea to make short-term rentals non-transferable.
“For these particular special uses if we should make them non-transferable upon new ownership. So, upon [when] the property owner would sell it to a different property owner the special use would expire. They would have to come back before the Planning and Zoning Commission to apply for additional special use,” Dulin said.
Both short-term rental proposals were located in District 2. Second District Councilmember Chuck Grayeb and At-large Councilmember Beth Jensen say neighborhoods conducted surveys of their residents - and some were against.
“Right now we’re just voting specifically on a specific case in which a number of residents from the surrounding neighborhood have voiced their opinion,” Councilmember Jensen said. “ It was more than two emails, there are seven letters.. emails just in our packet along with the surveying that was done in the neighborhood meetings.”
Mayor Rita Ali along with Councilmembers Andre Allen, John Kelly, Zachary Oyler, and Timothy Riggenbach voted to keep the ordinance at W. Columbia Terrace. The same group excluding Riggenbach voted to keep the short-term rental at N. Elmwood Avenue.
Councilmember Zachary Oyler says Grayeb and Jensen’s language on the matter means short-term rentals are not acceptable in Peoria - they both contend it’s the wishes of the older neighborhoods at these locations.
Councilmembers Denis Cyr, Grayeb, Denise Jackson, Jensen, Sid Ruckriegel, and Kiran Velpula all voted to deny the ordinances at W. Columbia Terrace and N. Elmwood Avenue.
City Manager Patrick Urich says short-term rentals can house up to three unrelated adults.
