The Twisp Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on proposed changes to the town’s regulations for overnight rentals and conversions on Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 5 p.m. in the Twisp Civic Building.
The hearing will incorporate suggestions forwarded to the Planning Commission by the Town Council, after the council reviewed the commission’s original report and recommendations for revising the relevant codes on Sept. 12.
“The proposed amendments have been prepared at the direction of the Town Council in order for the current moratorium on ‘nightly rentals’ to be lifted,” according to a press release from the town. “The Planning Commission wants amendments to accurately reflect the needs and desires of the Twisp community.”
The amendments include the deletion of existing definitions related to nightly rentals and the addition of a new definition for “short-term vacation rentals” (STVR), among other changes.
Written comments will be accepted until Oct. 25. Contact Planner Thom Vedder at (509) 997-4081, or email townplanner@townoftwisp.com, for more information.
After the Oct. 25 public hearing, the commission will make its final set of recommendations to the council for possible action at its Nov. 14 meeting. Another option might be to further extend the moratorium.
The existing moratorium on conversion of existing housing to overnight rentals, first imposed in May 2022, expires Nov. 9.
The current moratorium stops conversions of existing residential housing to overnight rentals, including properties in commercial zones. It does not affect hotels, motels or existing overnight rentals including B&Bs.
The first moratorium was adopted after residents expressed concerns about the potential effects of overnight rental conversions on the housing market and on neighborhood ambience.
