Rindge Select Board members discussed compliance with the town’s new ordinance regarding short-term rentals at its most-recent meeting.
In March, the town enacted new regulations relating to vacation rental properties through businesses such as Airbnb for short-term rentals. Under the new ordinance, if a person owns a property that is rented for less than 30 days at a time, the owner is now required to undergo site plan approval and issuance of a conditional use permit by the Rindge Planning Board.
The Planning Board, at the beginning of the month, began to see applications for short-term rental reviews. During its meeting on July 2, the Select Board agreed to send a letter to owners of properties with short-term rentals that are not in compliance as they are brought to their attention, informing them of the new ordinance and directing them to the Planning Board for review. The town also posted notices in several public spaces, including the town website, town office, library, post office and town Facebook page.
Any resident who owns a property that they rent for short durations is advised to call the Rindge Planning Office at 603-899-5181, Ext. 117, to file the necessary application.
Issuance of the permit takes into account adequate septic, water supply, occupancy of a maximum of three people per bedroom, a life safety inspection and the possibility of other requirements for health and safety.
Board discusses zoning violations
The board discussed the use of feather flags as advertisement, which has seen multiple violations throughout town. Feather flag refers to a type of vertical banner mounted on a pole, named for the shape of the flag.
“They’re clearly not allowed by our zoning ordinance,” said interim Town Administrator Roberta Oeser. “It’s prohibited.”
Select Board Chair Bob Hamilton said this is an issue the town has previously had to enforce, but has since popped back up. Businesses with feather flags will be given 14 days to remove them.
Two issues of specific alleged zoning violations regarding a clear-cutting complaint on Old New Ipswich Road and a notice of violation for a coffee shop business came up, but the did not discuss either case in detail.
In other Select Board business, the board approved a finalized job description for the town fire chief, and agreed to move forward with a hiring committee for a new chief upon the retirement of current Chief Rickard Donovan.
The board also discussed a request by farmers market coordinator Michael LiPetri to have portable toilets at the market, which runs on Saturdays. The market recently changed its hours from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday to 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the request of patrons and vendors. The change became effective as of July 12.
The board discussed to possibility of use of portable toilets, and though they did not take an official vote on the matter, by consensus denied LiPetri’s request.
Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172, Ext. 244, or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on X @AshleySaariMLT.