Plan Commission Recommends Text Amendment for Short Term Rentals in Effingham

The Effingham City Plan Commission Tuesday recommended the City Council amend Effingham's building code concerning short term rentals of property. The rentals would be in a B-1 Neighborhood Shopping District, a B-2 General Commercial District, a B-3 Central Business District, or a M-1 Light Industrial District.

Under the proposed revision, the rental would be for less than 30 consecutive days to anyone other than the owner's family. There are also guidelines for what is to be included in the special use permit request, how many people could stay at the property, and other regulations. The petitioner would also have to submit a $100 fee with the permit request.

Commission members voted 6-0 to recommend the text amendment to the City Council.

Commissioners also recommended the Council approve a special use permit for a building at 101 West Evergreen Avenue so the former home and business could be used as a short-term rental facility. The structure is at the corner of Evergreen and 4th, diagonally across from Effingham Builders Supply. There was discussion on how many people would be permitted to stay there at one time. Petitioner Kristen Allen said she would have a limit of six people at a time, which was acceptable to Commission members.

The Commission, after considerable discussion, voted 6-0 to recommend the City Council approve a rezoning of property at 301 West Virginia Avenue to B-1 Neighborhood Shopping District status from its prior use as a medical clinic. Petitioner Cheryl Shuler said she had tried to rent the property for over a year and then tried to sell it for another six months and said that only non-medical related interests were interested in the property. The contention is that medical interests were grouping together now instead of having their own facility.

Also recommended 6-0 for approval was a rezoning request from Julie and Nick Clark for property at 2010 North Steger Drive from non-urban to R-2 single family residential district.

We had reported earlier that the Plan Commission recommended approving the rezoning of 1303 West Evergreen Avenue and 1401 West Evergreen Avenue to B-1 Neighborhood Shopping District for a new Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center medical clinic and a subdivision of the affected property into one large lot.