TYBEE ISLAND, Ga. (WSAV) — Neighbors and council members on Tybee continue to be at odds with each other on how many homes can be rented in residential neighborhoods to people wanting to visit the island.
A proposed ordinance aims to reduce the number of rentals in residential areas.
Spearheaded by Councilman Nick Sears, the proposal states that grandfathered properties with short-term vacation rental (STVR) permits have a monopoly, increasing the value of their property at the “expense of their neighbors.”
While it has supporters, some property owners say this limits their income and infringes on their rights. Mayor Brian West says there are pros and cons with vacation rentals, and no neighborhood is the same.
“There are those that believe that it’s a business in a residential area, and it shouldn’t be there. That’s the conflict,” he said. “[Short-term vacation rentals] bring in 80% of the revenue to the island in 20% of the year. It’s a huge benefit to the island and for this region of the state. But, we also have those homes that sleep 14, 16, and 20 people. They bring in the party crowds. They bring in the proms and the bachelorette parties.”
He says that the city has code enforcement for those rowdier homes and feels it is more appropriate to deal with them individually rather than impact those single-family vacation homes.
“It’s a very divisive topic. We went through it for a year and a half to two years. I wish we weren’t going through it again because we have things we need to accomplish, but that’s where we are,” Mayor West said.
Most of all, he hopes this does not impact business in the area, which he says thrives off the 10 weeks out of the year that those rentals are filled.
“According to the Savannah Area Chamber of Commerce, there is over $560 million in direct spending just on Tybee for our businesses, our hotels, our grocery stores, and our shops. Over 8,000 jobs just on Tybee. Not to mention the impact it has around the rest of our region. When you start talking about people not being able to come there, because they can’t find a place to stay…you talk about losing businesses and losing jobs. It’s just ten weeks. The rest of the year, it’s perfectly peaceful there,” he said.
If the council is in favor, the ordinance will be drawn up by their legal counsel, and it will go before the planning and zoning board.