NAHANT — The Planning Board is seeking members of the public to give five to seven-minute presentations on issues related to short-term rentals, which have quickly become a hot-button issue in the town.
The board is hosting a public forum on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. in Conference Room No. 2 on the lower level of Town Hall. The purpose of the forum is to “enhance the Planning Board’s perspective on short-term rentals so that it can provide initial suggestions and recommendations to the members of the Short-Term Rental By-Law Advisory Committee established at the last Town Meeting.”
Planning Board Chair Rob Steinberg will select five to six presenters to speak at the forum based on his discretion and review of the written statements submitted to him. The deadline to submit a statement is Sept. 12. Written statements should not be longer than two pages but may contain attachments in support of the presenter’s arguments.
Short-term rentals have been a topic of much discussion in the town, as the short-term rental committee in June began setting preliminary rules and regulations for the rentals that have angered some residents.
“Being next door to a short-term rental, we feel that we lost our privacy,” said Nahant resident Frank De Iulis at the meeting in June, who also said that a property located next to his place is used as a short-term rental and the six or so people who rent it for short periods of time, “bring in another 10 people to have parties.”
“We feel that it’s a business. It’s no longer a residential property,” said De Iulis.
The committee will continue its discussion of short-term rental guidelines at its Sept. 13 meeting.
Charlie McKenna can be reached at [email protected].
