Council bans short-term rentals

The Sparta Township Council voted 4-1 to prohibit rentals of residential units for less than 28 days.

Councilman Josh Hertzberg voted no, saying a ban was not the way to go.

“I think there is a middle ground,” he said. “People should feel safe in their neighborhoods. People should expect some of this stuff to be regulated, but I don’t feel like the work was done to do that.”

“There are places where I think Airbnbs could operate and not affect anyone. But that takes work. It takes work to sit down and go through everything and look at different places and I don’t think it was done.”

Deputy Mayor Dean Blumetti disagreed.

“We committed to checking, from a legal perspective, if we could break this out by land use or zone, specifically looking at mixed-use zones where you have sone commercial and some residential,” he said. “The answer we have, which is true, is that we can’t do that ... .

“I’ve had requests verbally and emails sent to me asking for everything from don’t do anything to having no rentals less than 150 or 175 days. So, this is, in a sense, a balance. There is not a simple solution, and a lot of time and work has been put into this.”

The ordinance adopted at the council’s May 14 meeting says the move was aimed at increasing the availability and affordability of long-term rentals.

“Studies show that increasing the availability of short-term rentals raises rental prices overall and diminishes the availability of long-term rentals,” the ordinance says. “It has been the township’s experience that short-term rentals can result in public nuisance, noise complaints, sanitation issues, overcrowding and illegal parking.”

Before the vote, residents and others spoke for and against the ban.

John Ryan informed the council that he and other residents on Wilshire Drive signed a petition supporting the ban because of the negative effects that a short-term rental property has caused in their neighborhood.

“Personally, my concern is that you have families coming in. We don’t know who they are. They have not been vetted, and they see a neighborhood that’s friendly, well-to-do, calm, peaceful,” he said.

“Who else do they speak to that could get a group, potentially, to come back into that neighborhood and potentially ... damage cars or, more importantly, (be) pedophiles, steal a child or break into a home?”

James Gaddy, who lives on Andover Road, opposed the ban and asked the council to find a middle ground.

“When I go away, living across the street from Perona Farms, I want to be able to rent my home out to someone for a weekend,” he said. “I want to be able to have that flexibility as a homeowner ... . I should have the right to do with my property what I want within the bounds of the guidelines you establish.”

Emily Bowden, executive officer of Sussex County Association of Realtors, said a ban may harm the local economy.

“Lake Mohawk, the boardwalk, White Deer Plaza all offer a historical charm that attracts many visitors to our area,” said Bowden, adding that her organization and New Jersey Realtors wrote letters to the council in April opposing the ban.

“Golf clubs, hiking trails, open spaces and other attractions support a strong tourism industry here. Additionally, there are a number of esteemed wedding venues in our area. Wedding guests all need short-term accommodations. A ban on short-term rentals could hinder our local economy, impact home prices and deter potential visitors who contribute significantly to our growth.”