As motels become older and begin to decay, many have been converted to short term transient lodging. These establishments feature no cooking facilities, and often have 3, 4 and 5 people are living in one room. They are not suited for long-term residents.

This code amendment will remove hotels as eligible use within the district, and only allow it as a conditional use. Additionally, multi-family apartments can be approved through a conditional use only if they have residential units that are part of a mixed-use development located at significant intersections or economic areas in furtherance of Comprehensive Plan goals and objectives; and residential units are not located on the ground floor.

Motels and transient residential lodging would be specifically ineligible under this amendment. Motels, hotels and transient lodging are also specifically defined: hotels are lodging establishments with more than 25 units with rooms having access from interior hallways, and specific access points. Motels are defined as a public lodging establishment with guest rooms accessible from exterior hallways, walks or other areas, or which provide parking areas for vehicles within 50 feet of guest room doors. Transient housing is defined as the leasing or letting of rooms in any facility that does not contain a full kitchen to persons who typically do not have another primary residence.  Any public lodging establishment that rents, lets or otherwise provides for compensation, twenty percent (20%) or more of its total rooming units to persons or entities for occupancy that exceeds any part of 28 consecutive days, or 28 total days in any period of 60 days, shall be deemed to be providing Transient Residential Lodging.

An additional point in the amendment would forbid public lodging establishments to allow or permit guests, renters or occupants to store, to keep or place any items outside any rooming unit in any exterior or open area, or in or around any exterior hallway or walkway.

Any Transient Residential Lodging use currently in use shall be deemed to be an allowed non-conforming use until December 31, 2021, so long as the owner or operator of said Transient Residential Lodging performs certain activities. After that, the non-conforming use must end.