Short-term rentals, Fishkill water

By Jeff Simms

The Beacon City Council will discuss Airbnb and other short-term rentals at least once more before it considers regulation.

Many residents have said they oppose the traffic and noise that rentals may bring, while others, including many homeowners who offer short-term rentals through online services, asked the council to regulate the industry in a way that won’t shut them down.

More than 9,000 visitors stayed in Beacon at Airbnb rentals last year, according to the firm.

While the city can regulate short-term rentals through its zoning laws, it can’t change New York State building codes, which require that rentals meet fire-safety standards and could force many of Beacon’s hosts to make costly upgrades or stop renting.

“The one big catch, and the one that will make it unaffordable for people, is the way to make [a rental] conform to New York State building code,” said councilmember George Mansfield at the April 30 meeting. “That little paragraph [in the proposed Beacon regulation, referencing the state code] is where the money is.”

Mayor Randy Casale countered that complying with state law is one of the costs of doing business for any entrepreneur.

At a future workshop, the council will continue to discuss the issue, including the possible addition of a grace period if a law is adopted and how to address homeowners who rent out portions of multi-family dwellings.

In other business, the council at its May 7 meeting approved a two-year agreement with the Village of Fishkill to provide Beacon with up to 1.2 million gallons of water each day. The water would come at the same rate the village charges its residents, currently $2.15 per 1,000 gallons.

The arrangement is similar to a longer contract between the municipalities that expired earlier in this decade and had been continued on a year-to-year basis. The new agreement is a placeholder while Fishkill and Beacon negotiate a long-term pact, City Administrator Anthony Ruggiero said.

The council also on May 7 approved an agreement with Central Hudson Gas and Electric that will grant the company an easement along the Route 52 edge of Memorial Park, where the utility plans to relocate poles. The easement won’t affect the pavilion or playgrounds at the park, Ruggiero said. The utility also will replace two trees that need to be taken down, he said.

Behind The Story

Type: News

News: Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.

Simms has covered Beacon for The Current since 2015. He studied journalism at Appalachian State University and has reported for newspapers in North Carolina and Maryland. Location: Beacon. Languages: English. Area of expertise: Beacon politics

One reply on “Notes from Beacon City Council”

  1. So taking water from the village of Fishkill is the unlimited resource available for all the new building? This will be the neverending flow needed? We are paying another municipal for THEIR water? Brilliant.

    Taxes, property taxes going up, new buildings and residents coming in and we continue to pay more. This is going to hurt.

    With regards to the state level of involvement, with how you want to earn a living with your property…. more government is not the answer. What happened the the free enterprises and capitalism that we in the great city of Beacon have come to expect? You know, build it taller, build more of them, $1.5 million for a two-story brick, cut down more trees! Must be a lot of hurting backs, you know, from bending over all the time.

    I think we should ask for refunds, not being able to drive around here on the weekends must be saving them money on road repairs.

    Oh yeah, I should also be allowed to install parking meters in front of my house, the amount of city planning with regard to the common street shutdowns for every little weekend event. I should be allowed to profit, you know, capitalism. Sorry, lack of planning. No thought whatsoever for those of us that actually live and work here.

    Just keep voting them in, no matter what, no matter who, it will always be the same result. Gotta get the sales tax percentage! No matter what the cost!

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