Multiple neighborhoods need your input for the public hearing. Can you spare a few minutes to write an e-mail? Sign our petitions? Or, if you have more time, spend the evening attending a meeting on Wednesday, May 22nd?
Jump to a Section
- 1 Table of Special Exceptions on the ABZA Agenda
- 2 Map of Special Exceptions on the ABZA Agenda
- 3 Write a Letter to the Area Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals Board
- 4 Sign the Petition in Opposition to the Special Exceptions
- 5 Attend the Meeting
- 6 Background and Information
- 7 Definitions and Legal References
Table of Special Exceptions on the ABZA Agenda
Below is a table of the Residential Zoned Special Exceptions that are on the May 22nd, 2024 ABZA agenda:
| BZA ID | Petitioner | Address | City | Zoning | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BZA-2153 | ALBERT AND MELANIE LOPER | 617 Robinson Street | West Lafayette | R1U | Denied |
| BZA-2154 | CASA BOILER, LLC | 920 Carrolton Boulevard | West Lafayette | R1 | Approved |
Map of Special Exceptions on the ABZA Agenda
The points are clickable and will display the address, BZA ID, and Petitioner’s name.
Write a Letter to the Area Planning Commission and Board of Zoning Appeals Board
You can write to apc@tippecanoe.in.gov or attend the meeting in person to speak. You must write the APC Board of Zoning Appeals by May 14th (8 calendar days prior to the hearing) to be included in the report. Letters afterwards are only given to the board members to review.
Sign the Petition in Opposition to the Special Exceptions
To help illustrate the community’s opposition to allowing a Special Exception for the Transient Guest Houses (e.g. Airbnb, VRBO, etc.) at two different locations, we have created the petition below.
We would appreciate your digital signature for support. The signed petition will be distributed at the May 22nd meeting. Please help spread the word to friends and neighbors ahead of the meeting.
And despite comments to the contrary, this isn’t a NIMBY issue. Each Transient Guest House that is approved erodes our neighborhoods in Tippecanoe County by deviating from the R1 zone’s purpose (single-family dwellings for long-term individuals and families).
May 22nd, 2024 ABZA Petition Statement:
Opposition to the Two Transient Guest House Special Exceptions on the 2024-05-22 ABZA Agenda
We, the undersigned, are opposed to allowing a Transient Guest House at two different locations in West Lafayette:
617 Robinson Street, West Lafayette
920 Carrolton Boulevard, West LafayetteWe find the proposed Special Exception to deviate from existing zoning rules and allowing a Transient Guest House at two different locations in West Lafayette will materially and permanently injure the other property and uses in the same zoning district and vicinity, along with subverting the R1 / R1U purposes of the Unified Zoning Ordinance.
The City Council followed the Public’s leadership and recently passed a resolution to amend the Unified Zoning Ordinance to ban Transient Guest Houses in West Lafayette and it is awaiting approval at the June APC meeting.
Our request to deny this Special Exception is supported by the community’s expressed concerns regarding safety, traffic, noise, lighting, and the current and future uses of R1 / R1U zoned properties in the neighborhood.
To prevent the erosion of our neighborhoods and to maintain their integrity as long-term housing for individuals and families, voting against this Special Exception is reasonable and justified.
Attend the Meeting
Meeting Details
The meeting is at 6pm May 22nd at County Building, 20 N 3rd Street, in Downtown Lafayette, Indiana.
If you wish to speak, you will have up to five minutes before each special exception is voted upon.
There is on-street parking around the building and in other parking garages downtown.
A map of the location and picture of the building is below.
Meeting Agenda (with supplemental materials)
You can download the agenda for the May 22nd, 2024 ABZA Meeting here.
Map and Location of the Tippecanoe County Building
Background and Information
Map of Current Transient Guest Accommodations in West Lafayette
View the map of transient guest rentals in West Lafayette as of July 2023.
Special Exception Petitioner Applications
Each BZA application is linked below:
Research
Community Consequences of Airbnb by Allyson E. Gold
Conclusion
Airbnbs can provide a boon to hosts and guests. By converting a previously underutilized asset into a short-term rental accommodation, hosts gain a new income stream and increase their home equity. Guests, too, benefit from Airbnb’s platform, as the accommodations are typically more affordable than traditional hotels and provide an opportunity to “live like a local.” These gains, however, come at a cost. While individual hosts and guests may benefit economically, the local housing market experiences significant change in the form of fewer affordable housing options and erosion of neighborhood social capital. At the same time, discrimination on Airbnb’s platform means that the benefits and consequences are not evenly distributed, with economic gains accruing disproportionately to white users. As Airbnbs continue to gain popularity, it is essential that legal strategies support their economic benefits while curtailing community harms. Adopting multi-faceted and comprehensive approaches are necessary to protect affordable housing stock, prevent hotelization of residential areas, and create meaningful opportunities to benefit from participation in the short-term rental market.
Definitions and Legal References
Unified Zoning Ordinance of Tippecanoe
These definitions come from the Unified Zoning Ordinance of Tippecanoe County. This is the main reference document when it comes to development in Tippecanoe County.
BED AND BREAKFASTS. (a) A bed and breakfast is a form of transient guest accommodation either
within a single-family dwelling or on a farm. The residence or the farm shall be operator-occupied if located in either a residential or rural zone.
DWELLING UNIT (DU). One or more rooms with cooking, living, sanitary, and sleeping facilities, for the exclusive use of one family, or where permitted, the occupants of shared housing, either group living as a single housekeeping unit. The DWELLING UNIT shall be characterized by but not limited to:
(1) an exclusive house number or an exclusive house number plus apartment number, with an exclusive mailbox for the receipt of materials sent through the United States mail;
(2) a single kitchen adequate for the preparation of meals; and
(3) a tenancy based upon a legal relationship of a unitary nature, i.e., a single lease, mortgage or contractual sales agreement for the entire premises.
HOUSEKEEPING UNIT. Either a family, or the occupants of shared housing, living together in one dwelling unit, with common access to and use of all living, eating, and food preparation and storage areas within the dwelling unit.
FAMILY. One or more persons related by blood, marriage or adoption and not more than two unrelated persons living as a single housekeeping unit.
R1 Intent. To provide areas for low density single-family dwellings.
R1B Intent. To provide areas for low, medium and relatively high density single-family dwellings.
R1U Intent. To preserve and protect older developed parts of the community by providing areas for medium and relatively high density single-family dwellings on older platted lots in urbanized sewered areas of the cities, incorporated towns, and unincorporated towns with sewer.
R2U Intent. To preserve and protect older developed parts of the community by providing areas for medium and relatively high density single-family and two-family dwellings on older platted lots in urbanized sewered areas of the cities, incorporated towns, and unincorporated towns with sewer.
SINGLE-FAMILY DWELLING. A building, on a separate lot, containing one dwelling unit.
TRANSIENT GUEST HOUSE. A primary use consisting of a single-family, two-family, or multi-family dwelling where none of the units are required to be owner-occupied, within which transient accommodations may be provided for rent for a period of less than one month, subject to the restrictions of UZO Section 4-11-13.
TRANSIENT GUEST RENTAL. An accessory use consisting of an owner-occupied dwelling unit within which limited transient guest accommodations may be provided for rent for a period of less than one month and no more than 60 days per calendar year, while the owner is not required to be present, subject to the restrictions of UZO Section 4-11-13. (Amend #88)
TRANSIENT GUEST ROOM. Limited transient guest accommodations within an owner-occupied abode where up to a maximum of two rooms, a duplex unit, or two apartment units may be rented and the owner must be present on site. A transient guest room shall meet the requirements of a home occupation or rural home occupation and is subject to the restrictions of UZO Section 4-11-13(b). (Amend #88)
Permitted Use Table 3-2
Hotels and motels are not allowed in any residential zoned areas.
Indiana Code
Labor and Safety; Building and Safety Regulations; Smoke Detection Devices
Indiana 22-11-18-1 Definitions
Sec. 1. As used in this chapter:
“Hotels and motels” means buildings or structures kept, maintained, used, advertised, or held out to the public as inns or places where sleeping accommodations are furnished for hire for transient guests
Local Government; General Provisions; Short Term Rentals
IC 36-1-24-6 Definition “Short term rental”
Sec. 6. As used in this chapter, “short term rental” means the rental of:
(1) a single family home;
(2) a dwelling unit in a single family home;
(3) a dwelling unit in a two-family or multifamily dwelling; or
(4) a dwelling unit in a condominium, cooperative, or time share;
for terms of less than thirty (30) days at a time through a short term rental platform. The term includes a detached accessory structure, including a guest house, or other living quarters that are intended for human habitation, if the entire property is designated for a single family residential use. The term does not include property that is used for any nonresidential use.
As added by P.L.73-2018, SEC.1.
IC 36-1-24-9 Short term rental property that is not an owner occupied short term rental property; special exception; zoning variance
Sec. 9. (a) This section applies only to a short term rental property that is not an owner occupied short term rental property.
(b) A unit may require a special exception, special use, or zoning variance for the short term rental property that is in a residential zoning district or classification of a unit. However, the unit may not interpret and enforce the unit’s zoning regulations for a special exception, special use, or zoning variance in a manner that is intended or has the effect of prohibiting or unreasonably restricting short term rentals of property to which this section applies. Denial of a special exception, special use, or zoning variance for the short term rental property may be appealed in accordance with IC 36-7-4.
IC 36-1-24-10 Enforcement of laws that regulate, prohibit, or limit short term rentals
Sec. 10. A unit may enact or enforce a law or plan that regulates, prohibits, or limits short term rentals only for the following primary purposes:
(1) Protection of the public’s health and safety related to:
(A) fire and building safety;
(B) sanitation;
(C) transportation;
(D) traffic control; and
(E) pollution control;
if enforcement is performed in the same manner as enforcement that applies to similar properties that are not short term rentals.
(2) Residential use and zoning related to:
(A) noise;
(B) protection of welfare;
(C) property maintenance; and
(D) nuisance issues;
if enforcement is performed in the same manner as enforcement that applies to similar properties that are not short term rentals.
(3) To limit or prohibit use of short term rentals for the following purposes:
(A) To house sex offenders.
(B) To operate a structured sober living home.
(C) To manufacture, exhibit, distribute, or sell illegal drugs, liquor, pornography, or obscenity.
(D) To operate an adult entertainment establishment (as defined in IC 12-7-2-1.8).
(4) To limit or prohibit short term rentals located within the boundaries of a conservancy district established under IC 14-33.
(5) To provide the unit with an emergency contact for a short term rental.
As added by P.L.73-2018, SEC.1.
IC 36-1-24-14 Revocation of a permit
Sec. 14. If three (3) or more citations for ordinance violations are issued to an owner for a permitted property within a calendar year, the unit may revoke the permit for that permitted property for a period of not more than one (1) year after the date the permit is revoked. The unit shall provide notice and a hearing for revocation in accordance with the unit’s ordinance.
As added by P.L.73-2018, SEC.1.