Short Term Rental Application Denied

The Palm Desert Planning Commission denied an application Tuesday for a short term rental -- the first since council members approved restrictions on the rentals in April.

In a 2-3 vote, the commission rejected the bid for a conditional use permit, with commissioners Nancy DeLuna, Connor Limont and Roger Dash dissenting.

The conditional use permit restricts rentals to a two-day, three-night lease at the minimum. The application was for a home at 44600 San Jose Ave., west of Portola Avenue, which is owned by Alan and Susan Parker.

The out of town residents did not appear at the hearing, which Dash said had a factor in his vote.

"If they want to come back to us with some answers then that is different,'' Dash said.

The CUP restricts the number of days a home could be rented, the number of occupants in the home, parking and noise levels. The permit also requires owners to provide contact information to neighbors and the city.

There was no record of any noise complaints from the police or code enforcement, according to city staff.

"In this particular case I have tremendous concern about the integrity of the neighborhood,” DeLuna said.

Commissioner Van Tanner, who voted in favor of the CUP, said denying the application only forced the homeowners to go underground.

"We’re losing three-fourths of a million dollars a year because we’re not following up with the taxes that we should get on these three day rentals,'' Tanner said.

The cost of the permit is $500 and is nonrefundable.