Goshen Village Board opts out on cannabis, approves measures for B&Bs and Airbnbs

The agenda of the Goshen Village Board meeting of Aug. 23 included three public hearings on local laws of 2021: Local Law #2—“Short Term Rentals,” Local Law #3—“Bed and Breakfasts,” and Local Law #4—“Marijuana Regulation.”

The Village Board passed all three local laws; however, only the law regarding short-term rentals had input from the public seeking clarification of the terms of the law.

Opting out - for now

No one in the sparsely attended meeting spoke for or against regulation of a code amendment to permit “Bed and Breakfasts” within the village of Goshen or whether or not to opt out of licensing and establishing retail cannabis dispensaries and on-site consumption within the village.

Although the village, at this time, opted out of allowing the establishment of retail cannabis dispensaries, it can in the future opt back in to allow dispensaries and cannabis consumption establishments within the Village of Goshen.

In explaining the Village position, Mayor Pete Smith noted the number of places of worship, schools and density of the village and added that there isn’t a suitable location within the village for cannabis retail establishments. He added that with other area municipalities opting in, board members could assess how the cannabis issue is being handled in other spots before reconsidering and allowing it in the village.

If the board voted at this time to allow retail cannabis sites and consumption within the village, the opportunity to opt out in the future wouldn’t be an option. Smith, as well as Trustees Anthony Scotto and Daniel Henderson voted in favor of opting out, with Deputy Mayor Scott Wohl casting a “no” vote, saying “it’s premature to opt out” and he wants to keep an open mind, learn more, especially about sales tax gains for the village.

Short term rentals

The purpose of Local Law #2, “Short Term Rentals,” is to establish regulations, as well as permitting and enforcement procedures within the Village Code.

In summary, a short-term rental is space in a residential dwelling offered to persons in exchange for a fee or compensation, whether monetary or otherwise, for a period of less than thirty days. This includes rentals provided by such companies as Airbnb and VRBO.

Short Term rentals require registration and a permit issued by the Village Building Department. Other provisions include: property must be owner-occupied for more than 50% of the calendar year; single-family; only permitted in the R-2 and R-3 residential zones in the Village; illegal conduct not allowed; no tenant subleasing; guests must be made aware of the village noise ordinance; and no more than 16 rental permits issued in one calendar year for any one short term rental property.

The mayor noted: “These provisions are to keep from using this as a business.”

Village Attorney David Donovan added that this law is a work in progress and will most likely be “addressed or modified” in the future.

B&Bs

The purpose of Local Law #3 is to permit Bed and Breakfasts to be located within the Village of Goshen. Some of the provisions of the law include: permitting the bed and breakfast in the R-1 zone on lots of at least 1 acre; provide one off-street parking space for each available guest room plus those required for the single-family dwelling; available outdoor amenities, including swimming pools and sitting areas must be 10-feet from all property lines and screened from neighboring properties (no public use of these amenities).

Establishing a “Bed and Breakfast” within the Village is subject to obtaining a permit from the building inspector.

For more information on these local laws, contact the office of the Village of Goshen Building Inspector.

GOVAC building

Included on the agenda was the approval of the sale of the former Dikeman firehouse, located on New Street in the Village, to the Goshen Volunteer Ambulance Corps for $30,000. GOVAC is presently occupying the village-owned building.