A couple of house parties that got out of hand at local Airbnbs has the Peoria Heights Village Board contemplating further regulation and limitations on the short-term rental properties, most of them in residential neighborhoods.
The Village Board is expected to address the issue at its regular meeting on Tuesday, July 7.
Heights Police Chief Chris Ahart noted that a loud party on Vincent Avenue last spring ended up being attended by 250 people before law enforcement was called, prompting Trustee Brandon Wisenburg to raise the issue last month. The police response had party-goers fleeing the Airbnb property, culminating in a high-speed chase and two motor vehicle crashes, along with people swarming the local McDonald’s and Beck’s service station before being cleared, said Ahart.
The Village has 32 registered short-term rental properties, though there could be more flying under the radar, with no restrictions on who can rent them. Trustees shared a number of ideas for how to curtail abuses, from creating a new permit process to capping and/or reducing the number of short-term rentals, from prohibiting local resident access to limiting occupancy at any given property.
While the Village does have significant regulatory authority, those can raise constitutional considerations and enforcement can be a challenge, cautioned Village Attorney Mark Walton.
For example, if the Village were to prevent residents of Peoria County from renting a local Airbnb, as one trustee suggested, that could be construed as a kind of racial redlining, given that residents of other nearby counties have significantly fewer African Americans, said Trustee Nate Steinwedel.
Meanwhile, people rent Airbnbs for a myriad of reasons. Maybe someone has been displaced by a house fire for a few weeks, or is in town for a wedding or a relative in the hospital. Perhaps a visiting nurse needs a place to stay, or there’s a domestic dispute and the spouses need to cool off away from each other for a few nights.
“That’s really not our business,” said Steinwedel.
Unlike Peoria, for example, “we don’t have a hotel,” he said. “It (Airbnb, VRBO) is a needed thing here.”
The Village also derives revenue from the properties in the form of a 5 percent tax.
Village Administrator Dustin Sutton tried to reassure trustees that the Village already has the legal mechanisms in place to address problem renters, primarily through its Landlord Registration Program and its nuisance ordinance. With the latter, three violation tickets earn fines for the landlords.
“Trust me, they don’t want that,” said Sutton.
“We’re not starting from ground zero here,” he said. “We have a lot of tools.”
Airbnb also can take enforcement action on its own when it gets complaints, said Steinwedel.
Ultimately, it’s enough of an issue – population and school enrollment losses also are a concern -- that the Village will explore its options, including placing a ceiling on the number of short-term rentals and punishment including pulling permits for bad actors. Other communities such as the City of Washington, which has a special use permit for short-term rentals, and the City of Peoria, which requires Airbnb owners to address the City Council in person, could serve as role models. The Illinois Municipal League also has recommendations for communities, many of whom are grappling with these same challenges.
In other action or discussion:
The Village Board signaled its intent to accept a bid of nearly $6.82 million to Leander Construction of Canton for construction of a filter addition to a new water treatment plant in the Village. Specifically, the Village wants to remove manganese from its water system, which is a significant contributor to the discolored water some local residents get when they turn on their taps.
The Village received three bids and Leander’s was the lowest. The work could begin as soon as this month on what constitutes a major water infrastructure upgrade for the community.
The Board approved a proposal from its water consultant, Missouri-based Woodard & Curran, to provide early-stage due diligence and design on a water main replacement project underneath Illinois Route 29, which ultimately will coincide with the pending roadway reconstruction there.
The Village intends to replace 1,200 linear feet of 12-inch raw water main from Route 29 to the new water treatment plant, with a federal grant of nearly $1 million already in hand through the office of Congressman Eric Sorensen. There will be additional expenses on local taxpayers.
Woodard & Curran will provide multiple services including project management, data collection and topographical survey, design work, permitting, bidding assistance and ultimately project oversight. Its fee will be $76,000.
The Board unanimously amended its redevelopment agreement with Pearl Enterprises of Illinois to help pay for replacing the sidewalk on Glen from Prospect to Atlantic, where Pearl is renovating and expanding its office building. The Village will reimburse Pearl for half the cost up to $250,000. Four parallel parking spaces also are being added on Glen.
Those dollars will come from tax increment financing (TIF) funds.
The Board entered into a tax increment financing (TIF) agreeement with Stephanie Brott of Segreto di Stephani restaurant. Between that and an earlier Business Development District (BDD) grant, the developer could be reimbursed up to a combined $165,000 in site renovation costs.
The Board is considering the establishment of a no-parking zone on Montclair Avenue near Suburban Lions Club Park, or perhaps a more permanent solution to deter vehicular speeders in a spot of limited visibility where children play.
The Village could ban parking on one side of the street, lower the speed limit, put up flashing lights or an electronic speed sign, install speed bumps or even dead-end the roadway, said trustees. Moving the entrance to the park, placing stanchions in the middle of the road to guide traffic, or painting a crosswalk there are also possibilities.
“This is a really dangerous stretch of road,” said Wisenburg.
Parking a squad car there at busier times of day also could make a difference.
“I feel like the word travels fast when the police start writing tickets,” said Trustee Sarah DeVore.
Years ago, the Village entertained a proposal to expand the park, with the likes of pickleball courts there to maximize its use, and redesign the roadway but that didn’t pan out.
The Board awarded a spray patching contract in the amount of $72,226 to Ace in the Hole, Inc. of Hanna City. The Board also approved the bid of $187,810 from Tremont-based RA Cullinan & Son for sealcoating. Both businesses have worked in the Village before. Both will be paid out of motor fuel tax funds.
The Board gave its thumbs up to the Peoria Heights Arts Collaborative for use of Tower Park on Saturday, Oct. 24 for its fall art fair. Unlike the spring version of its arts fair, this one will not require the temporary closure of Prospect Road