(2/20) Carroll Valley homeowners likely soon have the right to use their dwellings as vacation rentals.
The council unanimously approved advertising the ordinance change at its February meeting. Previously, homeowners were required to seek a special exception from the borough council before they rented homes to people vacationing in Carroll Valley.
The vacation home rental ordinance was once part of a larger ordinance that also limited the number of trailers allowed on Carroll Valley properties. Borough Manager Dave Hazlett told the council the borough’s planning commission was not prepared to advance trailer rule recommendations to the council so it separated vacation home rental rules.
Members of the public will have the opportunity to share thoughts on the vacation rental ordinance during a public hearing scheduled prior to Council’s March 14 meeting. The council will then finalize the changes that evening.
The Council also passed an amendment to its property maintenance ordinance that gives the borough the power to fine property owners when the borough must address issues affecting public roads or neighboring properties. Hazlett gave the example of a property that has bamboo growing on it. During ice storms, the bamboo bends and blocks the road.
"If we are going to do it, no big deal but if we are going to do it we can cite you because you shouldn’t have been allowing it to happen anyway," Hazlett said.
Council approved the recommendation 5-1 with Councilman Bruce Carr casting the lone "no" vote. Councilwoman Kari Buterbaugh was absent.
In other news, Police Chief Clifford Weikert told the council he purchased two signs that show drivers their vehicle’s speed. The signs are portable and Weikert will move them based on citizens’ input. One will likely stay near Ski Liberty throughout the ski season.
"It will help us judge what time we need to be out there if we need to go run some speed," Weikert said.
Unlike other states, Pennsylvania law does not allow the signs to take pictures of cars so police can issue tickets, Weikert said.
The signs also count the number of vehicles that pass them, which Hazlett said will be helpful when advocating PennDOT for road improvements.
The signs are the latest way the borough is using technology to enforce the law. Last month, the police department purchased a license plate reader that scans plates and instantly searches a national database for information on the vehicle. Weikert said the reader is not working properly but he is communicating with the manufacturer to fix the issues.
