On Thursday, March 18, 2021, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters certified the results of Cathedral City’s Special Election on Measure B that was held March 2, 2021. The final vote totals were 5,006 votes for “Yes” and 2,940 votes for “No”.
The certification of the election means that Ordinance 842, passed unanimously by the city council last fall and subsequently by the electorate, will immediately go back into effect. Measure B upholds the City’s adopted Short-Term Vacation Rental (STVR) regulations and restrictions, which were developed after a year of community engagement and feedback to address identified resident priorities including:
- Improving neighborhood safety
- Reducing criminal activity associated with short-term vacation rentals
- Reducing noise impacts of short-term vacation rentals
- Preserving neighborhood character
The ordinance was temporarily suspended when a group of STVR operators and real estate investors filed a petition to repeal portions of Ordinance 842 via a paid signature gathering process. Upon receipt of the petition, the City chose to allow the community to vote directly on the issue.
Major components of Ordinance 842 stipulate that STVRs will only be allowed within neighborhoods with a homeowners’ association that allows STVRs or elsewhere if the STVR is a home share (primary resident remains on site during short-term rental). Existing permitted STVRs that are not home shares or in a qualifying homeowners association will be allowed to continue to operate until January 1, 2023; all stays must be a minimum of 4 days / 3 nights in length. The ordinance also limits the number of occupants based on the number of bedrooms with a maximum occupancy of 10 at any time. It prohibits use of outdoor amenities between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.
To learn more about Ordinance 842, go to: https://www.cathedralcity.gov/home/showpublisheddocument?id=10029
