GULF SHORES, Ala. — Gulf Shores City Council has approved a request for a public hearing regarding the amended zoning ordinance for single family and duplex tourist rental overlay district.

In October 2009, the council passed an amendment to the zoning ordinance, creating a single family and duplex tourist rental overlay district.

For several months, at the request of the council, city staff worked to create the overlay district that would affect the short-term rental of single family and duplex houses.

The area being recognized encompassed all of West Beach Boulevard.  A previous draft also included Fort Morgan, but was later removed from the proposal.

Records researched from Meyer and Kaiser rental guides, in addition to a list from the revenue department showing current business licenses for short-term rentals, is how the planning and zoning developed what would be the overlay district.

There were 12 houses that were included in the proposal that were outside the specific outlined area, but were added because they had continued to keep their business licenses current and had paid their taxes.

“We heard significant discussion this evening about a request for us to schedule a public hearing regarding this matter,” Mayor Robert Craft told council members during Monday’s committee of the whole meeting.

“The question on the table is not do we approve or disapprove of this, but do we want to schedule a public hearing.”

“I think there is significant enough interest in this to schedule a public hearing,” said Councilman Steve Jones.

Following appropriate advertisement, the public hearing will be set.

“What they want to see happen is to expand the short term rental zone back further to the east.,” said Mayor Craft, who says he may struggle to find a good reason to vote against the permanent residents who call Gulf Shores home.

“Short-term rentals and permanent family dwellings are not a good mix,” Craft said. “There certainly is a conflict of interest between those two ways of life and the quality of life, so they have got a ways to go to convince me to vote for it. We will listen at the public hearing, but right now, I will find it hard to support.”