Town approves short-term rental parking pilot program
May 14, 2025 at 3:34 AM
Offsite parking spaces will soon be offered to short-term rental (STR) operators in Crystal Beach on a trial basis.
Councillors approved a staff report at the May 12 council-in-committee meeting recommending a pilot project that will see 10 spaces in the parking lot on the south side of Erie Road between Oxford and Oakwood avenues offered up to licensed STR operators.
The move is an attempt to address parking concerns following changes to the municipality’s STR bylaw in January 2024 that added new parking requirements.
“The idea would be that the short-term rental owner themselves would be given a parking pass that you hang in the mirror. It would be up to that person to distribute the parking passes to their guests and recover the parking pass,” said Jordan Frost, acting director of infrastructure services.
“There will be signs posted specifically saying these are short-term rental spots designated for pass holders only so we do retain that capacity for the STRs, but without that pass in your vehicle it gives us that mechanism to understand you don’t belong here and then bylaw can go out and enforce as required.”
STR owners would be charged an annual fee of $500 per space. Since the lot south of Erie Road is not maintained in the winter, the STR spaces would switch to the Erie Road municipal lot from November through March.
Under the new STR rules, operators must provide “one parking space for three or more bedrooms in addition to the required parking for the dwelling unit. Tandem parking is permitted,” the report said.
It went on to say staff have been receiving requests from STR applicants about offsite parking options.
Hotel operators, meanwhile, can utilize the overnight parking passes, said Frost, responding to a question from Mayor Wayne Redekop.
The report said the pilot program would run for 2025, prompting Councillor Ann-Marie Noyes to question the value of that, considering it’ll be around July before everything is in place to start the trial.
Frost responded by saying that even having those few months of experience should give staff some insights into the program.
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About The Author
Luke Edwards
Luke Edwards is a longtime Niagara community journalist who has covered a variety of beats, including business, agriculture, the wine industry and politics. When not writing, there's a good chance he can be found at a baseball diamond or curling rink.
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