Despite neighborhood opposition, Airbnb rental in North Peoria is approved by City Council

Leslie Renken, Journal Star
·2 min read
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PEORIA – A controversial Airbnb in North Peoria was given the green light by the Peoria City Council on Tuesday evening.

The house is located in the 1500 block of North Teton and is owned by an out-of-state resident.

“Nobody is in favor of this B&B,” said Kathy Matlock, a resident of the Willow Knolls South subdivision where the house is located. “We don’t want an Airbnb in our neighborhood anywhere.”

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Matlock, who spoke to the council before the vote, explained the neighborhood is a tight-knit community with frequent social gatherings. A poll showed that more than 73% of residents didn’t want the house to be used as an Airbnb.

“This house has somebody new every weekend. To me as a mother, that’s a very scary thought,” she said.

The question of how to handle requests to convert residential housing into short-term rental in Peoria has been an ongoing issue for the council. At one point last year, there was so much confusion between homeowners and the rule makers that the council suspended fines for Airbnb owners who didn't have the correct permits.

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For the request on Teton, council members Chuck Grayeb, Denise Jackson and Beth Jenson voted against the measure.

“We did say we were going to listen to the neighbors,” said Jensen. “This is not an appropriate place for this.”

Jackson said short-term rental applications should be considered on a case-to-case basis.

“That is how we said we would make these decisions,” she said. “I respect the individuals who live in the neighborhood.”

Councilman John Kelly, who voted yes, said the house had been an Airbnb for some time with no problems. Considering each of the many applications the council sees for short-term rentals on a case-to-case basis only causes confusion, he said.

“When we make up a law every time we approve something, no one knows what the laws are,” he said.

Leslie Renken can be reached at 309-370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Peoria City Council approves controversial short-term rental