Wellsboro is a small town in the heart of northern Pennsylvania. It has a certain charm that the locals and anyone that may be passing by, fall in love with. Therefore, Wellsboro gains a good deal of attraction, making it a town that aims to be progressive. Such a town would need a variety of locations for visitors to stay. Hotels may appear to suffice, but the modern world requires much more. Short-term vacation rentals are a popular style for people to getaway. Unfortunately, the zoning code of Wellsboro does not allow them, except for the few vacation rentals that are “grandfathered in”.

Current Laws/Regulations for Vacation Rentals:

The legal side of this issue is something that many seek to change, but the current status is as follows. For a Bed and Breakfast Inn to be allowed, it must be owner-occupied and with a limited number of lodgers. It must also not be a restaurant. Lodgers are limited to a 14-day stay so that it doesn’t become a multi-family rental dwelling. In terms of whether rentals are allowed or not, the issue is not that the zoning ordinance says that rentals are not allowed, but rather that the zoning ordinance doesn’t answer the question at all. Nowhere does it state that rentals are or are not allowed. As a result, you cannot have one. The zoning ordinance would have to specifically state that rentals ARE allowed. However, the zoning ordinance can be updated and revised to include the change. To make that happen, the ordinance would have to be amended by the boro council. The last time it was updated was June 4th, 2018.

Importance of Vacation Rentals:

In a modern, progressive town, short-term vacation rentals are almost essential for the town to not only survive but thrive in today’s society. To find out more about the importance of these Rental homes, I interviewed one of Wellsboro’s entrepreneurs and business owners, Christina VanDergrift, owner of Mountain Valley Realty and Mountain Valley Vacation Rentals. She also is the author of Vacation Rentals: The Ultimate Guide. After asking a few questions, I gathered the thoughts and information from a professional in this field:

Tourism in Wellsboro is essentially how the town survives, it creates jobs, and puts food on the table for many families in the community. Furthermore, small towns like Wellsboro need to move into a “progressive” era. Likewise, Wellsboro will also be trying to continue to develop. The town is implementing a new rail-trail system which is estimated to bring upward of 60,000 people annually. The town will also continue their annual Charles Dickens of a Christmas festival, and The Laurel Festival which each accumulate close to 30,000 tourists in Wellsboro at one time. However, where do all these tourists stay when in Wellsboro? There are only four main hotels/motels in Wellsboro, and during high tourism periods, these hotels are almost always full. During these times, where can people stay? Tourists can either choose to stay close to an hour out of town in a hotel or stay in a short-term vacation rental well out of town. Hence, if short-term vacation rentals were allowed in the borough, tourists would not have to compromise having to stay out of town. Additionally, with worries of COVID-19 many tourists prefer to stay in homes or places of their own compared to hotels with hundreds of people packed into them. Nonetheless, short-term vacation rentals are extremely important to small communities like Wellsboro.

Steps/Actions to be Taken:

Although this issue has been brought up to the Boro Council already with no result, there are still some actions that can be taken to allow short-term rentals in the borough. After talking to Christina VanDergrift, I found that she will be talking to an attorney in town to try to see options about changing the zoning ordinance. In addition, at the next Boro Council meeting, there will be public comments on the issue as means of persuasion. Finally, advocates for vacation rentals will be compromising with the Borough manager, and asking local businesses for support. Overall, short-term vacation rentals will bring a new, progressive movement into the town which will not only help Wellsboro survive but thrive in the modern world.