Committee Report on Hometels and Wedding Venues in Pensacola Beach & How They Impact the Local Area

How do hometels and wedding venues impact residential neighborhoods and/or hotels on Pensacola Beach?
1. Parking
2. Noise
3. Excessive Trash
4. Are not required to pay commercial lease fees on every transaction
5. Safety/Fire Hazard
6. Are not required to be ADA compliant

What truly enforceable laws/ordinances/policies are currently on the books?
1. Parking

What quasi enforceable laws/ordinances/policies are currently on the books?
1. Noise
2. SRIA event permit

What makes a hometel/wedding venue a residential lifestyle inconvenience vs a safety issue?
1. Noise is an inconvenience.
2. Excessive trash is an inconvenience bordering on a health safety issue depending on how long it sits, whether there are enough receptacles, where said receptacles are placed on trash day.
3. Street side parking, especially when it’s on both sides of the street and in front of fire hydrants, is a safety issue.
4. Large gatherings and open flames with no mandated sprinkler system is a safety issue. (Why do hotels have to install working sprinkler systems?)

What can be done to reign in hometels and wedding venues?
1. No street side parking. If you are a permanent or long term resident, you should know your neighbors and be able to borrow driveway space if you are hosting a party.
2. Research if there is a phone app that can accurately measure noise and understand the difference between legally loud and just annoying.
3. Research trash guidelines and regulations. Work to implement enforceable regulations. (Ask Dale.)
4. Research various leases. (Follow up with Terry about what they are doing.)
5. For known venues — running a commercial business in a residential neighborhood are in violation of their lease. Is it possible to come up with a hybrid lease with appropriate fees.
6. Signage. How many signs are too many?
7. Tropical Storm/Hurricane (before/after) — enforcement of leaseholder sticker? First to be mandated to leave? Impact on evacuation? Impact on infrastructure.

 Liz Hewson - Spring Break Committee Chair