Zoning administrator approves several Carmel commercial vacation rentals and refers others to Planning Commission over concentration concerns

Monterey County’s Zoning Administrator approved multiple commercial vacation rental permits in the Carmel Area Land Use Plan on Aug. 27, 2026 and referred several others to the Planning Commission for further policy review after multiple neighbors raised concerns about the cumulative concentration of vacation rentals in small neighborhoods.

Staff presentations for several files (including PLN260138, PLN260103, PLN260127 and others) noted that the county’s ordinance caps commercial vacation rentals in the Carmel Area at 118 units and requires on‑call local property managers, occupancy limits, and adherence to Chapter 7.120 (operations and noise rules). Where staff found applications met parking and safety requirements, the ZA approved those permits with standard conditions.

However, in at least two cases (PLN250069 on Old Drive and PLN260069/260138 blocks), the ZA expressed concern that multiple approved or pending CVRs were clustering within a few hundred feet of each other. Neighbors described instances of noise, earlier parties and cars parked on narrow cul‑de‑sacs that impeded movement; the ZA said those concentrations could cross a threshold where community character and health/safety findings warrant Planning Commission guidance and referred the items for commission review.

Property managers and applicants emphasized professional local management, 24/7 response plans and no‑party policies; neighbors emphasized emergency access, line‑of‑sight and cumulative impacts on parking and water demand. The ZA instructed staff to notice the referred items to the Planning Commission and to return with recommended timing and any recommended policy direction.