The area director in rural Barriere says the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is planning in case short-term rental issues come up again.

Bill Kershaw was asked after a permit application for a short-term rental was rejected for a property on East Barriere Lake. The decision was unanimous by board members, and came after a number of neighbours spoke to the board with concerns for the proposal.

“What we do have going now, we’re doing a rural OCP, Official Community Plan, for the rural areas. We used to have a North Thompson OCP that took in Barriere and Clearwater. Now they’re incorporated, so we’re in the process of doing an OCP that just takes in the rural areas. And these are some of the things that will have to be looked at.”

Kershaw says where short term rentals are allowed can vary from one neighbourhood to the next, and he says the TNRD polices unlicensed short-term rentals on a complaint basis.

(Photo: Airbnb)