Gloucester Council Grants Permanent Grandfather Rights to Short-Term Rental Operators

GLOUCESTER — April 8, 2025 — Gloucester City Council rewrites short-term rental rules, grants permanent grandfather status to existing operators. The council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to replace a three-year sunset clause — inserted by late-night amendment at the August 2024 hearing — with a permanent exemption for any operator holding a valid Massachusetts Department of Revenue certificate of registration as of April 1, 2025, shielding them indefinitely from the ordinance's 120-day annual cap and single-unit ownership limit. Councilor-at-Large Jeff Worthley, the amendment's sponsor, argued the August changes "drastically" exceeded what was advertised to the public, while Councilor-at-Large Jason Groh said the three-year window was necessary to gather data before locking in policy. The 500-unit citywide cap on non-primary residential units was retained over Worthley's objection, on a 5-2 vote, after Groh warned that removing it could allow investors to absorb hundreds of units before any future regulation could respond. The council also voted 9-0 to approve $36,824.86 to begin stabilizing the commercial marina at 65 Rogers Street, granted four special permits for conversion of the landmark "Blue Church" at 964 Washington Street into a four-family dwelling, and adjourned before completing a final provision of the short-term rental ordinance — a single-ownership limit — which carries to the next regular meeting.