ORANGE BEACH, Ala. — A proposal to amend the Orange Beach zoning ordinance could eliminate short-term rentals in all residential areas.

The plan is to abolish the ability to rent a house or duplex for shorter than a month in any residential zone.

“I think the reasoning is obvious,” Mayor Tony Kennon said. “It is to protect the sanctity of our neighborhoods. When you are renting weekly you are running a business.”

He said, while there are home-based businesses in residential areas, the city is very select in approving those so they don’t negatively affect the neighborhood.

A crowd of residents came to the March 31 council work session to voice their opinion about the mayor’s idea. Many complained of the incidents they have experienced with weekly renters in their neighborhoods.

“There is a problem that exists out there,” resident Jimmy Boyd said. “We bought in our neighborhood because it was a quiet neighborhood. I didn’t buy on Marina Road because of that reason.”

Despite covenants in his neighborhood that restrict renting homes seasonally, he said that hasn’t stopped people.

Former councilwoman and Orange Beach resident Tracy Holiday commented on the safety issue of housing tourists. She explained how the residential areas aren’t patrolled like the beach front is, and the vacationers aren’t monitored like needed.

“So you have teenagers and people drinking, who don’t know the area, speeding, letting their pets out,” Holiday said. “It is an incredibly upsetting and uncomfortable thing when you’re used to being in your quiet neighborhood.”

One resident said she felt changing the ordinance would not be fair to those who owned properties or built housing for the purpose of renting. She said past councils had approved developments for that reason and it wasn’t fair now to change the ordinance on them.

“You're identifying things that maybe should not have happened,” Kennon said in response to the resident. “I can’t do anything about it. But what we are trying to do is identify things that we can do something about.”

Councilwoman Pattisue Carranza and Councilman Brett Holk also showed concern of introducing a change that would disable weekly rentals. Holk said he was worried some people are making the payment on their home due to that weekly income. Carranza doesn’t want to take away the privilege from those who haven’t caused problems with renting their residential home to vacationers.

Engineering and Environmental Services director Kit Alexander said material concerning the change could be addressed at the May planning commission meeting. A public hearing must be held for all zoning text amendments.