A long-vacant Millvale house is a step closer to a new life as a short-term rental property.

Council voted 5-1 at its meeting Aug. 12 to approve rezoning 127 Howard St. from residential to commercial.

Councilman William Stout, who opposed the proposal as a member of the borough’s planning commission, cast the only vote against. Vice President Al Atkinson was absent.

The applicant, Ilnar Akhmedjanov, is interested in buying the property from its owner, Charles Kalanish, to remodel the single-family house into a duplex.

The house has been vacant for 20 years, Kalanish said. While the county classifies the property as being in “very poor” condition, Kalanash said it’s not in bad shape and the foundation is good.

No residents spoke in support or opposition of the zoning change during a public hearing before council voted.

The property borders the borough’s commercially zoned area, in which short-term rentals are allowed. They are not allowed in the residential area, where the use would require a variance and create a nonconforming use.

Short-term rental properties in Millvale’s commercial district are not required to provide any off-street parking. However, Akhmedjanov’s plan shows six parking spaces being available, provided he can reach an agreement from the owner of 131 Howard St. for access to them.

Akhmedjanov, who participated in the meeting remotely, said the parking agreement is a “work in progress,” but he is confident of getting permission.

The borough’s planning commission on June 17 came to a split decision on its recommendation to council for the rezoning proposal, with two members in favor, two opposed and one absent.

Stout wrote in a statement that he found the rezoning request “to not be in the best interests of the borough of Millvale.”

“The commissioners here are guardians for the borough of Millvale, protectors working to maintain a balance between the ordinances and codes ruling the borough and the practical existence and daily life of this town,” he wrote. “There needs to be fair treatment for the residents of the borough versus the businesses which, of course, are necessary but not the sole entity here.”

Parking, Stout wrote, seems to be a major issue. He noted that, by rezoning, no off-street parking would be required.

“What about the neighbors on Howard Street? Don’t they have rights to park close to their homes? The owner of 127 will not be living there … so (it) doesn’t matter to them that their AirBnB … will take up street parking,” he wrote.

“If we were to allow rezoning that basically ‘steals’ public parking for the good of a new business, … we are hurting the residents who live there by limiting their access to public, free parking,” Stout wrote. “I don’t believe this is in line with Millvale’s overall goal because it really rewards a business and punishes residents by using this ‘loophole’ to avoid mandatory, off-street parking.”

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