The Bedford Zoning Board of Adjustments denied a special‑exception request that would have allowed a property at 805 San Marcos Lane to operate as a short‑term rental within 1,000 feet of an existing registered short‑term rental.

City staff explained the city’s short‑term rental program was established in 2021 and that the City Council amended the zoning ordinance earlier in 2025 to prohibit short‑term rentals within 1,000 feet of another registered property, while creating a process for property owners to request special exceptions from the board.

Applicant Claudia Orianna (recorded in the packet as Claudia Orianna) told the board she owns and lives in the house and described it as a family home rather than an investment property. She said she screens guests, limits occupancy, would block backyard access to guests, will use exterior cameras and limit parking to two cars on the driveway. “I scrutinize every single guest that comes through there,” Orianna said, and added she would not allow guests to park on the street.

Dozens of neighbors spoke in opposition. Many said they already have at least one active short‑term rental in the block and described recurring problems they attribute to rentals: loud vehicles and music, overnight welding and sparks, frequent unfamiliar cars parked for days and one house where a previous resident had a criminal record. “We already have giant monster trucks parked on our street,” one neighbor said, and another described a recent weekend with multiple flatbeds and lowrider trucks that ran late into the night.

Neighbors pointed to public‑safety concerns near schools, incidents of vandalism and multiple documented complaints to police, and they submitted a petition of signatures opposing the application. A long‑time neighbor told the board he had lived near the property for more than three decades and said short‑term rentals had introduced irregular traffic and strangers to a block that had been quiet and child friendly.

Board members said the applicant had not demonstrated special circumstances that would warrant an exception to the distance requirement. One member noted staff had not been presented with evidence showing unique property characteristics that would meet the ordinance’s five exception factors. The board moved to deny the special exception; the motion carried unanimously.

The denial means 805 San Marcos Lane may not be registered as a short‑term rental under the current ordinance unless the applicant receives City Council approval of a different change or the city’s rules are otherwise revised. Orianna told the board she appreciated neighbors’ concerns and said she would continue working with the community on safety and screening measures.