St. Joseph City Commissioners have pumped the brakes on a proposal to open eight new short-term rental units downtown, but only for now.

At their meeting this week, commissioners heard from Brian Barrett, the owner of a building at 520 State Street and 515 Market Street. He’s seeking to turn the three-bedroom apartments in that building into STRs. The St. Joseph Planning Commission previously recommended denial of a special use permit for the project, citing concerns like the loss of affordable housing in the community.

During a lengthy public hearing Monday, Barrett said there’s a hotel located practically next door.

“From the beginning, all I’ve asked is that the various board members take a realistic look at where our property sits and the surrounding area,” Barrett said. “Look at the context in which our property sits. Our building is in alignment with the character of the surrounding properties.”

Barrett said there are no single-family homes immediately adjacent to the building in question. Commissioners at first seemed poised to deny his request, but he asked that it be tabled so city staff can discuss short-term rental policies some more. Commissioner Michael Sarola agreed that would be wise.

“Separately, while it’s tabled, I know there’s strong feelings on both sides,” Sarola said. “I would certainly encourage dialogue amongst the community and Mr. Barrett and hopefully find a solution that’s workable.”

Mayor Brooke Thomas said she thinks the city so far has done a good job of limiting where short-term rentals may be located, but she agreed with tabling the question for more review. The question is whether this particular property could become STRs and not affect the character of the neighborhood.

The matter will come up again at a future meeting.