A couple has withdrawn their application to turn their property on 53 Old Temple Road in Lyndeborough into a bed-and-breakfast.

Keith and Helen Thompson had applied for a special exception to permit the bed-and-breakfast out of their property, also known as Sweet Briar Farm, located in Lyndeborough’s Rural Lands District. The Wednesday hearing was a continuation of a hearing on the same application held on Sept. 25.

The board initially began a discussion on the application and a related report on a code inspection of the property. Chair Karen Grybko said she would like to continue the hearing at least once more, to invite a fire department member to comment specifically on the fire safety aspects of some of the noted deficiencies.

Other board members said it would be prudent to move forward with any questions they might have that the applicants may be able to answer before continuing, but the discussion was made moot by Helen Thompson’s request to withdraw the application, without prejudice, meaning the Thompsons reserve the right to re-apply at a later date.

Helen Thompson said that following the code report, she and Keith Thompson have hired a code consultant to make sure that their property is safe for guests, but would be moving forward with an Airbnb model, rather than an inn. Airbnb is a model where guests can make a short-term rental of a property, but would not include guest services like meals.

Helen Thompson said even if the couple needs to return to either the Zoning or Planning Board for their Airbnb model, they would no longer be proceeding with the bed-and-breakfast.

There was some confusion about what approvals might be needed for an Airbnb in Lyndeborough, with Helen Thompson alleging other properties are using the model in town.

While Zoning Board members said there had been at least one application for a short-term rental in the style of Airbnb that had gone through a Planning Board review, they also acknowledged that Lyndeborough’s zoning code is not specific when it comes to the allowances around the concept.

ZBA member Jonathan Lavoie said that the zoning code across the state hasn’t kept up with the concept and that there is a “vagueness” that towns may have to start grappling with. He called the application a learning experience for the board and the applicant and thanked the Thompsons for attempting to work through the issues alongside the board.

Other local towns have recently amended their codes to adopt specific definitions and provisions for short-term rentals, including Jaffrey, which in 2023 adopted zoning amendments requiring a special exception process for rentals using models such as Airbnb.

Ashley Saari can be reached at 603-924-7172 ext. 244 or asaari@ledgertranscript.com. She’s on Twitter @AshleySaariMLT.