A decision on the status of two Fort Dodge lodging houses that are currently open without all the needed city permissions has been put on hold by a regulatory board.

The Board of Adjustment on Tuesday postponed action on special exception requests needed to operate the lodging houses at 1521 Fifth Ave. N. and 718 S. 19th St. Both are owned by Megan Wuebker, who lives at the South 19th Street address.

At least some of the rooms at both locations are occupied.

Board members want to get information from the city inspectors, and perhaps City Attorney Mark Crimmins, before proceeding. But some board members appear skeptical of the special exception requests.

”This sets a precedent that I don’t think I like,” board member Troy Anderson said.

The proposal also faces criticism from other owners of rental property.

Kelly Payne, who owns several rental properties in Fort Dodge, told the board that he believes Wuebker should have obtained her special exceptions before renting rooms in the two houses.

”We all have to adhere to rules,” he said.

Charlene Pederson, who owns the East Lawn Lodge, a lodging house at 702 S. 30th St., told the board she had to go through the process of getting a special exception to the zoning code before she could rent any rooms.

”I think it is totally wrong that she can do this in a residential area,” Pederson told the board. ”I would not want to be her neighbor.”

A lodging house is defined as a place where individual rooms are rented, but there are common areas such as the kitchen and bathroom, according to Maggie Murray, the senior city planner. She said that’s different from apartments, in which each unit must have its own kitchen and bathroom.

City staff members found out about the lodging houses when they saw advertisements offering rooms for rent. In April 2019, city inspectors issued violation notices to Wuebker for failing to get the special exceptions to the zoning code and failing to register the sites as rental properties.

Since then Wuebker has applied for the special exceptions and has scheduled inspections.

A May 22 inspection revealed that the two basement bedrooms at 1521 Fifth Ave. N. don’t have high enough ceilings to be acceptable for rental, according to a report to the board written by Murray.

Wuebker told the board Tuesday that she was informed a 6-foot, 8-inch ceiling height is required. She said one bedroom has a 7-foot high ceiling and the other has a ceiling that is 6 feet, 11 inches high.

The board tabled the request for 1521 Fifth Ave. N. until it gets more information on the rental code requirements.

The request for 718 S. 19th St. was also tabled.

The board will consider the requests again at a future meeting.