HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-12-2013 ac grady ss1Goodwin, Heather
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Heather,
Agenda correspondence,
Thanks - Kathy
Smith, Kathy
Monday, November lL,2013 9:02 AM
Goodwin, Heather
FW:Vacation rentals in SLO
Use of Residences for Homestays.doc
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AGENDA
CORRESPONDENCE
From: John Grady fiohngrady5@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, November 10,2013 B:54 PM
To: Max, Jan; Smith, Kathy; Carpenter, Dan; Ashbaugh, John; Christianson, Carlyn
Subject: Vacation rentals in SLO
Dear Mayor Max and City Council Members,
Attached please find my comments (attached as a Word document) regarding your
upcoming discussion of vacation rentals in our city,
Regards,
John Grady
San Luis Obispo
November t0,2Ot3
Dear SLO City Council Members,
I urge you support the adoption of a resolution that would allow homeowners in our city to rent out a
portion of their home as a vacation rental or homestay rentalfor out of town visitors. The benefits to
our residents and their guests far outweigh any negative impacts of this practice. These benefits include
allowing some homeowners to be able to afford keeping their home by the supplemental income they
can generate as well as allowing visitors a more intimate and personal experience during their visit to
our town. To deny homeowners the freedom to rent out a room in their own home seems to me a
denial of their constitutional right.
Some in opposition have expressed concerns that such vacation or homestay rentals will lead to
increased traffic and loud parties. How can one more car driving in a neighborhood constitute a traffic
problem? lf instead the same house is rented to 6 or 8 students then perhaps we might have added
traffic and parking problems, but not by having an out of town guest or guests stay in the same home!
Likewise, what is the likelihood of a visiting individualor couple throwing a party in a town they likely
know no one, compared with a house full of students throwing a party for their friends and classmates?
The arguments against allowing homestays or vacation rentals lack credibility.
lf you want to impose some requirements such as collection of a TOT and perhaps requiring the owner
to have a business license so be it, but even this in my opinion is not necessary. The hotels and motels
will not suffer as most visitors will prefer this type of lodging. For those visitors who prefer a homestay
and for the homeowners who want to provide this experience for a myriad of reasons, I believe they
should be allowed to enjoy this use of their own private property.
Finally, if you amend our city's General Plan to accommodate homestays and vacation rentals, any
related costs should be absorbed by the city as a cost of doing business and not passed along to SLO
Hosts as staff has proposed. This would be unfair in my opinion. I also believe that staff costs should
playnoroleinyourdecisionnorshouldtheybeaugmentedtodraftanewordinance, Stafftimeisa
requirement of running government and should not be funded or allotted in a piecemeal manner or on a
case by case basis. ln fact, the city wíll realize increased tax revenue as a result of allowing such rentals.
Please do the right thing and amend our city's plan to allow this appropriate use of private residences.
Thank you.
Regards,
John Grady
525 Marsh Street
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401