HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-21-17 Public Comment - P. House - Short Term RentalsFrom: Bozeman Cottage <bozemancottage@gmail.com>
Date: May 21, 2017 at 7:13:48 PM MDT
To: <cwinn@bozeman.net> Cc: <ctaylor@bozeman.net>, Cyndy Andrus <candrus@bozeman.net>, <cmehl@bozeman.net>, <ipomeroy@bozeman.net>, <jkrauss@bozeman.net>
Subject: STR comment form not working
Dear Chuck,
Technology is great, until it's not - I am getting messages from people saying they are not able to
submit comments using the form on this page: http://www.bozeman.net/Projects/ShortTermRentals/Comment-Form
I have tried twice myself.
For obvious reasons, this is a major problem. People are very upset that the proposed regulations
changed dramatically on May 12, and I'm sure many people have no idea about those changes. I feel that this agenda item can no longer be considered tomorrow in fairness to the community
being allowed to comment.
I have attached my comments to this email, as they pertain to you and staff as well, and cc'd the
commission. Paul
--
Bozeman Cottage Vacation Rentals, since 1998 info@bozemancottage.com www.bozemancottage.com
www.choiceenergy.org
(406) 580-3223 (888) 415-9837
Dear Commissioners,
Paul House, 510 N Church, I own Bozeman Cottage Vacation Rentals.
There are some important aspects of the Short Term Rental issue that I feel are being missed. I’m all for
getting STRs permitted, inspected, paying bed tax, and limited in number. That was the original goal, but
suddenly it’s turned into heavy-handed regulation of existing STRs and problems that doesn’t yet exist.
And then, preposterously, it doesn’t even prevent future STR over-saturation.
This has been my business and main source of income for 19 years, and it’s not just my income but the
income of Bozeman taxpayers which is now in jeopardy. Because of my income, my partner is able to
work for non-profits in mental health serving people experiencing homelessness, and the profoundly
mentally ill, in ways which very few people are willing or able to do – dealing with suicides in our
schools, real issues this community faces. Because of my income, I am able to pay taxes for school bonds
as well as raise a child.
There is nothing to gain and here’s why:
- Banning STRs will not magically revert those houses back to long term residences. Owners visit
sporadically and simply will not rent long term, so these homes will go dark. If they did rent
them long term, they would not be affordable housing. There is no rolling back the calendar so
the choice now is between dark homes or STRs.
- No significant negative impacts of STRs have been identified. Too many STRs carries the impact
of neighborhood dilution so the total number of STRs needs to be capped. The simplest way to
do that is to set a ceiling on the total number of permits to be issued. In the future, if we want to
allow more then applications can be selected at random. This gives the city time to operate and
refine the permit and fine tune enforcement in a limited setting.
- STRs are compatible with all neighborhoods and zoning, as concluded by the staff report,
supported by majority of public comment, and the Zoning Commission’s comments and
unanimous vote (17185 code amendment), Staff Report, H. Character of the District, p16-17.
- STRs are not significantly affecting the quantity or price of housing. Staff Report, p15.
- Positive financial impacts of STRs – Local dollars provide employment and go much further than
money spent at corporate hotels. Between Mountain Home and Bozeman Cottage, 12 people
are employed directly. Guests of STRs spend local and have less impacts than hotel guests - STR
guests walk downtown and eat at Blackbird and Open Range, hotel guests export their dollars
and drive to Outback Steakhouse. I have used my income to start Bozeman Biofuels which is
now Full Circle Biofuels and supplies biodiesel to the community including city and county
trucks, Streamline buses, and residents. I have also used my income to start an affordable
bicycle rental fleet, promote solar energy, and support community supported agriculture.
- Positive social impacts of STRs. Neighbors to STRs commonly express delight in meeting visitors.
Creating true human connections which is what is needed to alleviate tensions born from
segregation and the generic hotel travelling experience does not provide this.
o Personal connections made by meeting people with various backgrounds.
o Strengthened neighbor relationships in working together to protect neighborhood
values. Staff Report, p12.
- The city’s total absence of enforcing the CUP zoning requirement has condoned the creation
of the existing STRs, and literally advising STR owners not to apply for a CUP unless there’s a
complaint makes it risky to shut down current operators. Lacking impacts from current, legal
STRs, no reasons exist to ban them but banning them does expose the city to legal action.
Grandfathering in STRs that have State of MT permits (bed tax and health/safety) avoids the
conflict with no negative side effects.
- Capping total number of STR permits is needed to prevent real problems stemming from too
many STRs.
- STRs provide transitional and temporary housing for:
o Temporary residents (sabbatical professors, travelling nurses, current city manager,
people coming for medical related reasons)
o Tourists and visitors (family, event housing for Ice Fest, Run to the Pub, Huffing for
Stuffing, Run For Your Life, GYC, GVLT, MWA, TPL, Black Diamond, Patagonia, Travelling
School, Simms, Gore, Zoot, )
o Retreats (including City of Bozeman Planning Dept annual retreats, yoga retreat, non-
profits)
o New residents
o People coming here for work
o Tourists and recreationalists
o People coming here on a volunteer vacation, people coming to give their time and
money to volunteer at nonprofits and issues that are essential to the healthy
functioning of this community.
- STR guests are generally low-impact people:
o Friends and family of Bozeman residents
o Former residents returning for weddings, reunions, funerals, etc
o Older, quiet types who are attracted to a neighborhood experience
- STRs are owned by:
o Bozeman teachers, professors & medical professionals
o Law enforcement personell
o Local business owners
o A Bozeman native who is a US Embassy employee and gone 10 months per year
o Parents of Bozeman residents
o Residents who are gone part of the year and needing financial income to maintain and
stay in their homes, and pay property taxes
In short, there’s very little or nothing to gain by banning current STRs, there is very little or no impact
from the current STRs, yet there are significant benefits from the current pool of STRs. The only clearly
identified and supported fear is potential future oversupply of STRs. To institute these regulations and
not set a ceiling number of permits does not accomplish the main objective.
Sincerely,
Paul House