HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-08-17 Public Comment - D. Campbell - Short Term RentalsFrom:Deanna Campbell
To:Agenda
Subject:There is a window of opportunity!
Date:Thursday, September 07, 2017 8:28:13 PM
Dear Commissioners,
Mayor Taylor recently announced his desire to make Bozemanone of AARP’s retiree friendly cities.
Twenty six years ago, I formulated my retirement plan. I
purchased a tri-plex on the south side of Bozeman. I have lived inone unit for the last twenty years. During these years, I haverestored, maintained and improved the entire property. The unit that
I occupy for most of the year has been enjoyed by short term tenants
when I traveled for work and pleasure.
In 2015, with retirement fully upon me, I determined toexpand the tiny kitchen and master bedroom to accommodate a more
at-home lifestyle for my retirement years and upgrade to a jaw
dropping vacation rental.
The final coat of paint had not dried when the cityimplemented a moratorium on short term rentals and are now set to
deny them all together in the zone they have designated for my
property. That is, unless I am of a mind to sleep in the bedroom nextto a perfect stranger in what the City has deemed an allowable “Type1” rental. This strange requirement is unheard of in any other
vacation rental market in the country, or the world, for that matter. It
is a creepy requirement for both the owner and the vacationer.
Just what retirees do our commissioners wish to be friendlyto? Those of us who have lived here our working lives, paid taxes for
parks, tree maintenance, streets and three generations of schools?
Those of us who have made our properties beautiful and now want toreap the reward of our diligence? Or those retirees from SiliconValley we will have to sell to because we can no longer afford to live
in the homes we have so lovingly tended?
The ordinance, as written, is discriminatory and constitutes aregulatory taking. Neighbors just a block away are free to engage inordinary “Type 2”, take a vacation, and rent your house, rentals. I
urge the commissioners to do away with the weird and disturbing
“Type 1” category and give equal opportunity for "Type 2” shortterm rentals. As written, the ordinance opens our city up to yetanother law suit.
Deanna Campbell
1015 South Grand