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Reporter letters to the Editor

REPORTER FILE PHOTO|
REPORTER FILE PHOTO|

Questions on rentals
To the Editor:
The public hearing on January 27 is certain to result in a cacophony of opinions, all lumped under the all-purpose title, “short-term rentals.” For more productive discussion, the Town Board might separate out the concerns being raised and open them for comment in some order.

For example:
1. Noise: There are already town ordinances on noise. For homeowners, the police enforce them — presumably with some citation if the problem persists? For renters: Can this be addressed by property managers, with the power, in a contract, to evict?

2 .Party houses: Is there not already a town ordinance regarding the number of unrelated individuals that can occupy or rent a house? If not, should there be?

3. Houses rented for events: Can homeowners rent their homes out for weddings, parties or the like? If yes, do they not need permits from the town, with some regulations?

4. Short-term rentals in owner-occupied houses: If a homeowner is renting rooms in his home, while he is also living in the house, is this not a check on noise?

5. Short-term rentals of homes with no homeowner on site: Who is renting this way? To whom —parties, groups of young adults, families? Are these the rentals in need of regulation for issues 1-3?

6. Purchase of homes for rental only: Is this practice increasing? Is it impacting the availability of affordable housing on Shelter Island? If yes, does the town want to consider regulations specifying how many months a year an owner must occupy his own home  or keep it off the rental market? Would this be legal? Are there other ways to address the problem? Does it matter how many houses an owner has in this category? If it is just one home, and important for the person’s income, is that not different from a developer buying up property for rental only?

It would be very helpful for the board to release its new “Good Neighbor Document” and explain how the practices listed there will be enforced.

A check of airbnb.com shows no summer rentals on Fishers Island and mainly in Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard, which has a “party street.” Anyone who wants to travel 2.5 hours to reach Nantucket probably is a quiet person! And I doubt many of us would like Shelter Island to turn into Fire Island.
ROBERTA MARTIN
Shelter Island

Facing facts
To the Editor:
I will be attending the Friday, January 27 public hearing regarding the vacation rental law not on behalf of the Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce members, but on the implications this rental law will have on our Island businesses, our dependable work force and the many charitable organizations that depend on us.

I will also be speaking on the lack of affordable housing here on the Island that has faced us for decades.

Affordable housing is a problem across New York State, eastern Long Island and Shelter Island. Homeownership nationwide is at a 50-year low. When the median home value on the Island is $1 million-plus, the issue extends beyond the few who choose to rent their homes short term to make ends meet.

This is a much broader problem and to use short-term rentals as a scapegoat is not accurate and not a productive use of our local resources and political representation. Restricting these harms the very people who are truly concerned about affordable housing and who rely on the tourist-based economy for their livelihood.

I feel our Town Board must come face to face with this topic and put money into the budget for the many affordable land purchases scattered around the Island. A very successful lottery program, launched back in the 1990s, was a dream come true for five young families and will do more for our community than any ideas of regulations would.

One final thought — I would encourage all our business owners, tradesmen and charitable organization recipients to attend Friday’s public hearing on this very important issue.
CHUCK KRAUS
Shelter Island