From: Sabal Palm House Bed and Breakfast Inn <sabalpalmhouse@aol.com>
To: ptriolo <ptriolo@lakeworth.org>; jszerdi <jszerdi@lakeworth.org>; smaxwell <smaxwell@lakeworth.org>; aamoroso <aamoroso@lakeworth.org>; mbornstein <mbornstein@lakeworth.org>
Cc: info <info@mangoinn.com>; wwaters <wwaters@lakeworth.org>
Sent: Fri, Mar 29, 2013 3:23 pm
Subject: Vacation Rentals - legal Issues
Dear Mayor, Commissioners and Mr. Bornstein:
Here in our city we are faced with numerous properties
that are doing short term rentals starting at just two nights. This has a
major impact on our B & B business as we just can't compete with their
unregulated illegal businesses.
We hope you understand that we are not against commercial
multi-family properties like the parrot Cove Inn next door to us or As Time
Goes By on L Street as these are not single family homes and they are properly
zoned for their intended uses.
If we allow nightly rentals in single family homes
without a minimum stay requirement we can expect that investors will start
coming into the city and buying properties to rent as hotels. West Palm
Beach was faced with this a few years ago and they have had to strictly enforce
their one week law. Without that law they would have been helpless to prevent
large sections of neighborhoods from becoming transient housing.
You can't let that happen here. We are trying to
get folks to live here and raise their families here. We are now over 60%
renters as it is. Our historical eastern neighborhoods will be affected
by any change in our existing laws as I too would think of buying a home simply
to rent out short term. If everyone else is doing it we will have to be in the
game to succeed as a B & B. This is not what we want for our city.
I am also hearing that some are saying to restrict
vacation rentals is not pro business. I see it differently. I purchased a
business. I paid a price for my license and good will. I pay commercial
rates and taxes. These folks did not buy businesses. They purchased
residential homes in residential neighborhoods. That's a big difference from
buying a business. Turning a home into a hotel business that is not allowed
when you purchased it is not a good business move. Why would you expect
the city to help you make a business out of something that is not a business.
The businesses in this city that are legitimate need your help. Working to make
it easier to open a legitimate business and be successful is what you have said
you were all about. For these folks to say you are anti business is
unfair and totally inappropriate. These guys have not played by the rules and
now want you to bend the rules. Than I say, I want residential utility
rates and water rates and a lower tax rate. I want you to bend the rules for me
since that's pro business. I hope you see how unfair these vacation rental
folks are being. If you want to be a business than come play in the business
world with the rest of us.
We are very passionate about this issue as we work hard
and long ours to run one of the only 4 Diamond AAA business in the
city. We promote the city and we love what you have all done to help us
succeed. To see these folks come after you claiming you are against business is
wrong.
We are asking you to enforce our laws as you have taken
an oath to do. The law is what it is and that's the playing field we agreed to
when we came to live here.
Sincerely,
Colleen and John Rinaldi
Amen. Thanks John and Colleen. The city MUST get serious about this and NOT sweep it under the table. I don't care what it takes but get our laws enforced. People are sick to death of people coming to LW and getting away with murder. If they don't get their way and don't like our laws, they threaten a law suit. The City has caved in to them. I always say, think "billboards." It is way past time to stand up to these bullies.
ReplyDeleteguess collen rinaldi doesn't think that commissioner mcvoy is relevant. how rude is that?
ReplyDeleteshe should thank the city. for giving her public parking spaces to use for her private business. i think she's had enough help on my dime.
funny how businesses don't want the government to regulate, but they always have their hand out if there's taxpayer money to be had, or if there's an opportunity to get their cronies to eliminate the competition.
people can't do whatever the F*&% the want to do. get it together, LW. this is totally unfair to legitimate businesses. why do the bad people always get away with this sort of crap? tell me. if I were Rinaldi I would be pretty pizzed. we need to watch over our law abiding citizens' welfare.
ReplyDeleteCommissioner McVoy already took a public stand on this issue. However, I would think that he could still be persuaded to change his mind. Competition is great just so long as the playing field is fair to all.
ReplyDeleteWe had nothing to do with the parking spaces. That was done when the inn was created in the 90's. The P & Z Board required that the inn have parking and the city designated 6 spots for our guests. We never needed them until the city gave away all the parking across the street for boat trailers. Now we have 50% less parking and folks are parking on our street (non-residents)and walking to the beach. They take a space all day to avoid paying beach parking. We asked the city to take away some of the trailer parking so that folks who live on our street could park and they said they could not because of the agreement with the county. So they gave us the two spots in front of the inn. No taxpayer money was ever taken by us or the previous owners of the inn. Instead we paid taxes. Lots of taxes.
ReplyDeletethis is what has been wrong with the city for a long time --but we dont have very educated people running the city
ReplyDeleteThe Sabal Palm is in violation of the Sign Code by putting their sign on the corner property.
ReplyDeleteNo signage allowed off premises.
'As time goes by' was single family homes that were converted to commercial rentals.
ReplyDeleteOur Commissioners need to enforce our laws. I agree 100% with John and Colleen.I'm sick and tired of our Commissioners forgetting about the residents and businesses that are already here in favor of out of town special interests that threaten to sue if they are not given a piece of Lake Worth!Katie Mcgiveron
ReplyDeletethere is no code for signs there hasnt been for 12 years---who ever said that must work for the city because they have no clue about the issues about signs---kava suta has signs all over the city and off the i-95 exits---work on that whoever made this useless statement
ReplyDeleteI really could care less about one business vs. another, but there is a real risk to those of us who live in these communities, invest in our homes and neighborhoods to have them turn into nightly hotels which people coming in and out every weekend. I do not want to live next to that and the commissioners needs to stop worrying about being "pro business" and start worrying about the residents and citizens that voted for you and who live and pay taxes in this City.
ReplyDeletelets face it lake worth has never had a class of people worth fighting for--they are either poor--drug dealers or in rehab--have a alcohol problem or homeless or just could care less what happens---and let me tell you it show everything i just talked about hangs in our run down looking downtown--go hang there one evening a you will see the whole truth
ReplyDelete