Short-Term Rentals Workshop and Future Council Agendas concerning same from Sandra MarkerAimee Brunckhorst
From: Sandra Marker <alaris44@yahoo.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 2, 2022 11:13 AM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment; Kalispell City Council
Cc: Doug Russell; Jarod Nygren; Rachel Ezell
Subject: EXTERNAL Short -Term Rentals Workshop and Future Council Agendas concerning
same
Attachments: Fm Sandra Marker re Short -Term Rentals.pdf
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To: Kalispell City Council, publiccomment(cD_kalispell.com, citycouncil(cD_kalispell.com
CC: Doug Russell, City Manager, citymanager(cD_kalispell.com
Jarod Nygren, Development Services Director, inygren(cD_kalispell.com
Rachel Ezel, AICP, Planner II, rezell(aD_kalispell.com
From: Sandra Marker
45 E. Northview Loop, Kalispell MT 59901
alaris44(cD_yahoo.com
406-210-0652 (cell)
406-300-1344 (home)
Date: April 2, 2022
Subject: Short -Term Rentals Workshop and Future Council Agendas concerning same
The Daily Inter Lake recently reported that the City Council is planning a workshop to address the rise in the number of short-term rentals. I am
presently out of state visiting my children, whom I have not seen in the past three years due to the pandemic. I may not be home when the
workshop is scheduled and ask that this letter and my concerns be addressed at the workshop.
It is my understanding that, the City's ordinance calls for a 2% cap on all homes zoned as residential throughout the City. An existing short-
term rental already exits abutting my home. On January 12 of this year, a new short-term rental permit was issued directly across the street
from me in the Northview Heights Subdivision. This is the fourth short-term rental permit issued within the 150 foot notification area of my
neighborhood. There are 24 residences in the particular area noticed for this most recent permit. If my math is correct, that's 16.67% of the
homes immediately adjacent to me that have been automatically granted short-term rental permits.
ask the City to consider modifying it's Short -Term Rental procedures and requirements to do the following:
1. Apply the 2% cap to automatically deny any short-term rental application within a 150 foot radius of the application's location.
2. Notifications to affected homeowners also include the addresses of already existing short-term rental permits in addition to the
current application being processed.
I am retired from a career in municipal government. I have been a City Manager, Mayor and Councilwoman. I have dealt with the issues of
short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods and have personally witnessed how such high turnover detrimentally changes the quality of life
in residentially -zoned neighborhoods. Below are key concerns I expressed in my opposition to the recently granted permit across the street
from my home and to a large number of short-term rentals in general. I ask that these concerns be addressed at your workshop.
KEY CONCERNS:
1. The frequency of turnover in the number of strangers coming and going throughout the year. Before the City's short-term rental ordinance,
residentially zoned neighborhoods were primarily occupied by families and seniors who maintain residency on a year-round basis, who come to
know their immediate neighbors and watch out for one -another. My personal experience and that from other cities has repeatedly proven that
the presence of short-term rentals does transform the character of such neighborhoods and detrimentally changes their residents'
quality of life. It is documented that there arise more and more frequent complaints about trash, parking, noise disturbances, break-ins and
theft - which city officials are ultimately forced to deal with.
For example, during the past 30 years my family has held a small-scale family reunion in a residential community in southern California. Over
the years, as short-term rentals increased and more tourists poured into the area, life became more and more difficult for long-term
residents. Rentals were trashed by younger crowds who turned otherwise well -maintained homes into party houses.
With the ease of advertising and booking rentals on popular vacation rental websites, the number of sales to investment buyers rose. As a
consequence the Home Owners Association found itself dealing with increasing incidents of noise, loss of on -street parking, trash accumulating
on streets from renters' failure to leave trash out on appropriate pick-up days, damaged properties, strangers taking over local amenities
formerly enjoyed in peace by long-term owners and renters.
But, even more concerning were the increased number of break-ins and theft. It's very easy to go on-line pretending to seek a vacation rental
and find out when a property will be vacant. And, adjacent residents can't discern suspicious activity when there is no "normalcy in the comings
and goings of strangers. The HOA had to hire security patrols, place guards at the entry gates and require homeowners to have exterior
lighting on all night long (with lights shining into bedroom windows). Residents started installing security alarms, locked entry gates and barred
windows. The whole community has been transformed in a very negative way.
2. It has also been demonstrated that a growing number of short-term rentals reduces the availability of affordable long-term rentals,
particularly in communities that promote tourism - which Kalispell and surrounding communities are increasingly doing. There are more reports
throughout the country of tenants being evicted from their current rentals, only to find out later that they were evicted to make way for
permanent Vrbo, Airbnb vacation rentals, operated as businesses. The resulting scarcity of long-term rentals eventually contributes to
increased housing and rental prices, which negatively impacts lower -salaried workers' ability to find housing, contributes to homelessness and
a shortage of low -paid service workers who are needed to staff tourist -type services and facilities.
For an unbiased comprehensive discussion of both the pros & cons regarding short-term rental impacts, I recommend
looking at Six Ways That Short -Term Vacation Rentals Are Impacting Communities at: Six Ways That Short -Term
Vacation Rentals Are Impacting Communities
Thank you for your consideration,
Sandra Marker
To: Kalispell City Council, publiccomment@kalispell.com, citycouncil@kalispell.com
CC: Doug Russell, City Manager, citymanager@kalispell.com
Jarod Nygren, Development Services Director, jnyaren@kalispell.com
Rachel Ezel, AICP, Planner II, rezell@kalispell.com
From: Sandra Marker
45 E. Northview Loop, Kalispell MT 59901
alaris44@yahoo.com
406-210-0652 (cell)
406-300-1344 (home)
Date: April 2, 2022
Subject: Short -Term Rentals Workshop and Future Council Agendas concerning same
The Daily Inter Lake recently reported that the City Council is planning a workshop to
address the rise in the number of short-term rentals. I am presently out of state visiting my
children, whom I have not seen in the past three years due to the pandemic. I may not be
home when the workshop is scheduled and ask that this letter and my concerns be
addressed at the workshop.
It is my understanding that, the City's ordinance calls for a 2% cap on all homes zoned as
residential throughout the City. An existing short-term rental already exits abutting my
home. On January 12 of this year, a new short-term rental permit was issued directly
across the street from me in the Northview Heights Subdivision. This is the fourth short-
term rental permit issued within the 150 foot notification area of my neighborhood. There
are 24 residences in the particular area noticed for this most recent permit. If my math is
correct, that's 16.67% of the homes immediately adjacent to me that have been
automatically granted short-term rental permits.
I ask the City to consider modifying it's Short -Term Rental procedures and
requirements to do the following:
1. Apply the 2% cap to automatically deny any short-term rental application within a
150 foot radius of the application's location.
2. Notifications to affected homeowners also include the addresses of already
existing short-term rental permits in addition to the current application being
processed.
I am retired from a career in municipal government. I have been a City Manager, Mayor
and Councilwoman. I have dealt with the issues of short-term rentals in residential
neighborhoods and have personally witnessed how such high turnover detrimentally
changes the quality of life in residentially -zoned neighborhoods. Below are key concerns I
expressed in my opposition to the recently granted permit across the street from my home
and to a large number of short-term rentals in general. I ask that these concerns be
addressed at your workshop.
KEY CONCERNS:
1. The frequency of turnover in the number of strangers coming and going throughout
the year. Before the City's short-term rental ordinance, residentially zoned neighborhoods
were primarily occupied by families and seniors who maintain residency on a year-round
basis, who come to know their immediate neighbors and watch out for one -another. My
personal experience and that from other cities has repeatedly proven that the presence of
short-term rentals does transform the character of such neighborhoods and
detrimentally changes their residents' quality of life. It is documented that there arise
more and more frequent complaints about trash, parking, noise disturbances, break-ins
and theft - which city officials are ultimately forced to deal with.
For example, during the past 30 years my family has held a small-scale family reunion in a
residential community in southern California. Over the years, as short-term rentals
increased and more tourists poured into the area, life became more and more difficult for
long-term residents. Rentals were trashed by younger crowds who turned otherwise well -
maintained homes into party houses.
With the ease of advertising and booking rentals on popular vacation rental websites, the
number of sales to investment buyers rose. As a consequence the Home Owners
Association found itself dealing with increasing incidents of noise, loss of on -street
parking, trash accumulating on streets from renters' failure to leave trash out on
appropriate pick-up days, damaged properties, strangers taking over local amenities
formerly enjoyed in peace by long-term owners and renters.
But, even more concerning were the increased number of break-ins and theft. It's very
easy to go on-line pretending to seek a vacation rental and find out when a property will be
vacant. And, adjacent residents can't discern suspicious activity when there is no
"normalcy in the comings and goings of strangers. The HOA had to hire security patrols,
place guards at the entry gates and require homeowners to have exterior lighting on all
night long (with lights shining into bedroom windows). Residents started installing security
alarms, locked entry gates and barred windows. The whole community has been
transformed in a very negative way.
2. It has also been demonstrated that a growing number of short-term rentals
reduces the availability of affordable long-term rentals, particularly in communities that
promote tourism - which Kalispell and surrounding communities are increasingly doing.
There are more reports throughout the country of tenants being evicted from their current
rentals, only to find out later that they were evicted to make way for permanent Vrbo,
Airbnb vacation rentals, operated as businesses. The resulting scarcity of long-term
rentals eventually contributes to increased housing and rental prices, which negatively
impacts lower -salaried workers' ability to find housing, contributes to homelessness and a
shortage of low -paid service workers who are needed to staff tourist -type services and
facilities.
For an unbiased comprehensive discussion of both the pros & cons regarding short-term
rental impacts, I recommend looking at Six Ways That Short -Term Vacation Rentals Are
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