||| FROM CHRIS BEAN-HEARNE |||
I quote an email sent by Brian Weise, committee member of the EPRC, to the island group working diligently on the vacation island rental problem.
“In the interest of good communication and coordination I’m writing to let you know that the EPRC has submitted to the Council its own set of proposed VR regulations, pertaining to the Eastsound subarea only, and previously shared with your group. We are also proposing a number of new zoning regulations, intended to increase the availability of year-round rental housing in the downtown(Village Commercial) area. These include the prohibition of single family housing and vacation rentals in that district. We hope you will support these initiatives when they are considered by Council.”
These, in my opinion, are two distinctly separate issues. One being about vacation rentals and the other about the prohibition of single-family dwellings in Eastsound Village. Two totally disparate in kind and should be treated separately.
I, for one, take both issues seriously but for different reasons. I think there is a definite need to control the availability of vacation rentals in Eastsound in main part to preserve the character of our beautiful island and its village. On the other hand I believe allowing private houses in Eastsound is a major plus. How great (and a novel idea!) to actually have villagers living in the village in their private homes and being
part of the community rather than every chock-a-block business building taking over Eastsound.
These proposed regulations need to be revised, rewritten and resubmitted to Council as two separate issues.
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Chris doesn’t mention that the proposal favors mixed-use (commercial development with residential above) and multi-family housing, including duplexes. And remember that any home built in Eastsound may have a guest house by right. The idea is to make space for more residential development (and, hopefully, affordable rentals) in our walkable village. The proposal only applies to the “downtown” Village Commercial core.
That’s a good addendum by Brian to Chris’s letter. I just built an SFR in Village Commercial. I would like to hear the discourse from all sides.