||| FROM SHEILA GAQUIN |||


The vacation rental debate rages on. People argue about housing affordability, water usage, and traffic, but sadly, little attention is paid to the long-term damage being done to residential neighborhoods. I’ve lived in a neighborhood where the homes were occupied by owners and long-term renters, and I’ve lived in a neighborhood—the same neighborhood–with several vacation rentals. The difference is dramatic.

It’s a given that tourism is an economic mainstay of San Juan County. Prior to the AirBnB era, though, we found respite from the summer busy-ness in the quiet of our neighborhoods–places where we enjoyed security, mutual aid, and long-term social connections.

Lawnmower won’t start? A neighbor offers hers. Just got home from the hospital? Neighbors deliver food. Someone going to the mainland almost always asks, “need anything?” We value our neighbors because know we are all in this together, and are stronger for it. Is that now slipping away?

Generations of our neighbors embraced volunteerism. They gave countless hours to the food bank, the Exchange, the library, or the Senior Center. Volunteers maintained the post office landscaping and joined the Great Islands Clean Up. This unstoppable spirit has always been part of what made our islands a better place to live.

As neighbors, we’ve watched each other’s children grow up, and then we turn right around to help others age in place. We check in spontaneously, offer to pick up groceries, or take someone to the mainland. Such unselfish gestures help provide assistance and security, all contributing to the fabric of our society.

These vital-but-intangible elements of neighborhood life are dramatically diminished when family homes become business ventures. Transient renters—no matter how well behaved–stay but a few days and then move on, contributing nothing to the interdependence, the sense of place, helping hands, community pride, shared history, and stewardship of our common resources—all elements that have long been part of our island character.

Healthy, complex, interdependent communities are being shredded in the rush to turn homes into moneymaking commodities. We can save our neighborhoods and preserve what residents and visitors alike value most about the islands with vacation rental caps, strong regulations, and strict enforcement.


 

**If you are reading theOrcasonian for free, thank your fellow islanders. If you would like to support theOrcasonian CLICK HERE to set your modestly-priced, voluntary subscription. Otherwise, no worries; we’re happy to share with you.**