Just the beginning

To The Editor:

The mandatory registration of short-term rentals is headed to the voters in November. Also headed to the voters is the decision to include short-term rentals in the Bridgton Land Use code. Keep in mind that short-term rentals have been part of the community landscape for decades. Owners rented out their homes to those from away who would come each year to spend their vacation money locally on a weekly basis. Why do we need to give the Planning Board the ability to “allow” a practice that has likely been ongoing since before there was a planning board? Don’t believe the explanation of the Planning Board. It is to increase their ability to tell you what you can (and cannot) do with your property.