Tele-Talk responses: What’s your opinion of SB 249, a bill that prohibits towns from banning short-term rentals?

There were 19 responses to this week’s Tele-Talk question: “What’s your opinion of SB 249, a bill that prohibits towns from banning short-term rentals?"

SB 249 is an in-your-face insult to the premise of residential zoning regulations, guidelines established to segregate commercial and residential activities. Most of us considered neighborhood zoning predominantly as part of our decision-making process in terms of why and where to live. Indisputably STRs, a business/profit-making endeavor, is a direct violation of what residential zoning is all about. Moreover, it potentially creates a volatile/confrontational environment, one in which neighborhoods are constantly "invaded" by transients. One result is victimization and involuntary conscription, mandating full-time occupants the burden of "policing" their constantly changing neighbors — like it or not. Unfortunately, although most visitors come here to enjoy the tranquility of a quiet country neighborhood, others arrive with a "party time" mentality — and who could blame them — they're on vacation. The comprehensive list of legitimate concerns is too extensive for this outline but rest assured they in-arguably classify STRs as a very bad idea, the bane of neighborhoods specifically designated as "residential." These very real concerns have been predominately voiced in a variety of media; however, here we have another perfect example of an undeniable truth: "Money Talks, B.S. Walks," and it's too bad if you happen to be one of its victims. Raymond Shakir, North Conway