Business community supports rental proposal
By Steve EstesMembers of the Lower Keys Chamber of Commerce unanimously came out in support of pursuing a possible return of short-term rentals in Monroe County Monday night at a forum hosted by the organization’s board of directors.
The board had sent surveys to members a couple of weeks ago and received about 20 in return, all unanimous in their support of the proposal, and reported 11 emails in support of and four against.
It will now be up to the chamber’s board whether to send a resolution to the Board of County Commissioners supporting revisiting the short-term rental ban.
Residential rentals of less than 28 days, except in highly specific instances, has been banned in unincorporated Monroe County since 1998 after a non-binding referendum including all voters in the county supported the ban by a narrow margin.
Most of the Lower Keys supported vacation rentals, as they are colloquially called, while portions of the Upper Keys and Ocean Reef did not.
A group of business owners has been trying to drum up the support of local officials to take another look at the ban.
“In the current economic climate, short-term rentals make sense for the Lower Keys,” said Jim Sharpe Sr., former owner of SeaBoots Outfitters and current captain of SeaBoots Charters.
Though every member who spoke Monday night was in favor of a return of vacation rentals, they all suggested that any new program must have stringent qualification and permitting requirements, as well as dedicated enforcement to protect the residential neighborhoods where the majority of the vacation rental homes would be located.
“I sure would like to see the increase in business short-term rentals would bring,” said Michelle Beighley, owner of Bare Sole Sandals on Big Pine Key. “The county would get an increase in revenues at both ends, in sales taxes and bed taxes.”
Big Pine Storage owner Derek Norman said he supports the idea of lifting the ban on short-term rentals.
“As a resident who lives in a neighborhood where there are short-term rentals, the shorter term folks seem to like to party more, but I think Monroe County needs to take a proactive role in supporting businesses,” he said.
Kathy Vowels, owner of Big Pine Unisex Salon, said she’s owned her business for 17 years and lived on Big Pine for 30 years.
“Everyone predicted that the Keys would eventually become a rich man’s playground. It’s happening. Short-term rentals would give our visitors an option. We should allow it (vacation rentals), support it and regulate it,” she said.
Debra Farrel, representing the Marathon and Lower Keys Board of Realtors, told the directors that the group supports lifting the ban.
“We feel this is a property rights issue. If owners wish and if they meet certain guidelines, they should be allowed to use their property for short term rentals,” she said. “Many of our visitors can’t afford a stay of a month (the current minimum residential rental). This proposal would provide the community with more jobs, the county with more income. With tight controls, inspectors and enforcement, we can prevent what happened before.”
“There is no question whether this will be good for the Lower Keys economy,” said John Sahagian, owner of Fun Yet Charters. “My problem with the program has always been that the county turned its back on enforcement of the rules. They’re losing thousands of dollars in county revenue by lack of enforcement.”
Sahagian urged the directors to “step carefully in support of the program, but find a way to bring in the tax dollars.”
Boondocks Grille and Drafthouse owner Lanny Gardner, Ramrod Key, presented the board and assembled members with a proposal outlining a new vacation rental policy for the county. Gardner and Sharpe are both members of a group trying to put together a plan that “protects the quality of life of the neighborhoods while giving relief to businesses,” he said.
“This plan is what it’s all about. You should support it,” said Gardner.
Sharpe told the board he supports rentals of seven days or more.
“This will stimulate the economy. There are seven illegal vacation rentals north of Lytton’s Way on Big Pine Key right now. This plan would help eliminate that. The plan guarantees stricter enforcement by paying for full-time staff at no cost to the county or taxpayer. This plan will inject $12 million into the local economy,” said Sharpe.
The plan to which Gardner and Sharpe referred has been called a quality of life protection plan by organizers and is designed to address the declining economic environment in Monroe County while protecting quality of life for the residents.
The goals of the plan, according to a handout, are to help the county eradicate illegal vacation rentals by paying for enforcement personnel, stimulate the economic climate of the Florida Keys, and protect quality of life in neighborhoods with controls and enforcement practices.
Some of the highlights of the plan include:
-Increasing sales and bed tax dollars to county coffers by adding more lodging facilities in the Lower Keys without building additional structures
-Boosting the housing market by offering property owners a way to keep homes and see a return on investment
-Introducing more potential full-time residents to the Keys
-Payment of fees to Monroe County to pay for dedicated administrative and enforcement personnel for the program
-Enforcement of a strict set of rules for renters, property owners and managers
-Hefty fines and suspensions for rule violations, with payments to go back to the county to beef up enforcement if necessary
-Required education of renters on local laws, environmental concerns, trash regulations and noise abatement
“We believe we have a plan that can work, both to stimulate our economy on many levels and to protect our neighbors from the abuses of vacation rentals that happened in the past” said Sharpe.
The directors will act on the forum Wednesday night but are expected to issue a resolution to the county commission asking that the short-term rental ban come back before the commission for study and possible implementation.
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Excuse Me,
I’m really sorry it this economy has hit you at your job level. I too am suffering. This doesn’t give you the right to turn my nice quite peaceful neighborhood into a Hotel District. I’ve lived through it before with the short term rental agenda and it is not acceptable for a RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD, the emphasis on residential. I enjoy a certain freedom knowing all the people that live in my neighborhood, I don’t have to worry about them stealing from me or killing me. I hate the traffic that’s generated because of short term rentals, they go in and out all day and night long. I hate the noise associated with short term rentals. As a matter of fact there are some up the canal, 4 houses away on the other side and they are very loud all day and half the night. They’ve been here for nearly a week now and I bet they leave at weeks end. I hate short term and monthly rentals operating in our quiet, peaceful residential neighborhoods.
Don’t even think about bringing it back!
Susie Mills
We bought in the lower Keys because of the water, peacefullness, solitude, great people and because of the short term rental ban. Everyone knows how bad the noise can be in their neighborhoods already. People rent illegally all the time. The county already has a problem enforcing any infractions as it is. How are they going to enforce the new regulations when they can’t enforce the current regulations? We are having trouble making ends meet also in this economy and have our house for sale. We really don’t want to sell it and could keep it. We could benefit directly from short term rentals. However, I would rather sell than have short term rentals that bring certain noise and problems that WILL occur all around me. These are residential neighborhoods not transient neighborhoods. The people who are in business and some homeowners like myself are the ones pushing for this. I understand why and I understand the reasoning, having our own business’s for over 23 years. Why should the quality of life for the majority be affected negatively for the gain of a few? It’s bad enough with the monthly renters, mostly in the summer. People who can’t afford an entire month’s rent already have the option of staying at any of the many nice resorts, motels, condo’s and hotels from Key Largo to Key West or in the incorporated areas that allow weekly rentals already. The integrity of our neighborhoods should not be jeopardized so some, myself included, can make more money. The neighborhoods are getting nicer all the time. Don’t mess it up! Don’t bring back the short term rentals.
does loud noise and late nite hollering
(still can’t figure where all the flood lites came from)
boat banging on the locals boat
that happened last week
1 should it be listed under”in the past)
2 because i bought while it was peacefull here,
now i have to put up with overly loud late partys
for the sake of (X) number of companys on 1
3 question arn’t there rental resorts that would get
more customers
how come seven of the seven highlights are more
income to this county…and as regards as to home
owners its all loose bull…