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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 8, 2015)
OPINION 4A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2015 Short-term renters drive some nuts Founded in 1873 STEPHEN A. FORRESTER, Editor & Publisher LAURA SELLERS, Managing Editor BETTY SMITH, Advertising Manager CARL EARL, Systems Manager JOHN D. BRUIJN, Production Manager DEBRA BLOOM, Business Manager HEATHER RAMSDELL, Circulation Manager Take a fresh look at ocean energy rules T he Oregon Coast is an asset of incalculable economic and spiritual value, one that demands rigorous protection. Thus it will bear close atten- tion as the Department of State Lands’ aquatic resource manage- ment program writes new rules for wind, wave and other offshore renewable energy projects in an- ticipation of more companies ap- plying to develop such facilities. Our Capital Bureau’s Hillary Borrud reported on the issue in last Friday’s Oregon Capital Insider. DSL Assistant Director Bill Ryan promises a straightfor- ward process, clear understand- ing of the state’s regulatory au- thority, and protections for coastal communities, recreational and commercial ¿shing and marine ecosystems. The state’s renewable energy rules for the ocean haven’t been updated since 2007. Technology has advanced since then, while the U.S. energy sector has been transformed by abundant natural gas and domestically produced oil using new extraction tech- niques. It de¿nitely is time for a fresh look at how best to share ac- cess to the state’s ¿nite maritime zone. There will be conÀicts and controversies when projects pro- pose to make electricity from offshore winds, waves and tides. Those who use Oregon’s wa- ters for commercial/recreational ¿shing, transportation and other well-established functions will naturally worry about loss of any traditional operating places. Even greater objections are likely to come from homeowners and tourists who will fear loss of the coast’s legendary wildness and iconic vistas. However, there are valid pub- lic-policy reasons to continue exploring ocean-energy possibil- ities. Ultimately, perhaps nothing poses a bigger threat to the sea- shore and ocean health than rising levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, along with associat- ed changes in marine chemistry. It would be a good thing if Oregon could someday produce a mean- ingful portion of its electricity from relatively harmless and un- obtrusive ocean facilities. Weather and ocean conditions being what they are on North 3aci¿c, there needs to be a clear and logical regulatory pathway for prospective energy produc- ers. These natural impediments will be obstacles enough to keep most Ày-by-night proposals from advancing. Genuine, serious con- tenders for the next generation of electricity generation ought to be able to ¿nd a path forward. Bravo, Lektro I At 70, the manufacturer is part of our community fabric t is a common complaint that Clatsop County needs manu- facturing. The truth — that we have a robust manufacturing sector — would surprise people. Georgia 3aci¿c’s Wauna paper mill is the biggest fab- ricator, with employment ap- proaching 1,000. At the other end of the spectrum is Autio Manufacturing in Brownsmead, maker of grinding equipment, selling to a global market. Walluski Western makes equipment for agriculture. Lektro, which employs 80, is a 70-year-old ¿rm that makes tugs for moving aircraft. J&H Boatworks in Lewis and Clark is R a 40-year-old maker and remod- eler of boats. Government econ- omists also classify The Daily Astorian as a manufacturer. Lektro marked its anniversa- ry last weekend with a celebra- tion at the county fairgrounds, featuring the singer and piano player Phil Vassar. Companies like Lektro mat- ter, because they are part of the community fabric. Its president Eric Paulson has contributed time and money to many or- ganizations, most notably the Astoria Regatta and Liberty Theater. Bravo, Lektro. Long may it thrive. Hamilton, Mays ¿ll the breach ich Mays is an excellent choice for interim manager of Clatsop County. The job is vacant because of the resignation of Scott Somers. As city manager of Cannon Beach for more than eight years, Mays knows our county’s ter- rain. Years ago, another Cannon Beach resident, Bud Kramer, was the county interim manager. Clatsop Community College, is also seeks a new chief exec- utive, to ¿ll the position left vacant by Lawrence Galizio. CCC’s board of directors has hired an interim president, Gerald Hamilton, who was pres- ident of Klamath Community College, 2007-2012. The board was explicit in telling Hamilton it did not want a caretaker. It was essential, the board said, for col- lege business to move forward. Life moves on, with or with- out a permanent leader at the county or the college. Mays and Hamilton will make decisions — some large, some small — during their brief tenures. We are fortunate to have their ser- vice. D o you know your neigh- bor? Nowadays, you may never meet them, because they are a corporation. The North Coast is so popu- lar with tourists and out-of-town- ers that a new player is sweeping the hospitality mix: the corporate property manager. Companies like Homeaway, Beachcombers and Va- casa are snatching up area proper- ties. Gearhart homeowners tell us they routinely receive blind mail- ings from these companies solicit- ing their properties for rental, with promises of big returns. When Gearhart was ‘under the radar” Not so long ago, homeowners bought homes on the beach for their own use, or that of their fam- ilies. They would come and visit year-in and year-out, and many homes are still dedicated to the annual family retreat. As lifestyles changed and schedules got busi- er, many families discovered they couldn’t make it out to the beach every year. Renting the house out for the season became a good idea to help cover costs and maintain ownership. Terry Graff, a Marion Avenue resident, grew up in Spokane, Wash. Nineteen years ago he and his family bought property in Gear- hart. “We don’t live here perma- nently but we spend approximate- ly five to six months a year here, we’re here almost all summer,” he told the Gearhart City Council in August. “When we bought the place we were aware that part of the fabric in Gearhart was short- term vacation rentals. “It was low-key, kind of under the radar,” he said. “There were a few rental agencies that listed these places, but it always worked. Peo- ple came back every year and there weren’t any problems. But that’s all changed now, and it’s changed at lightning speed.” The Internet is the main reason, he said, and with it, the rise of what is known as “VRBO” — vacation rentals by owner. Graff found 77 properties in Gearhart for short- term rental, split among FlipKey, Vacasa and Edson. “I think a lot of us feel we bought into Gearhart as a residen- tial community,” North Cottage Avenue resident Jeannie Mark said. “It’s feeling more and more like a hotel community.” She added a disaster scenario to the mix. “Since we live in a tsunami zone, visitors are likely to be un- prepared and perhaps even clueless SEEN FROM SEASIDE B Y R.J. M ARX in an emergency,” Mark said. Marilyn Gilbaugh, a Seventh Street resident, said only two homes on her street are owner-oc- cupied. “We don’t know the peo- ple,” she said. “The turnover is just crazy.” Are home values impacted? Graff recited current Web list- ings in Gearhart: “From the Vacasa site: ‘two bedrooms, three baths, sleeps 10’; ‘four bedrooms, one bath, sleeps eight’; ‘1 bedroom, 1 bath, sleeps four’; ‘three bed- rooms, 1 bath, sleeps 10’; ‘zero bedrooms, one bath, sleeps four.’” Yes, zero bedrooms — a side studio is being rented out without facilities. Graff described noisy all-night parties, cars overflowing onto the street, and blocked roadways that prevent garbage pickup. Graff said he went to Gearhart City Manager Chad Sweet and asked what the rules were. There are no rules, he was told. Graff called Vacasa, listed as manager of the neighboring short- term rental. He said he was routed to a corporate office in Lorinda, Calif. Graff then sent a letter to the property owner himself. “He said, ‘We can do whatever we want,’” Graff said. “I’m asking you to do some- thing,” Graff told the council. “Peo- ple say ‘Why don’t you move?’” Graff said. “I can’t. If I put my house on the market, according to a Realtor, it’s worth $100,000 to $150,000 less because of the circus next door — and that’s if I can get somebody to look at it.” “Is anybody doing anything on the council?” North Cottage Ave- nue resident Jenny Sabel asked. “Is anybody attacking this?” City reviews options The good news is, short-term rentals are a near-term priority for the city of Gearhart. Mayor Dianne Widdop urged neighbors to weigh in: “Write let- ters,” she said. “Any problems you see, let us know and we can com- pile all of these things.” City Manager Sweet provided an update to the Gearhart Planning Commission in July, and turned over data on listings, local regu- lations and police incidents that could apply. A theft from a Gearhart home by a Vacasa employee — since fired — did little to improve the compa- ny’s standing. Other police reports of noise or disturbance are hard to directly attribute to the VRBO trend. Sweet said the city requires li- censing of hotels, motels and rent- al units, which can determine oc- cupancy rates and require owner or manager contact information on file. Under these rules, multiple reservations of the same property — as in the case in the “zero bed- room” rental — could be a viola- tion of other zoning code. ‘A living, working map’ City Attorney Peter Watts said properties were considered short- term if rented for less than 30 days. This would exclude six-month and one-year leases. Sweet said the city is compil- ing a Google map of short-term residences. The map, posted on a wall in the City Hall building, is “bejewelled” to indicate location of the properties. “This is a living, working map,” he said. “It lists each one of the short-term rentals known to the city of Gearhart. We will continue to update that map so you can see how they are spread throughout the community.” City officials and administrators are reviewing the information post- ed on regional and national web- site. “Not including motels, hotels and condos, we know of 75 rentals in town,” Sweet said. “That’s 75 different homes. For perspective, that’s 10 new homes since April this year that we know about.” Sweet said Vacasa has four new homes in the pipeline, with growth from 12 homes to 25 in Gearhart since April. And so far, there hasn’t been mention of another popu- lar short-term rental tool, Airbnb, which could add fuel to this fire. The stakes will be high for local homeowners, visitors and corpo- rate speculators. “Get rid of these short-term rentals,” Graff pleaded. “It’s driv- ing our neighborhood nuts.” R.J. Marx is The Daily Astori- an’s south county reporter and the editor of the Seaside Signal and Cannon Beach Gazette. Why Clinton remains, yes, inevitable By CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER Washington Post Writers Group W ASHINGTON — Unless she’s indicted, Hillary Clinton will win the Democratic nomination. That kind of sentence is rarely written about a major presidential candidate. But I don’t see a realis- tic third alternative (except for one long-shot, below). Clinton is now hostage to the var- ious investigations — the FBI, Con- gress, the courts — of her emails. The issue has already damaged her seriously by highlighting once again her congenital inability to speak truthfully. When the scandal broke in March, she said unequivocally that she “did not email any classi¿ed ma- terial to anyone.” That’s now been shown to be unequivocally false. After all, the inspector general of the intelligence community referred her emails to the Justice Department precisely because they contain clas- si¿ed material. The fallback — every Clinton defense has a fallback — is that she did not mishandle any material “marked” classi¿ed. But that’s ab- surd. Who could even have been in a position to mark classi¿ed some- thing she composed and sent on her own private email system? Moreover, what’s prohibited is mishandling classi¿ed information not just documents. For example, any information learned from con¿dential conversations with foreign leaders is automatically classi¿ed. Everyone in national security knows that. Reuters has already found 17 emails sent by Clinton containing such “born classi- ¿ed” information. And the State De- partment has already identi¿ed 188 emails on her server that contain clas- si¿ed information. The truth-shaving never stops. Take a minor matter: her commu- nications with Sidney Blumenthal. She originally insisted Biden, who at 72 that these were just “un- shares the Democrats’ solicited” emails from an gerontocracy problem, is old friend. Last Monday’s riding a wave of deserved sympathy. But that melts document release showed away quickly when a cam- that they were very much paign starts. Even now, solicited (“Keep ‘em com- his support stands at only ing when you can”) and 18 percent in the latest in large volume — 306 Quinnipiac poll. For him emails, according to The to win, one has to assume New York Times’ Peter Charles that Sanders disappears Baker, more than with any Krauthammer and Biden automatically other person, apparently, inherits Sanders’ constituency. outside the State Department. That’s a fantasy, modeled on The parallel scandal looming over Clinton is possible corruption 1968 when Bobby Kennedy picked involving contributions to the Clin- up Eugene McCarthy’s anti-Lyn- ton Foundation while she was sec- don Johnson constituency. But Joe retary of state. There are relatively Biden is no Bobby Kennedy. And in few references to the foundation in a recent Iowa poll, Biden’s support the emails she has released. Remem- comes roughly equally from Clinton ber, she erased 32,000 emails she and Sanders. Rather than inheriting deemed not “work-related.” Clinton the anti-Clintonite constituency, he needs to be asked a straightforward could instead be splitting it. There is one long-shot possibili- question: “In sorting your private from public emails, were those relat- ty that might upend Clinton: Biden ed to the Clinton Foundation consid- pledges to serve one term only and ered work-related or were they con- chooses Elizabeth Warren as his run- ning mate — now. One term pledg- sidered private and thus deleted?” es address the age problem but they are political poison, giving the im- The pression of impermanence and mere transition. Warren cures that, offer- truth-shaving ing the Democratic base — and the Sanders constituency — the vision never stops. of a 12-year liberal ascendancy. When asked on Wednesday We are unlikely to get a straight whether she had discussed such a answer from Clinton. In fact, we ticket with Biden, Warren answered may never get the real answer. So “it was a long conversation,” a know- Clinton marches on regardless. Who ing wink in the form of a provocative nondenial. is to stop her? I doubt a Biden-Warren ticket Yes, Bernie Sanders has risen impressively. But it is inconceivable will happen, but it remains the only that he would be nominated. For one threat to Clinton outside of some Jus- thing, he’d be the oldest president tice Department prosecutor showing by far — on Inauguration Day older the same zeal in going after Hillary than Ronald Reagan, our oldest pres- Clinton as the administration did in going after David Petraeus. ident, was at his second inaugural. Otherwise the Democrats remain And there is the matter of Sand- ers being a self-proclaimed socialist lashed to Clinton. Their only hope is in a country more allergic to social- that the Republicans self-destruct in ism than any in the Western world. a blaze of intraparty warfare. Some- Which is why the party is turning its thing for which they are showing an impressive talent. lonely eyes to joltin’ Joe Biden.