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.