Former Mayor Patricia Heintzman has written a letter to the district criticizing the short-term rental bylaw.
The proposed bylaw will restricts short-term rentals to only primary residence dwellings and will make it illegal to rent out secondary suites or coach houses for short-term rentals.
Heintzman said the bylaw will have little to no effect on adding more units to affordable housing rental pool.
The bylaw, she said, will also create a very expensive and cumbersome bureaucratic process that will prove costly to the district and its tax payers.
“It will not have any significant increase in affordable housing units in our community. It creates a massively bloated, cumbersome and bureaucratic quagmire the goals of which are unachievable, and potentially opens the district up to massive liability,” Heintzman wrote.
Such a bylaw could also open the district to potential liabilities with regards to building and fire inspection, and create hardship for families who depend on short-term rental income to pay their mortgage.
“Unfortunately, the proposed STR bylaw is not the answer to our problem, even in a small way and it will create a variety of negative, perhaps even unintentional consequences. Particularly at this time, with uncertainty of the pandemic and the supply and demand price determination to come as new developments flood the market, this is simply not a wise move,” she writes.
Read the entire letter here.
Michael Jones says
Who is this person? Never heard of her
Dianne Hathaway says
Really? Get a grip!
Ralph Fulber says
Patritia Heintzman always contributes a valuable and qualified insight into regional municipal affairs. She has manned the trenches so to speak. Her last Mayorial stint was served after she caved (against her better instincts) to demands that she run! We are well served to note her opinions.
Victoria Morris-Ott says
I am glad to hear the voice of reason in these trying, buying times. One cannot regulate greed, and I’ve talked to more than a few people who feel short-term rentals are a way to keep food on the table … This is a time to take a breath, and see what we can do to help people without growing government (and I like government). I am with Ms. H on this one.