Tuesday, May 4, 2010

“Delay in law barring vacation rentals” plus 2 more

“Delay in law barring vacation rentals” plus 2 more

Delay in law barring vacation rentals

Posted: 04 May 2010 12:26 AM PDT

Saturday updateNapa County is pushing back the start of an outright ban on homes used as vacation rentals, waiting for experts to study other options.

The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to delay the implementation of a new ordinance that would explicitly outlaw short-term vacation rentals in unincorporated parts of the county.

The ban is now tentatively set to begin on Dec. 1, instead of June 14 as originally planned.

Supervisor Diane Dillon, the lone "no" vote on the board, said she voted against the postponement "because I don't agree with it." Dillon, along with Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht — both slow-growth advocates — has refused to vote for anything that would allow vacation rentals to operate in agricultural areas of the county.

While it technically has been illegal for decades to rent a home in Napa County for less than 30 days, lax enforcement and a general ignorance of the law prompted supervisors late last year to tentatively adopt a new ordinance that strengthens the prohibition and increases penalties.

Supervisors agreed at the time to wait until June 14 to implement the new ban. Dozens of opponents convinced them in the meantime to look at whether vacation rentals should be legitimized because they might provide a much-needed economic boon to the area.

In March, a vocal group of Napa County residents proposed a new approach that would allow up to 300 vacation rentals in the county, consistent with the estimated 300 vacation rentals operating illegally now.

Napa County Planning Director Hillary Gitelman promised to come back to the board with an analysis of the proposal, but Tuesday she told supervisors she needs more time.

Supervisors agreed to hold off until Dec. 1 before implementing the previously agreed-upon ban. This will give county staff more time to study what might happen if the county partially lifts its ban on vacation rentals. It will also potentially allow supporters of short-term vacation rentals a chance to place the issue before Napa County voters in November.

As it turns out, a landmark law designed to limit growth in Napa County could force to the ballot the question of whether to rescind the ban.

According to Minh Tran, a lawyer for Napa County, a so-called Measure J vote likely would be required in order to allow private property owners in the unincorporated county to offer short-term rentals to vacationers.

Measure J — passed in 1990 and extended by Measure P two years ago — calls for any proposed change in zoning in the county's agricultural preserve to go before the voters.

In previous Measure J votes, residents approved the expansion of Bistro Don Giovanni north of Napa and the Stanly Lane pumpkin patch in Carneros, and rejected the expansion of a restaurant site at Oakville Grade, a market in Pope Valley or the creation of cabins near the Napa River in Carneros.

County staff is studying whether lifting the ban on vacation rentals — even partially — would truly trigger a Measure J vote. Gitelman said she hopes to come back with an answer to that in the next one to two months.


No comments posted.


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Delay in law barring vacation rentals

Posted: 04 May 2010 12:18 AM PDT

Napa County is pushing back the start of an outright ban on homes used as vacation rentals, waiting for experts to study other options.

The Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to delay the implementation of a new ordinance that would explicitly outlaw short-term vacation rentals in unincorporated parts of the county.

The ban is now tentatively set to begin on Dec. 1, instead of June 14 as originally planned.

Supervisor Diane Dillon, the lone "no" vote on the board, said she voted against the postponement "because I don't agree with it." Dillon, along with Supervisor Brad Wagenknecht — both slow-growth advocates — has refused to vote for anything that would allow vacation rentals to operate in agricultural areas of the county.

While it technically has been illegal for decades to rent a home in Napa County for less than 30 days, lax enforcement and a general ignorance of the law prompted supervisors late last year to tentatively adopt a new ordinance that strengthens the prohibition and increases penalties.

Supervisors agreed at the time to wait until June 14 to implement the new ban. Dozens of opponents convinced them in the meantime to look at whether vacation rentals should be legitimized because they might provide a much-needed economic boon to the area.

In March, a vocal group of Napa County residents proposed a new approach that would allow up to 300 vacation rentals in the county, consistent with the estimated 300 vacation rentals operating illegally now.

Napa County Planning Director Hillary Gitelman promised to come back to the board with an analysis of the proposal, but Tuesday she told supervisors she needs more time.

Supervisors agreed to hold off until Dec. 1 before implementing the previously agreed-upon ban. This will give county staff more time to study what might happen if the county partially lifts its ban on vacation rentals. It will also potentially allow supporters of short-term vacation rentals a chance to place the issue before Napa County voters in November.

As it turns out, a landmark law designed to limit growth in Napa County could force to the ballot the question of whether to rescind the ban.

According to Minh Tran, a lawyer for Napa County, a so-called Measure J vote likely would be required in order to allow private property owners in the unincorporated county to offer short-term rentals to vacationers.

Measure J — passed in 1990 and extended by Measure P two years ago — calls for any proposed change in zoning in the county's agricultural preserve to go before the voters.

In previous Measure J votes, residents approved the expansion of Bistro Don Giovanni north of Napa and the Stanly Lane pumpkin patch in Carneros, and rejected the expansion of a restaurant site at Oakville Grade, a market in Pope Valley or the creation of cabins near the Napa River in Carneros.

County staff is studying whether lifting the ban on vacation rentals — even partially — would truly trigger a Measure J vote. Gitelman said she hopes to come back with an answer to that in the next one to two months.


No comments posted.


Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.

Vacation rentals for the budget-traveler

Posted: 03 May 2010 06:35 PM PDT

According to a summer 2009 survey by TripAdvisor.com, 43 percent of respondents said they were planning to stay at a vacation rental in the coming 12 months. On average, the price per square foot for a U.S. hotel is more than twice the price per square foot of a vacation rental according to a report by HomeAway, an online vacation rental company.

Many travelers have shaved hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off their vacation costs by renting houses or condos. A vacation rental can seem riskier than booking a hotel, but if you do your research and pay attention to the fine print, it can be a safe way to save money.

There are many different Web sites travelers can turn to for finding vacation rentals. Some companies specialize in connecting renters and vacationers — and take a cut for their efforts — while other sites cut out the middleman and potentially some consumer protections such as money-back guarantees.

The BBB offers the following advice to travelers looking to save money with vacation rentals:

Start planning now. Rental properties in popular locations get snatched up quickly so start your search early before all of the best properties are booked.

Do your homework. If you plan on enlisting the help of a business, such as a third-party Web site or professional service to connect you with a renter, always check them out first at bbb.org.

Manage your expectations. A home rental is not a hotel so you can't necessarily expect the same level of professionalism, cleanliness or modernization. Some companies will guarantee the property meets your expectations. If a guarantee isn't being offered, consider travel insurance.

Take a virtual tour. Sometimes the pictures and descriptions of the property posted by the renter can be deceiving. Research the property on your own online and take a virtual tour of the surrounding area using Google maps street view. Don't be tentative about asking plenty of questions about the property.

Get it all in writing. Make sure that all of the verbal agreements are included in the rental contract including details on the deposit, rules on pets, refunds and what is included in the cost of the rental such as utilities, Internet, etc.

Use a secure form of payment. Do not send money until you've signed the rental agreement and never pay MoneyGram or Western Union. When possible, use a credit card, which can provide some amount of consumer protection.

Vacation rentals by owner. Take extra precautions when renting from an individual, particularly for international rentals. If possible, get references from previous renters. More tips for the budget-savvy traveler can be found at www.bbb.org/us/consumer-tips-travel.

Kelvin Collins is president/CEO of the Better Business Bureau of Central Georgia and the CSRA Inc., serving 41 counties in Middle Georgia and the central Savannah River area. Questions or complaints should be referred directly to the BBB at (478) 742-7999, or by e-mailing info@centralgeorgia.bbb.org.

Five Filters featured article: The Art of Looking Prime Ministerial - The 2010 UK General Election. Available tools: PDF Newspaper, Full Text RSS, Term Extraction.
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