Threat of Short-term Rentals to mountain towns

https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2019/08/hearing-on-short-term-rental-rules-becomes-passionate-debate-on-identity-survival/?platform=hootsuite

When hundreds of residents turn out in a town of 2000 it’s a big deal
These STR need to be stopped
Existing Zoning laws prohibiting commercial use residential areas could be enforced but are not
This should be passed and further restrictions put in place in future

It will be interesting to see which tourist areas pursue which course of action (ones that completely shut down Short Term Rentals vs. ones that let the "free market" prevail), and how those decisions affect tourism, lodging options, & home prices in those areas.

And I wonder if neighboring towns will pursue different paths. Like, if LP & Wilmington decide to ban Air B&B, while Saranac Lake allows Air B&B to operate freely, will Saranac Lake have (relatively) better returns on housing investment, worse hotel occupancy rates, and more single- & multi-family home development?

If I was buying a house in a resort area, I'd want to have the option of renting it out. I probably wouldn't do it, but if I ever wanted to, say, spend a winter in Chamonix, it'd be nice to have extra income. Also, people must be making a killing in the property management business in ski towns, right?

Z wrote

These STR need to be stopped

Always expecting the guberment to take care of you. Free market ADK!!

bumps wrote

Z wrote

These STR need to be stopped

Always expecting the guberment to take care of you. Free market ADK!!

Here’s the rub.  The APA severely restricts the the town limits and growth of LP.  Supply and demand drives the market left unchecked to turn LP into vacation homes for the mega wealthy and STRs.  The State Of NY created this mess by putting a constraint on supply in an area with high demand.  In 10 years LP could have no residents except a few rich business owners.  The average home price in Aspen is well over $1m and that is what LP is looking like if something doesn’t stop this.

I normally am a big free market guy but nothing in the Daks is a free market due to the APA.  That is not changing so the market has to be regulated.

It's done on purpose - rich people use regulations to prevent other people from moving close to them. And they buy real estate because they need a place to put money.

You're complaining about the "free market" as it exists usually - bigger players game the system to give themselves an advantage over the little guys. Amazon & Walmart love the "free market" in retail, and rich people love the "free market" in Lake Placid & Aspen (which, I'm sure you know, has many of its own restrictions).

Also, shouldn't you be happy your house is going up in value?
https://forum.nyskiblog.com/Building-the-perfect-ADK-ski-house-a-work-in-progress-tp4024269.html

Based on the scenario you describe it sounds like the value of your home will be driven up.  That would help you when you sell to move out west, but it sounds like you are saying it's not all about money, and you care about the quality of life and the vibrancy of you community. If so I agree.

What would a true free market look like in the Adirondacks? Get rid of protected land, the govt puts all state land for sale to private interests?  Would there still be zoning?  What about your area attracted you in the first place?

IMO it probably does makes sense to regulate STRs, zone for it, Not sure how that would work but, if you were buying in an area zoned for it, at least you would know it going in.

A true free market means that the only driver of change is "how do you make the most money."  The existence of government, taxes, schools, roads, all of it is contrary to a true free market.  IMO we all have a line that draw where we are comfortable with regulation.  Almost nobody wants drug dealers selling in elementary schools.

Wilmington- the Aspen real estate market of the Adirondacks - you have got to be kidding

Harvey wrote

What would a true free market look like in the Adirondacks?

I'm not sure anyone is (or should be) arguing for this. Nobody wants the nice (forested, mountainous) areas of the country to look like the Dallas suburbs or Jersey or Clifton Park, right?

It will be interesting to see exactly how the big resorts meet the housing demand. I think I prefer the faux-village (Vail, Stratton) model to the access road sprawl (Killington, pre-Spruce-village Stowe) model, only because I think building up is better for conservation of land than building out.

I wonder what percentage of a resort's lodging is booked on say, a random Wednesday in January. I feel like a lot of places get super busy on weekends, especially holiday weekends, but empty out during the week. Quite the business model.

PeeTex wrote

Wilmington- the Aspen real estate market of the Adirondacks - you have got to be kidding

Haha, good point, PeeTex

Harvey wrote

Based on the scenario you describe it sounds like the value of your home will be driven up.  That would help you when you sell to move out west, but it sounds like you are saying it's not all about money, and you care about the quality of life and the vibrancy of your community. If so I agree.

What would a true free market look like in the Adirondacks? Get rid of protected land, the govt puts all state land for sale to private interests?  Would there still be zoning?  What about your area attracted you in the first place?

IMO it probably does makes sense to regulate STRs, zone for it, Not sure how that would work but, if you were buying in an area zoned for it, at least you would know it going in.

A true free market means that the only driver of change is "how do you make the most money."  The existence of government, taxes, schools, roads, all of it is contrary to a true free market.  IMO we all have a line that draw where we are comfortable with regulation.  Almost nobody wants drug dealers selling in elementary schools.

If what I was about was making as much $ as possible I’d not be living here
It’s akways been about the quality of life for me

I’m not for blowing up the APA and turning the park into the suburbs
STR in residential areas fundamentally lower the quality of life for 5hose around them.  It never should have been allowed as it violates zoning laws.  It just needs to be enforced.

I'm not against regulations for STRs, but damn, when over half the town council are hotel/real estate people and won't recuse themselves from voting?  If it weren't disgusting, it would be laughable.

when just about everyday the local paper is publishing a piece against STRs this issue is front and center in our community and something will get done to fix this

Good points that the increase in bed taxes should not be going towards promoting more tourism but instead creating affordable housing for young worker

https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/opinion/editorials/2019/09/support-20-somethings-build-apartments/?platform=hootsuite

https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/opinion/editorials/2019/09/bring-back-lake-placid-neighborhoods/

https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2020/03/north-elba-oks-vacation-rental-rules/
Finally putting the clamps on the STR mess

Nice of Paradox Brewery to release a beer with Z's catchphrase on it:

How is it?
Need to stock up on beer - already have enough toilet paper

MC when this thread started you accused me of being the only one that cared about this issue.  You have been proved wrong on that.  This is the #1 local issue in the Daks

Z wrote

This is the #1 local issue in the Daks

Maybe Lake Placid?

I haven't heard about this in North Creek.

No reports of it from Bakers Mills or Speculator either. I bet Big Tupper would love this problem.

campgottagopee wrote

No reports of it from Bakers Mills or Speculator either. I bet Big Tupper would love this problem.

Camp,  don't give away my master plan!