By Craig Alexander, Dana Point
I read with interest Gary Clark’s letter to the editor (DP Times, Dec. 21 – 27, 2012) in which he claims there may be a conflict of interest among city council members voting on the vacation rental homes issue. As a resident of and homeowner in Dana Point, I can say that in my neighborhood I have never had a problem due to vacationers staying in any home near me.
I oppose any further regulation of homes in our city regarding vacation home renting—we have enough regulations already. If someone is not using a rented home under existing laws such as making too much noise, the police can come and stop that. If the home is in an unsafe condition (whether it is being used as a vacation home or not) the city of Dana Point has the right to enforce its building codes.
Also, there is nothing illegal about a city council person voting on a matter where someone gave him or her a campaign donation and the donor happened to own a vacation home in Dana Point. It may be unlawful if the council person owns a vacation home, but I would assume he would recuse himself from that vote under the government code. Plus you can always go down to the city clerk’s office and pull the campaign contribution forms each council person is obligated to file and see who donates to them.
I do not always agree with all of the council members and their votes. For example, I am against the plastic bag ban. And there are likely many issues where Mayor Weinberg, Councilman Schoeffel and other city council members and I disagree. However, I have never found any evidence of any of them being dishonest.
The discussion over the vacation rental homes is important because individual property rights are very important. The issue should be debated from all points of view but in a respectful manner. I don’t see the need to cast doubt over people’s honesty without real evidence no matter what their point of view is on this subject.
A note of caution to our fellow Capistrano Beach neighbors from Joe and Jane Schacht 45 year residents of Capo.
Be careful what you wish for.
Your pesky vacation rental neighbor could become your pesky drug rehab neighbor.
Yes indeed it could happen did happen to us folks on Rosita and it is not at all good.
There are the sullen strangers, the bad language, and the endless smoking.
Don’t forget the traffic vehicles coming and going all day into the night.
It is very unsettling, not what one would imagine in beach town neighborhoods.
But here they are, of course they are what are our neighbors going to do with these large houses.
Lease them out to the very profitable business of drug rehabilitation over which the city of Dana Point has no control.
Or rent them to vacationers who come with money to spend and can be controlled to some degree by rental agreements and city code.
So what’s your vote Vacation Rentals or Rehabs?
We do wish full recovery to all the folks that come and go next door.
Joe and Jane Schacht
Calle Rosita
Capo. Beach