PAUL WYATT, former Dana Point councilmember
I wrote a Letter to the Editor entitled “Short-Term Rentals Are Coming to Your HOA” that was published in the Dana Point Times on Jan. 20.
In that letter, I warned homeowner associations (HOAs) in the Coastal Zone that unless the draft Short-Term Rental (STR) program before the City Council on Feb. 7 was altered, HOAs would not be able to prohibit STRs. The City of Dana Point responded with a letter to HOAs dismissing my letter as “chatter” and stating that the city would not permit STRs in HOAs.
On Feb. 16, the city sent a letter to HOAs quoting the same paragraph from the Coastal Commission that I quoted in my letter, acknowledging that under the city’s new STR program, HOAs must get approval from the Coastal Commission in order to prohibit STRs. The city is offering “a streamlined CDP process with a reduced fee,” but it makes no guarantee that the Coastal Commission will approve the CDP.
Although the attack on my integrity by the city stung and I feel vindicated, it will not affect my quality of life in Dana Point, but this STR program will affect the quality of life for HOA residents.
I’m writing to again call HOAs to action. Attend the city’s virtual meeting on Feb. 28 at 3 p.m. and attend the City Council meeting on March 7 at 6 p.m., where a hearing on the STR ordinance is on the agenda.
Dana Point needs an STR program that is acceptable to both residents and the Coastal Commission; this is not it. This program ignores the input from residents and goes far beyond the requirements of the Coastal Commission.
We can and should do better, and it should not require a residents’ initiative to do so.
