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Home My WebLink About2021 STR MaterialsTOWN OF ITHACA LOCAL LAW NO. _ OF THE YEAR 2019 A LOCAL LAW ADDING SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROVISIONS TO CHAPTER 270, ZONING, OF THE TOWN OF ITHACA CODE Be it enacted by the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article III (Terminology) of the Town of Ithaca Code, Section 270-5, titled "Definitions," is amended by adding the following definitions: SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- The rental of a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, for a term of less than 30 consecutive days. HOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- A short-term rental use where the owner lives and sleeps in the rented unit, or in another dwelling unit on the same or an adjacent tax parcel, throughout the short-term renter's stay, and no more than two bedrooms are rented. UNHOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- A short-term rental use where the owner does not live and sleep in the rented unit, or in another dwelling unit on the same or an adjacent tax parcel, throughout the short-term renter's stay. Section 2. Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article VIII (Low Density Residential Zones) of the Town of Ithaca Code, Section 270-56, titled "Permitted accessory buildings and uses," is amended by adding a subsection N reading as follows: "N. Short-term rental uses, subject to the limitations on short-term rental uses set forth in § 270-219.7." [Repeat for all other zones where this use is allowed— MDR, HDR, Lakefront Residential, Agricultural, Conservation.] Section . Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article XXVI (Special Regulations) of the Town of Ithaca Code, is amended by adding Section 270-219.7, titled "Short-term rental uses" and reading as follows: "§ 270-219.7 Short-term rental uses. A. Applicability. This section applies to all short-term rental uses except: (1) Rentals of dwelling units that are owned by cooperative corporations and subject to proprietary leases under the Cooperative Corporations Law. (2) House sitting arrangements where a house sitter occupies an owner's principal residence while the owner is away, the house sitter provides security, maintenance and/or pet care, and the house sitter pays no money or other financial consideration to the owner in exchange for the occupancy. For the purposes of this § 270-219.7, the ownership and minimum residency requirements in subsection C below must be met for a dwelling unit to be considered an owner's principal residence. B. Except as prohibited by the New York Multiple Dwelling Law, a short-term rental use is permitted, subject to this section's provisions, in a principal dwelling unit or an accessory dwelling unit in all zoning districts that allow a short-term rental use as a permitted accessory use. C. Except in the !front Residential/ Agriculturivonservativi zoning districts, Short- term rental uses may occur only in a dwelling unit that is the principal residence of at least one of the property owners, in another dwelling unit on the same tax parcel, or in a dwelling unit on an adjacent tax parcel that is owned by the same owner(s). No other owner(s), collectively or individually, shall own a larger percentage of the tax parcel(s) than the owner-occupant(s , who must reside in the rind al residence for a minimum of 185 days per year. In the raketront xesidentiaicuiturai/on zoning districts, an owner may only obtain an operating permit as required below for a single tax parcel. E13 E. Provisions applicable to Hosted and Unhosted short-term rental uses. The following requirements apply to both hosted and unhosted short-term rental uses: [STR Committee will decide whether all requirements for unhosted rental uses will also apply to hosted rental uses, with the only difference being the number of days allowed for short-term rental uses.] (1) Operating permit required. (a) Each dwelling unit used for a short term rental use shall require a valid operating permit issued pursuant to Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 125 (Building Construction and Fire Prevention), § 125-8. Each such dwelling unit must have its own operating permit, even if more than one such dwelling unit is on the same tax parcel. Before the expiration or renewal of the operating permit, it shall be the responsibility of the owner of such unit to schedule an inspection with the Town of Ithaca Code Enforcement Department in order to obtain a new or renewed permit. (b) Owners of dwelling units used or to be used for short-term rental uses after January 1, 2022, must apply for and obtain operating permits prior to offering or renting such units after January 1, 2022 for short-term rental uses. After N an operating permit is obtained, it must be maintained throughout the period that such unit is offered or rented for an short-term rental use. (c) The Code Enforcement Department shall issue an operating permit upon verification by inspection that the items listed in Subsection (1) through (13) below meet the requirements of the applicable New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the items listed in Subsection (14) and (15) below meet the requirements of the Town of Ithaca Code: (1) 911 address number properly posted (with each unit posted); (2) Exterior structure in good repair; (3) Entrances, access areas, parking spaces and similar areas in good repair; (4) Receptacles for proper storage of garbage; (5) Compliant pools and decks (if present); (6) Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; (7) Interior structure in good repair; (8) Fire separation (where required); (9) Electrical, plumbing and heating in good repair; (10) Appliances in good repair (if supplied by landlord); (11) Proper light and ventilation; (12) Proper room sizes; (13) Proper egress doors or windows; (14) Compliant off-street parking, per § 270-227 and this section; (15) Exterior property areas do not violate Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 205 (Property Maintenance). (d) A Code Enforcement Officer shall seek a search warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction whenever the owner, managing agent or occupant fails to allow inspections of any premises believed to be subject to this section and where there is a reasonable cause to believe that there is a violation of this chapter, Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 205 (Property Maintenance), or the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. (e) Failure of an owner of any unit that is required to have an operating permit to apply for an operating permit in a timely manner, to obtain an operating permit after inspection, or to maintain a valid operating permit after it is granted throughout the period that such unit is offered or rented for short-term rental use, shall be deemed a violation of this section. (f) Over -occupancy. Verified over -occupancy shall constitute a violation of the operating permit. (2) Additional hosted and unhosted short-term rental use requirements. 3 (ba) The owner of any unit rented for a short-term rental use shall provide enough driveway parking spaces on the parcel containing such unit so that all vehicles belonging to the short-term renters are parked on -site. Such vehicles may not park on the street. (b) No unit shall be subject to more than one short-term rental agreement at any one time, and if the owner offers more than one unit on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, only one unit may be rented for an short-term rental use at any one time. (c) No unit rented for a short-term rental use shall be rented for the accommodation of more individuals than two times the number of legal bedrooms in such unit. (d) All units rented for short-term rental uses shall have prominently posted in all bedrooms in such unit a notice in a form approved by the Code Enforcement Department containing safety and legal compliance information including, but not limited to, the following: location of the nearest exit in case of a fire; limitations contained in the Town's laws regarding short-term rental uses and noise; and cell phone numbers of the owner and any manager, if there is one. (f) Collection of rental information and actions to address complaints. (1) Every time an owner rents a unit for an unhosted short-term rental use, prior to the beginning of the rental stay, the owner shall notify the Code Enforcement Department of the dates of the rental agreement by electronic methods established by such Department. (2) Local contact person. Owners shall provide the Code Enforcement Department, all short-term renters and all occupants of adjacent properties with the name and contact information of a local individual who shall be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, during the term of the unhosted stay. Once this notification is given to the Code Enforcement Department and adjacent property occupants, it does not need to be given to them again until the name and/or contact information changes. The owner or designated local contact person shall: (i) Respond on -site within sixty (60) minutes to complaints regarding a condition or operation of the short-term rental use or the conduct of the renters; and (ii) Take remedial action to resolve any and all complaints." F. Provisions related to Limitations on Amount of Days Allowed for Short -Term Rental Use 1. Hosted short-term rental uses. There is no limit on the number of days per year that a dwelling unit may be used for a hosted short-term rental use. 2. Unhosted short-term rental uses. (a) Unless allowed a greater number of days below, no unit shall be rented for an unhosted short-term rental use for more than 29 days in any calendar year in the ium ensity/ Hill zoning districts. If an owner offers more than one unit for unhosted short-term rental use on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, the total number of days in any calendar year that all units on the parcel(s) may be rented for unhosted short-term rental uses shall not in the aggregate exceed 29. This limitation of 29 days shall not apply to any written rental agreement that existed as of the effective date of this section, provided that the rental concludes within six months of this section's effective date. For the purposes of this section _, each of the following shall count as one day: (1) a rental of 24 hours (2) a rental of less than 24 hours that includes an overnight stay (3) a rental of less than 24 hours that does not include an overnight stay (b) An owner of a unit that satisfies at least one of the following criteria may rent such unit for unhosted short-term rental uses for up to 90 days in the aggregate (cumulative for all units on the parcel that meet the criteria and on an adjacent parcel) in any calendar year: (1) A unit that is (a) located in a Low Density Residential or Medium Density Residential Zone on a parcel that is larger than three acres, and (b) located more than forty feet from the side property lines. (2) A unit that is located in a Low Density Residential or Medium Density Residential Zone on a parcel that is not adjacent to any parcels that contain a dwelling. (c) No unit shall be rented for an unhosted short-term rental use for more than days in any calendar year in the L rvatiod zoning districts. If an owner offers more than one unit for unhosted short-term rental use on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, the total number of days in any calendar year that all units on the parcel(s) may be rented for unhosted short-term rental uses shall not in the aggregate exceed M. This limitation of = days shall not apply to any written rental 5 agreement that existed as of the effective date of this section, provided that the rental concludes within six months of this section's effective date. For the purposes of this section , each of the following shall count as one day: (1) a rental of 24 hours (2) a rental of less than 24 hours that includes an overnight stay (3) a rental of less than 24 hours that does not include an overnight stay G. Enforcement and Penalties 1. Provisions Similar to Rental Registry Enforcement 2. Penalties for Violations (a) After conviction for the first violation of this section , the owner's operating permit for short-term rental use shall be revoked. The owner of the permit may not reapply for any new operating permit until one year after such conviction. (b) After conviction for the second violation of this section , the owner's operating permit for short-term rental use shall be revoked. The owner of the permit may not reapply for any new operating permit until five years after such conviction. Section . In the event that any portion of this law is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remaining portions shall not be affected by such declaration of invalidity. Section . This local law shall take effect on January 1, 2020. Co Lakefront Residential STR Survey Comments Received via email Dear Mr. Goodman, I reside at 881 Taughannock Blvd. my neighbor 881.5 Taughannock Blvd. has been renting her house on a short term basis for years. I have gone before the town board to complain about the nuisance of having many families renting next door year round. I pointed out that the zoning is for single family occupancy but I was told that there can be no enforcement of this provision. I was told that the town does not have the personnel to enforce this code. During this Covid time renters come from states that required quarantine but the Health Department told me that these visitors are just passing through and did not require quarantining. Parking, noise, rowdiness, parties (a sorority rented the house and had a loud party into the night), unsafe conditions (a group of renters came into my house when I was away and I had to call the police) are issues. My neighbor is not an owner occupied property but a fully short term rental property for daily and weekly occupation. Unfortunately we also share a driveway to our properties. We have suffered this condition for years and the town has ignored code enforcement. I hope that your committee can put an end to this condition. Thak and Siu-ling Chaloemtiarana 881 Taughannock Blvd. To the Short Term Rental Committee and Town of Ithaca Board: I am writing in opposition to regulations for short term rentals in the town of Ithaca --in particular for lakefront properties. Since my husband and I are lakefront owners who were not really aware of the town's initiative to establish regulations for STR's until recently when lakefront properties were included in the proposed restrictions, I would be interested in knowing more of the history of why STR regulations were deemed necessary --that is, what is the data upon which the need for STR restrictions is based? How many STR's are there in the town? What events have occurred, and how often, that make it necessary to have restrictions? Are there actually documented abuses or nuisances caused by STR's? How many? If so, is there a higher percentage of abuses or nuisances in STR houses than are occurring in owner occupied or long term rental properties? As for our situation, we bought a derelict property on the lake 15 years ago --it was overrun with weeds, overgrown with brush, full of crumbling retaining walls including the lake wall; the house had 10" of water in the basement and parts of the house were falling down. It was a complete mess. We have worked on the property for 15 years and are still working. Before the financial crisis we had put much of our retirement savings into restoring the old lakehouse (which may be the oldest on the west shore in the town) and adding to it. After the crisis we were very lucky that short term rentals made it possible for us to afford to keep living here. It was actually a godsend for us. As owners and residents, we aren't aware of any complaints or problems with STR's on the west shore. A lakefront neighbor --who does not do STR's-- put it well: "the proposed STR restrictions seem to be a solution in search of a problem." Just a word about the beginnings of STR'S, in particular airbnb types of STR's: to my knowledge STR's were part of the "sharing" economy where an exchange of space to stay at a reasonable price helped both the sharer and the sharee. I think it's still safe to say that many people of modest means, like people on fixed income or gig workers or small business entrepreneurs, are able to make ends meet by having the ability to share their space. This goes as well for unhosted STR's. Having the flexibility to rent their empty house while they take work elsewhere (artists, gig workers, for example), helps people afford to live, have healthcare, pay property tax etc. I know of many examples of low or lower income folks who make ends meet this way; I do not know of any corporations making a killing through these types of rentals except maybe in big tourist hubs such as NYC. If there is evidence of this happening in Ithaca, I would like to see the evidence. Additionally, restricting limits on corporate ownership and other more targeted ways to address problems that have been identified by actual data, rather than making sweeping rules that burden mostly struggling middle and lower middle class folks, is the way to address this situation. Thanks for your concern and attention! Sally Mennen Hi Bill! Thanks for putting this together. I filled out the survey, but I wanted to offer another suggestion. We had a major problem with renters' dogs. They were constantly coming onto our property. They would chase and scare our small children, and even enter and run around our house. Renters (both short-term and long-term) were constantly walking on our decks trying to retrieve their dogs, and this would happen multiple times a day. We eventually brought it up with the landlord at the time, and thankfully she was considerate and changed the renter policy so that dogs had to remain on a leash, which renters actually listened to. However, the new landlord does not seem to be so considerate, and I worry that we will face the same problem again should she start renting again, since there's a big financial incentive to not require leashes. I would encourage the town to require landlords to either install a fence or mandate that renters keep their dogs on a leash. (More generally, I would prefer to have families living along the lake rather than so many houses being used primarily as rental units. I know a family who just last year put a good offer on a house and got turned down due to the rental prospects.) Thanks! Ross See below what I wrote - and sent and received a confirmation that it was received and passed on to board members - back in January. I am sending it again, but with less belief that it will matter since I heard that on the zoom meeting it was stated that no one had written from the perspective of an owner but not a renter of their property. I also know not a word of my letter was presented at the zoom meeting. But, here it is again. I started to fill out the survey but will not fill out something I can't respond to beyond yes or no. And, besides, it's in my letter below. As before I would like confirmation that this letter was gotten by both. Thank you. Disappointed in the board, but willing to try again. Barb Bassette (and Chuck Henderson) 839 Taugannock Blvd. Ps. Even my comments about long term rentals aren't enough to wish they weren't there. The vast majority of the years, like short term, they have used the lake and become friendly neighbors. I have no complaints. Not enough for regulations! ---------- Forwarded message --------- From: Barb Bassette <barb.bassettena__,gmail.com> Date: Tue, Jan 5, 2021 at 11:07 AM Subject: Regulating Cayuga Lake rentals To: <prosa(c-r�,town.ithaca.ny.us> I've lived on the west side of Cayuga lake since'83. It's been a wonderful neighborhood with only a very, very few hiccups, and they came not from short term rentals of airbnb but from long term rentals with landlords who aren't present and who don't teach their tenants to be respectful neighbors. That is never the case with short term rentals. We need no more regulations. Long and short term rentals have worked, are working and should continue to be part of the tradition of being a part of our neighborhood. It is the short term people who come in who are respectful of their neighbors and who remind us all to enjoy the lake, sitting at night down at the waterside, enjoying the quiet or having their morning coffee out on the deck basking in the day beginning on a lake theirs for a day or so. I welcome the shortermers. They remind me that what I have is special. If we really wanted to become involved, it would be to remind the (few, lax) landlords that their long term tenants have neighbors, people who will be here after they are long gone. Guests for a day or so? I welcome them with open arms. They are on their best behavior wanting to come back for another visit to the beautiful lake and to a home that is theirs only for a few nights. And, if my information is correct, it isn't lake people thinking lake life needs to be more regulated; they're outsiders who feel the need. Funny, I didn't offer my opinion to Cayuga Heights when they decided sterilizing deer was better than culling the herd and actually helping our fellow neighbors in need by offering the meat to food kitchens. No, I let Cayuga Heights do their own thing. Wouldn't it be good if that were the case here? We on the lake don't need regulations for a problem that doesn't exist. Thank you, Barb Bassette 839 Taughannock Blvd. Ps: Having read the Lakefront Rental Restriction Opposition paper, I am in full agreement with it! I have never rented to anyone, but I have been a homeowner on the lake for 38 years, and I am a person who believes in sharing what is partially mine, that being the lake. I commend the owners who responsibly have and who have been able to then continue to live and share their places. To the Short -Term Rental Committee and the Town of Ithaca Board, As a long-time lakeshore resident, I write to express my opposition to some aspects of the proposed STR regulations as they apply to lakefront residential properties. I have been a year-round resident of my home on the lake for over 43 years, and currently live with my adult son who intends to continue to occupy our home after my demise. I have neighbors on both sides of our "linear" neighborhood who have rented without deleterious effects due to their careful efforts to select responsible rental clients and to inform me of the rentals, with permission for me to identify any unwanted disturbances. Although I have not yet engaged in rentals of my family home, I wish to reserve the right for my heirs to rent in the future in order to enable the family to retain ownership of this home, even if unhosted short- term rentals are needed for times of the year when one of my heirs elects not to be in residence. While I understand why most of the STR regulations should probably apply to densely populated areas of the town, I submit that the situation of lakeshore residences differs due to the higher taxes levied by virtue of the properties having lake access. This raises the ownership costs of well maintained lakeshore residences, making them more expensive than many owners can sustain without opportunities for the supplementary income from occasional or even frequent rentals. The effect of severe rental restrictions will be to purge the lakeshore of less -than -affluent residents. In addition, some lakeshore owners have secured property for vacation or retirement occupancy, and these folks should not be denied the opportunity to recoup their ownership costs in times when they have not yet occupied these properties. I urge that the proposed STR regulations be modified specifically for lakeshore residences to allow (a) unlimited or at least a much more generous number of days of STRs; (b) absentee ownership of a family, vacation or retirement home as opposed to investment ownership; (c) occupancy limits to exclude the number of small children that can presumably share a bedroom with adults; and (d) possible alleviation of off-street parking requirements due to the special topography of some lakeshore homes. In addition, I oppose for all residential zones the over -draconian aspects of the proposed "collection of rental information and actions to address complaints," e.g., 24-7 monitoring, formal notification of code enforcement and adjacent property owners, etc. Respectfully submitted, John Abel 1001 Taughannock Blvd Ithaca, NY 14850-9572 email: ifa5@cornell.edu phone: (607) 273-2144 June 2021 TOWN OF ITHACA LOCAL LAW NO. _ OF THE YEAR 2019 A LOCAL LAW ADDING SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROVISIONS TO CHAPTER 270, ZONING, OF THE TOWN OF ITHACA CODE Be it enacted by the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article III (Terminology) of the Town of Ithaca Code, Section 270-5, titled "Definitions," is amended by adding the following definitions: SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- The rental of a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, for a term of less than 30 consecutive days. HOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- A short-term rental use where the owner lives and sleeps in the rented unit, or in another dwelling unit on the same or an adjacent tax parcel, throughout the short-term renter's stay, and no more than two bedrooms are rented. UNHOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- A short-term rental use where the owner does not live and sleep in the rented unit, or in another dwelling unit on the same or an adjacent tax parcel, throughout the short-term renter's stay. Section 2. Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article VIII (Low Density Residential Zones) of the Town of Ithaca Code, Section 270-56, titled "Permitted accessory buildings and uses," is amended by adding a subsection N reading as follows: "N. Short-term rental uses, subject to the limitations on short-term rental uses set forth in § 270-219.7." [Repeat for all other zones where this use is allowed— MDR, HDR, Lakefront Residential, Agricultural, Conservation.] Section . Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article XXVI (Special Regulations) of the Town of Ithaca Code, is amended by adding Section 270-219.7, titled "Short-term rental uses" and reading as follows: "§ 270-219.7 Short-term rental uses. A. Applicability. This section applies to all short-term rental uses except: (1) Rentals of dwelling units that are owned by cooperative corporations and subject to proprietary leases under the Cooperative Corporations Law. June 2021 (2) House sitting arrangements where a house sitter occupies an owner's principal residence while the owner is away, the house sitter provides security, maintenance and/or pet care, and the house sitter pays no money or other financial consideration to the owner in exchange for the occupancy. For the purposes of this § 270-219.7, the ownership and minimum residency requirements in subsection C below must be met for a dwelling unit to be considered an owner's principal residence. B. Except as prohibited by the New York Multiple Dwelling Law, a short-term rental use is permitted, subject to this section's provisions, in a principal dwelling unit or an accessory dwelling unit in all zoning districts that allow a short-term rental use as a permitted accessory use. C. Except in the !front Residential/ Agriculturivonservativi zoning districts, Short- term rental uses may occur only in a dwelling unit that is the principal residence of at least one of the property owners, in another dwelling unit on the same tax parcel, or in a dwelling unit on an adjacent tax parcel that is owned by the same owner(s). No other owner(s), collectively or individually, shall own a larger percentage of the tax parcel(s) than the owner-occupant(s , who must reside in the rind al residence for a minimum of 185 days per year. In the raketront xesidentiaicuiturai/on zoning districts, an owner may only obtain an operating permit as required below for a single tax parcel. E13 E. Provisions applicable to Hosted and Unhosted short-term rental uses. The following requirements apply to both hosted and unhosted short-term rental uses: [STR Committee will decide whether all requirements for unhosted rental uses will also apply to hosted rental uses, with the only difference being the number of days allowed for short-term rental uses.] (1) Operating permit required. (a) Each dwelling unit used for a short term rental use shall require a valid operating permit issued pursuant to Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 125 (Building Construction and Fire Prevention), § 125-8. Each such dwelling unit must have its own operating permit, even if more than one such dwelling unit is on the same tax parcel. Before the expiration or renewal of the operating permit, it shall be the responsibility of the owner of such unit to schedule an inspection with the Town of Ithaca Code Enforcement Department in order to obtain a new or renewed permit. (b) Owners of dwelling units used or to be used for short-term rental uses after January 1, 2022, must apply for and obtain operating permits prior to offering or renting such units after January 1, 2022 for short-term rental uses. After N June 2021 an operating permit is obtained, it must be maintained throughout the period that such unit is offered or rented for an short-term rental use. (c) The Code Enforcement Department shall issue an operating permit upon verification by inspection that the items listed in Subsection (1) through (13) below meet the requirements of the applicable New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the items listed in Subsection (14) and (15) below meet the requirements of the Town of Ithaca Code: (1) 911 address number properly posted (with each unit posted); (2) Exterior structure in good repair; (3) Entrances, access areas, parking spaces and similar areas in good repair; (4) Receptacles for proper storage of garbage; (5) Compliant pools and decks (if present); (6) Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; (7) Interior structure in good repair; (8) Fire separation (where required); (9) Electrical, plumbing and heating in good repair; (10) Appliances in good repair (if supplied by landlord); (11) Proper light and ventilation; (12) Proper room sizes; (13) Proper egress doors or windows; (14) Compliant off-street parking, per § 270-227 and this section; (15) Exterior property areas do not violate Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 205 (Property Maintenance). (d) A Code Enforcement Officer shall seek a search warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction whenever the owner, managing agent or occupant fails to allow inspections of any premises believed to be subject to this section and where there is a reasonable cause to believe that there is a violation of this chapter, Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 205 (Property Maintenance), or the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. (e) Failure of an owner of any unit that is required to have an operating permit to apply for an operating permit in a timely manner, to obtain an operating permit after inspection, or to maintain a valid operating permit after it is granted throughout the period that such unit is offered or rented for short-term rental use, shall be deemed a violation of this section. (f) Over -occupancy. Verified over -occupancy shall constitute a violation of the operating permit. (2) Additional hosted and unhosted short-term rental use requirements. 3 June 2021 (ba) The owner of any unit rented for a short-term rental use shall provide enough driveway parking spaces on the parcel containing such unit so that all vehicles belonging to the short-term renters are parked on -site. Such vehicles may not park on the street. (b) No unit shall be subject to more than one short-term rental agreement at any one time, and if the owner offers more than one unit on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, only one unit may be rented for an short-term rental use at any one time. (c) No unit rented for a short-term rental use shall be rented for the accommodation of more individuals than two times the number of legal bedrooms in such unit. (d) All units rented for short-term rental uses shall have prominently posted in all bedrooms in such unit a notice in a form approved by the Code Enforcement Department containing safety and legal compliance information including, but not limited to, the following: location of the nearest exit in case of a fire; limitations contained in the Town's laws regarding short-term rental uses and noise; and cell phone numbers of the owner and any manager, if there is one. (f) Collection of rental information and actions to address complaints. (1) Every time an owner rents a unit for an unhosted short-term rental use, prior to the beginning of the rental stay, the owner shall notify the Code Enforcement Department of the dates of the rental agreement by electronic methods established by such Department. (2) Local contact person. Owners shall provide the Code Enforcement Department, all short-term renters and all occupants of adjacent properties with the name and contact information of a local individual who shall be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, during the term of the unhosted stay. Once this notification is given to the Code Enforcement Department and adjacent property occupants, it does not need to be given to them again until the name and/or contact information changes. The owner or designated local contact person shall: (i) Respond on -site within sixty (60) minutes to complaints regarding a condition or operation of the short-term rental use or the conduct of the renters; and (ii) Take remedial action to resolve any and all complaints." June 2021 F. Provisions related to Limitations on Amount of Days Allowed for Short -Term Rental Use 1. Hosted short-term rental uses. There is no limit on the number of days per year that a dwelling unit may be used for a hosted short-term rental use. 2. Unhosted short-term rental uses. (a) Unless allowed a greater number of days below, no unit shall be rented for an unhosted short-term rental use for more than 29 days in any calendar year in the ium ensity/ Hill zoning districts. If an owner offers more than one unit for unhosted short-term rental use on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, the total number of days in any calendar year that all units on the parcel(s) may be rented for unhosted short-term rental uses shall not in the aggregate exceed 29. This limitation of 29 days shall not apply to any written rental agreement that existed as of the effective date of this section, provided that the rental concludes within six months of this section's effective date. For the purposes of this section _, each of the following shall count as one day: (1) a rental of 24 hours (2) a rental of less than 24 hours that includes an overnight stay (3) a rental of less than 24 hours that does not include an overnight stay (b) An owner of a unit that satisfies at least one of the following criteria may rent such unit for unhosted short-term rental uses for up to 90 days in the aggregate (cumulative for all units on the parcel that meet the criteria and on an adjacent parcel) in any calendar year: (1) A unit that is (a) located in a Low Density Residential or Medium Density Residential Zone on a parcel that is larger than three acres, and (b) located more than forty feet from the side property lines. (2) A unit that is located in a Low Density Residential or Medium Density Residential Zone on a parcel that is not adjacent to any parcels that contain a dwelling. (c) No unit shall be rented for an unhosted short-term rental use for more than days in any calendar year in the L rvatiod zoning districts. If an owner offers more than one unit for unhosted short-term rental use on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, the total number of days in any calendar year that all units on the parcel(s) may be rented for unhosted short-term rental uses shall not in the aggregate exceed M. This limitation of = days shall not apply to any written rental 5 June 2021 agreement that existed as of the effective date of this section, provided that the rental concludes within six months of this section's effective date. For the purposes of this section , each of the following shall count as one day: (1) a rental of 24 hours (2) a rental of less than 24 hours that includes an overnight stay (3) a rental of less than 24 hours that does not include an overnight stay G. Enforcement and Penalties 1. Provisions Similar to Rental Registry Enforcement 2. Penalties for Violations (a) After conviction for the first violation of this section , the owner's operating permit for short-term rental use shall be revoked. The owner of the permit may not reapply for any new operating permit until one year after such conviction. (b) After conviction for the second violation of this section , the owner's operating permit for short-term rental use shall be revoked. The owner of the permit may not reapply for any new operating permit until five years after such conviction. Section . In the event that any portion of this law is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remaining portions shall not be affected by such declaration of invalidity. Section . This local law shall take effect on January 1, 2020. Co TOWN OF ITHACA LOCAL LAW NO. _ OF THE YEAR 2019 A LOCAL LAW ADDING SHORT-TERM RENTAL PROVISIONS TO CHAPTER 270, ZONING, OF THE TOWN OF ITHACA CODE Be it enacted by the Town Board of the Town of Ithaca as follows: Section 1. Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article III (Terminology) of the Town of Ithaca Code, Section 270-5, titled "Definitions," is amended by adding the following definitions: SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- The rental of a dwelling unit, or portion thereof, for a term of less than 30 consecutive days. HOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- A short-term rental use where the owner lives and sleeps in the rented unit, or in another dwelling unit on the same or an adjacent tax parcel, throughout the short -tern renter's stay, and no more than two bedrooms are rented. UNHOSTED SHORT-TERM RENTAL USE -- A short-term rental use where the owner does not live and sleep in the rented unit, or in another dwelling unit on the same or an adjacent tax parcel, throughout the short-term renter's stay. Section 2. Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article VIII (Low Density Residential Zones) of the Town of Ithaca Code, Section 270-56, titled "Permitted accessory buildings and uses," is amended by adding a subsection N reading as follows: "N. Short -tern rental uses, subject to the limitations on short-term rental uses set forth in § 270-219.7." [Repeat for all other zones where this use is allowed— MDR, HDR, Lakefront Residential, Agricultural, Conservation.] Section . Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article XXVI (Special Regulations) of the Town of Ithaca Code, is amended by adding Section 270-219.7, titled "Short -tern rental uses" and reading as follows: "§ 270-219.7 Short-term rental uses. A. Applicability. This section applies to all short-term rental uses except: (1) Rentals of dwelling units that are owned by cooperative corporations and subject to proprietary leases under the Cooperative Corporations Law. (2) House sitting arrangements where a house sitter occupies an owner's principal residence while the owner is away, the house sitter provides security, maintenance and/or pet care, and the house sitter pays no money or other financial consideration to the owner in exchange for the occupancy. For the purposes of this § 270-219.7, the ownership and minimum residency requirements in subsection C below must be met for a dwelling unit to be considered an owner's principal residence. Except as prohibited by the New York Multiple Dwelling Law, a short-term rental use is permitted, subject to this section's provisions, in a principal dwelling unit or an accessory dwelling unit in all zoning districts that allow a short-term rental use as a permitted accessory use. C. Except in the zoning districts, Short- --1 Formatted: Highlight term rental uses may occur only in a dwelling unit that is the principal residence of at Formatted: Highlight least one of the property owners, in another dwelling unit on the same tax parcel, or in a dwelling unit on an adjacent tax parcel that is owned by the same owner(s). No other Formatted: Highlight owner(s), collectively or individually, shall own a larger percentage of the tax parcel(s) than the owner -occupants , who must reside in the principal residence for a minimum of 185 days per year. In the zoning districts, an owner may only obtain an operating permit as required below for a single tax ap rcel. D. Hosted shett tenn r-en4a! uses. There is ne limit en the number- of days per- year- t dwelling tmit may be used- -f-ar a hosted- -;hn-# term_ remtal 11se. Wo unit r-p-mte'd 4_�_Rr- a hnqted (ineluding hosts) than two tim-e-s the, num-h-ew of legal bedrooms in sueh unit. E. Provisions applicable to Hosted and Unhosted short-term rental uses. The following requirements apply to both hosted and unhosted short-term rental uses: ISTR Committee will decide whether all requirements for unhosted rental uses will also apply to hosted rental uses, with the only difference being the number of days allowed for short-term rental uses.] (1) Operating permit required. (a) Each dwelling unit used for an-unhasted a short term rental use shall require a valid operating permit issued pursuant to Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 125 (Building Construction and Fire Prevention), § 125-8. Each such dwelling unit must have its own operating permit, even if more than one such dwelling unit is on the same tax parcel. Before the expiration or renewal of the operating permit, it shall be the responsibility of the owner of such unit to schedule an inspection with the Town of Ithaca Code Enforcement Department in order to obtain a new or renewed permit. (b) Owners of dwelling units used or to be used for unhested short-term rental uses after Tttly 15, 2 N January 1, 2022, must apply for and obtain operating permits prior to offering or renting such units after July 15,2-0-M January 1 2022 for unhosted short-term rental uses. After an operating permit is obtained, it must be maintained throughout the period that such unit is offered or rented for an unhested short-term rental use. (c) The Code Enforcement Department shall issue an operating permit upon verification by inspection that the items listed in Subsection (1) through (13) below meet the requirements of the applicable New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code and the items listed in Subsection (14) and (15) below meet the requirements of the Town of Ithaca Code: (1) 911 address number properly posted (with each unit posted); (2) Exterior structure in good repair; (3) Entrances, access areas, parking spaces and similar areas in good repair; (4) Receptacles for proper storage of garbage; (5) Compliant pools and decks (if present); (6) Working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors; (7) Interior structure in good repair; (8) Fire separation (where required); (9) Electrical, plumbing and heating in good repair; (10) Appliances in good repair (if supplied by landlord); (11) Proper light and ventilation; (12) Proper room sizes; (13) Proper egress doors or windows; (14) Compliant off-street parking, per § 270-227 and this section; (15) Exterior property areas do not violate Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 205 (Property Maintenance). (d) A Code Enforcement Officer shall seek a search warrant from a court of competent jurisdiction whenever the owner, managing agent or occupant fails to allow inspections of any premises believed to be subject to this section and where there is a reasonable cause to believe that there is a violation of this chapter, Town of Ithaca Code Chapter 205 (Property Maintenance), or the New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code. (e) Failure of an owner of any unit that is required to have an operating permit to apply for an operating permit in a timely manner, to obtain an operating permit after inspection, or to maintain a valid operating permit after it is granted throughout the period that such unit is offered or rented for an tid-short-term rental use, shall be deemed a violation of this section. (f) Over -occupancy. Verified over -occupancy shall constitute a violation of the operating permit. (2) Additional hosted and unhosted short-term rental use requirements. (a) Unless allowed a greater- n„mber of days below, n nit sh.,ll he rented- F r ., unhosted sheA tefm rental use for more than 29 days in any ealendaf yeaf. 1 an w.Am-ew ..fF rs m- e tl...« o nit F r „nh, 4pd ..hers tern rental , paF..el an Wor- .,djaeent par -eel the total n ..her of days : any ealend.,« yea that all units an then el(s) may herented for nnheste,l short ter.., rental llqpq..h.,ll At in thin e-aggregate-exceed 70 Th:,; limit..ti A4i of N days shall not apply te any written rental agfeement Otat existed as ef the effeetive date e this seetion provided that the rental e „elti es within six onths of this seetiex; ' s e€fcetive date. FoF the purposes of this seetion _, eaeh of the f slowing shall a nt ., efte day. (ba) The owner of any unit rented for aft acted a short-term rental use shall provide enough driveway parking spaces on the parcel containing such unit so that all vehicles belonging to the short-term renters are parked on -site. Such vehicles may not park on the street. (eb) No unit shall be subject to more than one unhosted short-term rental agreement at any one time, and if the owner offers more than one unit on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, only one unit may be rented for an unhosted short-term rental use at any one time. (Cc) No unit rented for an unhosted a short-term rental use shall be rented for the accommodation of more individuals than two times the number of legal bedrooms in such unit. (ed) All units rented for ti�ted-short-term rental uses shall have prominently posted in all bedrooms in such unit a notice in a form approved by the Code Enforcement Department containing safety and legal compliance information including, but not limited to, the following: location of the nearest exit in case of a fire; limitations contained in the Town's laws regarding unhosted short- term rental uses and noise; and cell phone numbers of the owner and any manager, if there is one. (f) An owneF of -a ,-nit that si tisf:es .,t le..-t one, of the following eriteri M ensueh unit fer- unhosted sheft tefm rental uses fer- " to 90 days in the aggregate (gfl Collection of rental information and actions to address complaints. (1) Every time an owner rents a unit for an unhosted short-term rental use, prior to the beginning of the rental stay, the owner shall notify the Code Enforcement Department of the dates of the rental agreement by electronic methods established by such Department. (2) Local contact person. Owners shall provide the Code Enforcement Formatted: Font: times New Roman Department, all short-term renters and all occupants of adjacent properties with the name and contact information of a local individual who shall be available twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven (7) days per week, during the term of the unhosted stay. Once this notification is given to the Code Enforcement Department and adjacent property occupants, it does not need to be given to them again until the name and/or contact information changes. The owner or designated local contact person shall: (i) Respond on -site within sixty (60) minutes to complaints regarding a condition or operation of the short-term rental use or the conduct of the renters; and (ii) Take remedial action to resolve any and all complaints." F. Provisions related to Limitations on Amount of Days Allowed for Short -Term Rental Use 1. Hosted short-term rental uses. There is no limit on the number of days per year that a dwelling unit may be used for a hosted short-term rental use. 2. Unhosted short-term rental uses. (a) Unless allowed a greater number of days below, no unit shall be rented for an unhosted short-term rental use for more than 29 days in any calendar ,year i the zoning districts. If an owner offers more than one unit for unhosted short-term rental use on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, the total number of days in any calendar year that all units on the parcel(s) may be rented for unhosted short-term rental uses shall not in the aggregate exceed 29. This limitation of 29 days shall not appl�to any written rental agreement that existed as of the effective date of this section, provided that the rental concludes within six months of this section's effective date. For the purposes of this section , each of the following shall count as one day: (1) a rental of 24 hours (2) a rental of less than 24 hours that includes an overnight stay (3) a rental of less than 24 hours that does not include an overnight stay (b) An owner of a unit that satisfies at least one of the following criteria may such unit for unhosted short-term rental uses for up to 90 days in the aggregate egate Formatted: Numbered + Level: 1 + Numbering Style: 1, 2, 3, ... + Start at: 1 + Alignment: Left + Aligned at: 1" + Indent at: 1.25" Formatted: Highlight (cumulative for all units on the parcel that meet the criteria and on an adjacent parcel) in any calendar year: (1) A unit that is (a) located in a Low Density Residential or Medium Density Residential Zone on a parcel that is larger than three acres, and (b) located more than forty feet from the side prope , lines. (2) A unit that is located in a Low Density Residential or Medium Density Residential Zone on a parcel that is not adjacent to any parcels that contain a dwelling. in districts. If an owner offers more than one unit for unhosted short-term rental use on a parcel and/or adjacent parcel, the total number of days in any calendar year that all units on the parcel(s) may be This limitation of days shall not Uply to an written rental agreement that existed as of the effective date of this section, provided that the rental concludes within six months of this section's effective date. For the purposes of this section _, each of the following shall count as one day: (1) a rental of 24 hours (2) a rental of less than 24 hours that includes an overnight stay (3) a rental of less than 24 hours that does not include an ovemi hg t stay G. Enforcement and Penalties 1. Provisions Similar to Rental Registry Enforcement 2. Penalties for Violations (a) After conviction for the first violation of this section , the owner's r operating permit for short-term rental use shall be revoked. The owner of the permit may not reapply for any new operating permit until one year after such conviction. (b) After conviction for the second violation of this section , the owner's r operating permit for short-term rental use shall be revoked. The owner of the permit may not reapply for any new operating permit until five years after such conviction. Formatted: Formatted: Formatted: Highlight Formatted: Highlight Formatted: List Paragraph, No bullets or numbering, Adjust space between Latin and Asian text, Adjust space between Asian text and numbers Formatted: Indent: Left: 1" Section . In the event that any portion of this law is declared invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, the validity of the remaining portions shall not be affected by such declaration of invalidity. Section . This local law shall take effect on January 1, 2020. TOWN OF ITHACA DFJ215 N Tioga St, Ithaca, NY 14850 Ph:607-273-1721 ■ Fax:607-273-5854 www.town.ithaca.ny.usyo Dear Town of Ithaca Lakefront Property Owner. As you may have heard, the Town of Ithaca's ad hoc Short Term Rental Committee has been working for a few years now to draft legislation regulating Short Term Rentals (under 30 days) in the Town. The STR Committee has recently turned its attention to how to regulate STRs in the Lakefront Residential Zone along Taughannock Blvd on the west side of the lake and East Shore Dr. on the east side. One regulation we might consider is a limitation on the number of days a property can be rented on a Short Term basis. In order to better understand what is actually happening currently with STRs on the Lakefront, we would be interested in your answers to the short survey provided through the link below. We will also be mailing the survey to those property owners for whom we do not have an email address for. Please try to complete the survey by noon on Monday, March 8th, and remind your neighbors to complete the survey too. If you would like to provide any information or comments in addition to your answers to the survey questions, feel free to email them to me or our Town Clerk, Paulette Rosa, townclerkgtown.ithaca.ny.us Thanks very much for your participation. Bill Goodman Deputy Supervisor, Town of Ithaca BGoodmanktown. ithaca.ny.us Lakefront Residential Rental Survey (If you are having any issues accessing the Survey from the mailed notice, please email Paulette for an emailed link) AL mom TOM P K I N S r_W ,,� CHAMBER March 8, 2021 Bill Goodman, Deputy Town Supervisor Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 iA� =�'HACA RE: Town of Ithaca Short Term Rental Committee - Tompkins County Tourism Economy Dear Bill, We are writing today to urge the Short-term Rental Committee to share the importance of lake rentals to the economic vitality of Tompkins County. Visit Ithaca, the destination management organization for Tompkins County, actively promotes all vacation rentals who are registered with Tompkins County. We value the lake rentals immensely, as this is the only option for visitors who wish to have a lake experience in Tompkins County. A visitor who wishes to stay on the lake wants to stay on the lake. The visitor wants the experience that comes with a lake rental, which is very different from a stay in town. In 2020, there were not enough lake homes to fill the demand. Visitors were looking for a safer way to escape with their family pods and lake rentals were the first places they booked. We feel strongly that short term rentals in the lakefront zone should be treated differently from short term rentals in the other zones. We firmly believe that hosted rentals should have no limit in any zone. We also believe that the demonstrated value to the tourism economy indicates that there should be no limits to any rentals in the lakefront zone, hosted or non -hosted. A 90-day limit or even 180-day limit still limits the economic return, not just to the host/property owner, but to the entire community through visitor spending at area restaurants, at grocery stores, at gas stations, wineries, breweries, etc. We also feel strongly that all health and safety insurances should be included in the permitting process by the Town of Ithaca. We urge that all short-term rentals should be registered with Tompkins County, and should collect and submit all applicable sales and occupancy taxes. Thank you for your consideration of the impact on the tourism economy. Sincerely, Jennifer Tavares, CEcD President & CEO Peggy Coleman VP Tourism/CVB Director 904 East Shore Drive I Ithaca, NY 148SO 607-273-7080 1 itavares@tompkinschamber.org www.tompkinschamber.org www.visitithaca.com Microsoft Forms https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=Pg9l RxRzDk... Town of Ithaca Lakefront Short Term Rental Survey 54 Responses 16:13 Average time to complete Active Status 1. How do you currently rent out your Lakefront property, if at all ? On a short term basis (rental p... 23 On a Long Term basis (more t... 10 I do not rent out my Lakefront... 25 2. If you don't currently rent, have you in the past, or do you plan to in the future? (If the answer to this question is no, you can proceed to question #11) 40 Yes 20 No 17 3. Do you Rent Hosted (while you are present on the property)? Yes 19 No 22 1 of 5 3/9/2021, 1:02 PM Microsoft Forms https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=Pg9l RxRzDk... 4. Do you rent un-hosted (while you are away from the property)? Yes No 27 15 5. How many days per year do you rent on a Short Term basis? Latest Responses 40 ° Responses "365" "Varies " 6. Do you rent for periods that are less than a full week? Yes No 26 15 7. If you rent on a weekly basis, how many weekly rentals do you typically have? 26 Responses Latest Responses ,.°,. "Varies" 8. What is the maximum occupancy that is advertised for your STRental? 36 Responses Latest Responses „6„ "6" 2 of 5 3/9/2021, 1:02 PM Microsoft Forms https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=Pg9l RxRzDk... 9. What is the typical number of occupants renting at your property? Latest Responses 37 „4„ Responses 11511 10. Is your Lakefront property that you rent currently: * A Primary Residence 20 An Accessory Dwelling Unit 9 is located on an adjacent prop... 4 Other 14 11. Have you had problems with guests who have rented your neighbor's Short Term rental? Yes 9 No 44 12. Have you had problems with guests who have rented your neighbor's Long Term rental? Yes 6 No 45 3 of 5 3/9/2021, 1:02 PM Microsoft Forms https://forms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=Pg9l RxRzDk... 13. If you have had problems with guests who have rented neighboring properties, do the neighboring properties still rent? Yes 14 No 13 14. Have your neighbors who Host STRentals provided you contact information for when there are problems? 0 Yes 31 No 15 15. Do you favor the Town creating a Permit system for regulating Lakefront STRentals? Yes 18 No 32 16. Please provide the address of your Lakefront property in the Town, this information will be confidential and used only to verify that only lake front property owners are providing answers to this survey. Latest Responses 53 7 Maplewood Point" Responses "831 Taughannock Blvd" "No " 4 of 5 3/9/2021, 1:02 PM Microsoft Forms https:Hforms.office.com/Pages/AnalysisPage.aspx?id=Pg91 RxRzDk... Powered by Microsoft Forms (https://forms.office.com) I Privacy and cookies (https:Hgo.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Linkld=521839) I Terms of use (httPs:Hgo.microsoft.com/fwlink/?Iin kid = 866263) 5 of 5 3/9/2021, 1:02 PM 16:18:31 From Paulette Rosa to Rod Howe(Direct Message): right click on any square and drag to put people where you want.... might be that easy now! 16:19:45 From Rod Howe to Paulette Rosa(Direct Message): worked! 16:24:27 From Paulette Rosa to Rod Howe(Direct Message): newsletter is posted to website 16:33:58 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: Generally, lake rentals are rented by the week, not by the day. 16:36:11 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: I think that must be a typo Rich. 16:37:43 From inez vermaas to Everyone: how are you going to control those limited days?.... 16:39:42 From inez vermaas to Everyone: so if I understand it rightly lake house owners outside the town of ithaca are free to do what they like. Isn't that a large discrepancy? 16:42:44 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: Peggy can answer Tea-Ann's question. 16:45:19 From Ata Movassaghi to Everyone: Are we combating noise complaints & enforcing regulations against those who don't follow conduct or the fundamental concept of STRs on the lake? That's where my confusion is since this process started I.E. what are we solving for? Limiting access vs allowing rich owners who never rent ... how does that benefit the town/residents? 16:52:20 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: While I'm gathering more days. We have some who are currently renting 232 days per year. 16:52:29 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: Sorry - data 16:53:22 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: Demand since covid is exploding. In years past we rented 200 days. This past year it was close to 365. Even single days would rent. 16:55:12 From Brent Katzmann to Everyone: Can KeyData distinguish between days that are rented and those that are blocked for personal use? 16:56:30 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: I have everyone sign contracts, so I can show my actual number of days. 16:57:05 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: https://I<eydatadashboard.com/ They can sort the data based on lakefront 16:59:32 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: Key Data also shows advanced bookings 17:08:12 From inez vermaas to Everyone: The amount of days will very likely drop when the borders open up again. 17:16:53 From inez vermaas to Everyone: could you please address the question on how to monitor the limited amount of days in your next meeting? It is all nice to spend hours talking about it but it is no use if you can't effectively control it.... 17:17:34 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: I am happy to hear that owners can obtain both types of permits. 17:17:38 From Brent Katzmann to Everyone: Thank you. 16:18:31 From Paulette Rosa to Rod Howe(Direct Message): right click on any square and drag to put people where you want.... might be that easy now! 16:19:45 From Rod Howe to Paulette Rosa(Direct Message): worked! 16:24:27 From Paulette Rosa to Rod Howe(Direct Message): newsletter is posted to website 16:33:58 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: Generally, lake rentals are rented by the week, not by the day. 16:36:11 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: I think that must be a typo Rich. 16:37:43 From inez vermaas to Everyone: how are you going to control those limited days?.... 16:39:42 From inez vermaas to Everyone: so if I understand it rightly lake house owners outside the town of ithaca are free to do what they like. Isn't that a large discrepancy? 16:42:44 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: Peggy can answer Tea-Ann's question. 16:45:19 From Ata Movassaghi to Everyone: Are we combating noise complaints & enforcing regulations against those who don't follow conduct or the fundamental concept of STRs on the lake? That's where my confusion is since this process started I.E. what are we solving for? Limiting access vs allowing rich owners who never rent ... how does that benefit the town/residents? 16:52:20 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: While I'm gathering more days. We have some who are currently renting 232 days per year. 16:52:29 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: Sorry - data 16:53:22 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: Demand since covid is exploding. In years past we rented 200 days. This past year it was close to 365. Even single days would rent. 16:55:12 From Brent Katzmann to Everyone: Can KeyData distinguish between days that are rented and those that are blocked for personal use? 16:56:30 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: I have everyone sign contracts, so I can show my actual number of days. 16:57:05 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: https://I<eydatadashboard.com/ They can sort the data based on lakefront 16:59:32 From Peggy Coleman to Everyone: Key Data also shows advanced bookings 17:08:12 From inez vermaas to Everyone: The amount of days will very likely drop when the borders open up again. 17:16:53 From inez vermaas to Everyone: could you please address the question on how to monitor the limited amount of days in your next meeting? It is all nice to spend hours talking about it but it is no use if you can't effectively control it.... 17:17:34 From Carolyn Greenwald to Everyone: I am happy to hear that owners can obtain both types of permits. 17:17:38 From Brent Katzmann to Everyone: Thank you. Paulette Rosa From: Paulette Rosa Sent: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 7:12 PM To: Becky Jordan Subject: FW: STRs on the Ithaca Lakefront Becky, Can you save this in STR committees 2021 please From: Ata Movassaghi <atamovassaghi@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, June 1, 2021 1:29 PM To: Bill Goodman <BGoodman @town.ithaca.ny.us>; Paulette Rosa <PRosa @town.ithaca.ny.us> Subject: STRs on the Ithaca Lakefront Hi Bill and Paulette, Hope you had a great holiday weekend. I wanted to reach out following the last Town STR meeting in May and prior to the next one to recap some points in reference to the lakefront - Addressing the original source of the issue - since these conservations reignited, my understanding all along has been that the root of the complaint was folks in Renwick Heights calling out noise violations by STR renters and the collective goal here was to solve for regulating against that - extending to the lakefront. It feels like now we've completely departed to a place out of fatigue where the # of unhosted STR days is the focal point of discussion simply to pass something through that only limits lake access in the end. We should not be comparing the lakefront to other local towns - the reality is people visit Ithaca purely on this basis and otherwise wouldn't if they had to stay in town. That can't be underestimated. Lakefront homes as investment properties - Bill, I believe you had mentioned this as a consideration of separating this distinction altogether which I agree with. Secondary homes are a construct that exist everywhere - most often lake/beachside for family vacation/warm season purposes. To restrict STR rentals with a day limitation simply because "lakefront owners are monetizing their properties" is unethical. We've already proven the diversity of Ithaca's lakefront owners, the locality of ownership, and the benefits it has on the town itself. Secondary revenue exists in many forms and it's not right to discriminate against one form when the very principle of it has been instituted on a national level for decades upon decades. Ithaca is no different in that matter. The Impact on Tourism - I know Peggy touched on this previously as well, however it's being severely understated how much the STR business benefits every type of contractor, cleaning services, property management services, local businesses, wineries, etc. Not to mention, especially with lake homes that tend to be older, owners are incentivized to improve their property and continue to adhere to present day codes when they have the supplemental revenue to do so and the means to offer the best experience for guests. Having very rich owners take over, limit STRs, and effectively squat these homes does not encourage any of this. Lakefront Access - regardless of data tracking systems, at the end of the day, we know from an inventory standpoint that there is much more supply than demand when it comes to the lakefront. My friends who come back here for long weekends and weddings seeking to stay on the lake can't even do so as it is because of owners who don't offer STRs and the limited availability to begin with. Implementing regulations that ultimately provide less inventory for those in or out of town to be on the lake is counter effective to the overall livelihood of the Town. I appreciate taking the time to review and share this with the respective committee members. Regulating against investment properties is not a plausible course of action in the face of limiting access, tourism, home improvement, and ultimately the means for many types of lakefront owners of various economic backgrounds to have the ability to own on the lake. Best, Ata Paulette Rosa From. Richard Ballantyne <richardballantyne@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, January 5, 2022 12:18 PM To: Rich ©ePaolo Cc: Paulette Rosa Subject: Re: Short terra rental law Hi Rich, Thanks for your reply. I "registered" my complaint in 2016 when I spoke at the public hearing, along with other landlords who were there that the board just ignored. I also wrote an article in the paper about your law. .lust because you have been working for years on regulations does not mean you must necessarily pass them. Some people, especially the loud vocal minority here in Ithaca, will never be appeased because they're just miserable. Thus it is a waste of time trying to appease them with laws that restrict everyone. Legislators like you often fail to foresee many consequences of your laws. In my opinion the primary function of government is to protect individual liberty and property rights, protect the environment, provide for national defense, and finally to incentivize its citizens to be as self sufficient and as rugged as possible. The strength of our society is only as strong as the members who comprise it. Currently, local, state, and Federal governments are doing the exact opposite of that -- they strip us of our liberty, tax us to death, create dependency which weakens individuals and our economy, and disincentivizes people from maximizing their production by punishing the most productive and most responsible in order to reward the lazy and the irresponsible. You should never enact any law that cannot be enforced affordably, effectively, and unilaterally without selection. If tenants have issues with health and safety then they can let their lease expire and move out, or even sue their landlord for bodily harm. They can 1 vote with their dollars and their feet. Idly leases were autorenewing every month -to -month and then later to every millisecond so my tenants were essentially free to leave anytime. Thus I as the landlord was incentivized to make sure that they enjoyed their stay, and they were incentivized to not be difficult or they would have to leave. Worked out great. I only had to ever kick out 1 tenant who claimed his vaping wasn't the same as smoking. You should have added an exemption to the law for landlords who have autorenewing leases with durations of 24 hours or less, or who do things like have a pay by the hour system. That way tenants are free to leave anytime they feel the slightest amount of discomfort in their rented space. Cheers, Richard On Wed, Jan 5, 2022 at 11:23 AM Rich DePaolo <RDePaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us> wrote: Dear Mr. Ballantyne, Thank you for sharing your sentiments. Ms. Hunter has retired from the Board and is not copied on this response. It is clear from reading your email that you are not delineating between the City and Town of Ithaca, and that you are confused about which regulations apply in those respective municipalities. I am also unclear as to how one health and safety inspection every three years on a rental property could be seen by a landlord as "onerous." Apparently, your threshold is lower than every other landlord in the Town, including those who have many student rentals, as you are the only one to either register a complaint, or discontinue offering rental property. Regards, Rich > On Jan 5, 2022, at 10:50 AM, Richard Ballantyne <richardballantyne@gmail.com> wrote: > Thank you Mrs Hunter for opposing this. > Rich DePaulo I wish you would resign. > I quit being an Ithaca landlord in 2016 due to the onerous and intrusive residential rental regs the board passed back then. My family's move to quit being landlords after 30 years reduced the supply of Ithaca housing for 10 2 students. Sold one property in Cornell Heights and the other unit I've just kept vacant and am using for storage. I also decided not to buy some of the Lucente duplexes they just sold for fear of having to deal even more onerous landlord regulations that you guys might pass. Your law ultimately lowers the demand for property here and suppresses home values, and thus tax revenues. > I would have left Ithaca years ago due to high property taxes and due to the politics but am trapped here until my daughter graduates from the local social justice warrior factory otherwise known as IHS. > Every new reg you pass just reduces the supply of whatever you're regulating, which drives up costs, lowers competition, and creates barriers to entry. Then when you attempt to rectify the very shortage you created with subsidies, abatements, and other forms of crony capitalism, you must raise taxes to pay for this, which just drives away your tax base. > Please start repealing the existing regulations and stop making new ones to oppress us and to hurt the competitive free market. > I'm confident the board will eventually be forced to repeal both the short and long terra regs, as well as put an end to things like "right to renew" and the new law that forces developers to hire locally 75% of their workers. You will need to repeal in order to attract capital investment as well as new residents once the money runs out, once interest rates rise, asset bubbles pop, and once the Federal government can no longer afford to recklessly back all student loans (regardless of major or ability to repay). Student loans have been keeping Ithaca afloat for decades since they dramatically drive up IC and CU revenues and help the Ithaca economy. > Happy new year. > Richard Ballantyne Paulette Rosa From: Randall Corey <nccorey@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 12:01 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short term rentals To the Short Term Rental committee and Town of Ithaca Board: My name is Randall Corey. I am a local business owner of over 30 years. In 2001 1 bought a house on the lake at 979 Taughannock Blvd. The house was previously a rental property and rented mostly to students. The house was in disrepair and needed a lot of work. I took on the work and put my resources into rehabbing the house as my home. After my son was born in 2004, we decided it would be best for him to have a yard to run around in, so we bought our current home in Enfield. In 2005, we moved and began renting the lake cottage. I put a tremendous amount of work into the house and have been fortunate to have many repeat customers and all 5-star reviews. My neighbors have not brought up any issues with me or my renters and we share a steep driveway and parking area with the adjacent houses without incident. I am not a rich man. I was 39 years old when I bought my first house (the lake cottage). I am now 59 years old and getting closer to retirement. My business has been severely affected by the COVID-19 crisis. I had to shut down my chiropractic office for three months during the pandemic. Since reopening my office in mid -June of 2020, 1 have had to implement various COVID protocols that have resulted in me having to basically do twice as much work to be able to see half as many patients as I was prior to the crisis. Fortunately, the lake cottage rental business was strong and has kept my family financially solvent in this volatile climate. My lake cottage brings tourist dollars to our town. The people who come to stay at my house would not come and stay in a hotel. They have boats and kayaks and fishing gear. They want to experience lake living. They want to hike, and ski, and explore, and spend money in our town. They want to experience the wonderful and varied restaurants that Ithaca has to offer. I regularly give recommendations to local food and experiential businesses that help our local economy thrive. I employ cleaning people, outdoor maintenance workers, utility repairmen, and landscaping companies that add to our local economy. The maintenance on my lake property exceeds the maintenance on my regular home which adds more dollars to our economy. The way my lake cottage is situated, is such that our deck is at a different height than the neighbors on either side. We have privacy landscaping and shades set up so that the neighbors are not affected by my renters. The lakefront area is separated by a small boathouse from our neighbors to the south and by large shrubberies from our neighbors to the north. As I stated previously, we have a very good relationship with our neighbors and the renters are happy with the setup. Many of my renters have local ties and/or are affiliated with the local colleges and University. Often, we will host students and their visiting families or prospective students visiting the schools to help decide if they want to attend school here. am happy to say, that staying on the lake for a few days typically helps sway their decision in our favor. All in all, being able to rent my house throughout the year is crucial to my financial solvency and my ability to keep my local business afloat. This is a time of crisis in our country. The economy is very unstable. Many businesses have failed or will fail due to the drastic changes in our society. I believe that restricting anyone's ability to earn a living is unconscionable at this time. I implore you to exclude lake front properties from your proposed restrictions and to reconsider putting any time constraints on short term rentals in general. People will be forced to sell their homes and close their businesses and move out of New York to survive. It is hard enough to live and work in this state without these proposed restrictions. I ask that you please reconsider your motives and realize the consequences of your proposal. Dr. Randall H. Corey 435 Franklin St Suite 206 Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 phone: 607 257-6217 fax: 607 257-6847 N To: Town of Ithaca Short Term Rental Committee From: Carolyn Greenwald Re: Clarification on Permitting Date April 8, 2021 Dear STR Committee: I write to ask you to discuss, address and clarify the following issue: I recall hearing the committee suggest that an owner could only hold an STR permit or a long term rental permit but not both. I would like to suggest that this limitation is not necessary and is in opposition with the committee's own stated housing goals. Traditionally I have only hosted short term rentals. However, beginning with the pandemic last March, I hosted a series of long term rentals for the months of March, April and May. All short term rentals cancelled because no one was travelling for work or holiday. At the same time, a number of people felt unsafe in large cities and sought refuge elsewhere. In fact, all the guests who stayed with me were part of a family expecting babies and wanted out of NYC. As much as I hope we experience no similar disasters in the future, I would hate to have to turn such families away because of a permitting issue. In addition, it is my understanding that many local landlords have a hard time finding long term tenants to start a lease in May or June. Often these landlords rent short term for May, June and July until the rental market picks up again in August. It seems to me that giving these landlords the opportunity to hold two permits, one for long term and one for short term, is in keeping with this committee's desire to provide the maximum amount of housing availability. I hope you can clarify, address, and discuss this issue at the next STR meeting. Thank you for considering, Carolyn Greenwald Paulette Rosa From: Mia Slotnick <mjslotnick123@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2021 11:49 AM To: Rod Howe; Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; TeeAnn Hunter; Pat Leary; Susan Ritter; Marty Moseley; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; Eric Levine Subject: Lakefront Short Term Rental Survey Dear all, Thank you for sharing the results of the Lakefront STR survey that the Town conducted at the March 8th meeting. Question 11 asked: Have you had problems with guests who have rented your neighbor's Short Term rental? It seemed that the general consensus taken from the results of the survey among the STR committee was that rental properties do not cause a problem for those who do not rent. However, 9 of the 53 people who responded to that question said that they have had problems. That is 17% of respondents, which is a significant number. It must also be recognized that in most MDR neighborhoods like ours, there are neighbors not just next door as they are on the lakefront, but also across the street and behind. STRs have an impact on a much larger number of neighbors in most MDR neighborhoods as compared to lakefront properties. That 17% may also be somewhat skewed since there may have been some encouragement from other lakefront property hosts to complete the survey in a way that will maximize the positives for the hosts. The only way to somewhat mitigate the negative impact STRs have on neighbors is to limit the number of days allowed for both hosted and unhosted rentals. I urge you to recognize that 17% of lakefront residents having a history of problems with their neighbors' STR is indeed a significant number, and that it is likely to be a higher percentage among non -lakefront MDR neighborhoods. I also again request that you consider surveying all Town of Ithaca residents about STRs. This would ensure that all residents were informed about STRs and the pending legislation, and would provide an opportunity for all to express their thoughts and concerns. Sincerely, Mia Slotnick Paulette Rosa From: sally mennen <mennens@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2021 2:46 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Proposed STR regulations To the Short Term Rental Committee and Town of Ithaca Board: I am writing in opposition to regulations for short term rentals in the town of Ithaca --in particular for lakefront properties. Since my husband and I are lakefront owners who were not really aware of the town's initiative to establish regulations for STR's until recently when lakefront properties were included in the proposed restrictions, I would be interested in knowing more of the history of why STR regulations were deemed necessary --that is, what is the data upon which the need for STR restrictions is based? How many STR's are there in the town? What events have occurred, and how often, that make it necessary to have restrictions? Are there actually documented abuses or nuisances caused by STR's? How many? If so, is there a higher percentage of abuses or nuisances in STR houses than are occurring in owner occupied or long term rental properties? As for our situation, we bought a derelict property on the lake 15 years ago --it was overrun with weeds, overgrown with brush, full of crumbling retaining walls including the lake wall; the house had 10" of water in the basement and parts of the house were falling down. It was a complete mess. We have worked on the property for 15 years and are still working. Before the financial crisis we had put much of our retirement savings into restoring the old lakehouse (which may be the oldest on the west shore in the town) and adding to it. After the crisis we were very lucky that short term rentals made it possible for us to afford to keep living here. It was actually a godsend for us. As owners and residents, we aren't aware of any complaints or problems with STR's on the west shore. A lakefront neighbor --Who does not do STR's-- put it well: "the proposed STR restrictions seem to be a solution in search of a problem." Just a word about the beginnings of STR'S, in particular airbnb types of STR's: to my knowledge STR's were part of the "sharing" economy where an exchange of space to stay at a reasonable price helped both the sharer and the sharee. I think it's still safe to say that many people of modest means, like people on fixed income or gig workers or small business entrepreneurs, are able to make ends meet by having the ability to share their space. This goes as well for unhosted STR's. Having the flexibility to rent their empty house while they take work elsewhere (artists, gig workers, for example), helps people afford to live, have healthcare, pay property tax etc. I know of many examples of low or lower income folks who make ends meet this way; I do not know of any corporations making a killing through these types of rentals except maybe in big tourist hubs such as NYC. If there is evidence of this happening in Ithaca, I would like to see the evidence. Additionally, restricting limits on corporate ownership and other more targeted ways to address problems that have been identified by actual data, rather than making sweeping rules that burden mostly struggling middle and lower middle class folks, is the way to address this situation. Thanks for your concern and attention! Sally Mennen 'Law Offices of Carolyn GreenNAd, PLLC 215 E. State Street Ithaca, NY 14850 -607.227.6122 Susan Brook Town of Ithaca Attorney a 306 E. State Street, Ithaca, NY 14850 November 1, 2021 Re: Short -Term Rental ("STR') Regulations Grandfather Rights Dear Susan, At the public comment period of the next meeting on STR regulations I intend to discuss legal issues related to the grandfather rights of existing STR properties on the lake, as discussed in detail below. As a courtesy and with the goal of efficiency I am sharing my legal research with you in advance so you can be prepared to advise your client who presumably will request your advice. As you may know, "[a] use of property that is no longer authorized due to rezoning, but lawfully existed prior to the enactment of the existing zoning ordinance, is a nonconforming use." Matter of Toys R Us v. Silva, 89 N.Y.2d 411, 417 [1996]; see also Salkin, NY Zoning Law and Practice §§ 10.02, 10.08, 10.09 [4`' ed]. Unequivocally, "[i]t is the law of this State that nonconforming uses or structures, in existence when a zoning ordinance is enacted, are, as a general rule, constitutionally protected and ,will be permitted to continue notwithstanding the contrary provisions of the [zoning] ordinance." Costa v. Callahan, 2007 NY Slip Op 5607 (3rd Dept. 2007) citing Matter of Rudolf Steiner Fellowship Found v. De Luccia 90 N.Y.2d 453, 463 [1997] dissent quoting People v. Miller, 304 N.Y. 105,107 [1952] (emphasis added). Similarly, the Town of Ithaca Code states: 1 Where, at the effective date of adoption or amendment of this chapter, a lawful use of land exists that is made no longer permissible under. the terms of this chapter as enacted or amended, such use may be continued, so long as it remains otherwise lawful. Town of Ithaca, Code § 270-203. As of today, a short-term rental of a one family dwelling is a permitted use in the Town of Ithaca as confirmed by numerous statements made by Town Board members during meetings. For example, on October 18, 2021, Town Board Member Bill Goodman stated, "currently, we don't regulate short term rentals at all, people who want to be doing short term rentals are doing it now because we've taken the position that we don't have any restrictions on it. Additionally, the legality of short-term rentals was confirmed by the Town in 2018. In 2018, the Town adopted a requirement that certain residential rental units obtain operating permits. The Iaw states that operating permits are required for "all residential rental dwelling units except (A) Residential dwelling units that are rented for terms of less than 30 consecutive days." This law confirms that (i) rental of residential dwelling units for less than 30 days was a permitted use and (ii) such use did not require registration or obtaining, of a permit. Since currently short term rentals to a single family (plus boarder) are a permitted use, new zoning laws cannot bar previous users from continuing the practice. The applicability of this rule to short-term rental regulations was confirmed by the Third Department in Spilka v. Town of Inlet, 8 A.D.3d 812 (3`' Dept. 2004). Spilka directly addressed the question of whether a municipality could restrict a property owner from engaging in short term rental through the enactment of a new short-term rental law when, prior to the new law, short term rentals were a permitted use that the property owner regularly engaged in. According to the Third Department, the answer is "no". In Spilka, the plaintiff owned a one -family dwelling since 2001, which he rented on a short- term basis for approximately three months per year. In 2002, the Town of Inlet amended the zoning OA ordinance to require special use permits for rental of periods of less than four months. Plaintiff commenced a declaratory judgment action seeking judgment that the short-term rental of his property should be allowed as a prior nonconforming use. In making its determination, the Third Department stated that "zoning codes must be strictly construed against the enacting municipality and any ambiguities must be resolved in favor of the property owner." 8 A.D.3d at 813 citing Matter of S osato v. Zoning Bd of A1312eals of Vil of Pelham, 287 A.D.2d 639, 639 (2nd Dept. 2001). Prior to the new law, the zoning code had no "restrictions on time periods for rentals." Accordingly, the plaintiff was entitled to a declaration that rental of his one -family dwelling for any time period was permitted under the original ordinance. The Third Department said that the Supreme Court must determine the factual issue regarding whether the plaintiff established a nonconforming use. Spilka, at 814. Where property owners can establish a long history of short-term rental of their property to single families for any time period in a calendar year, new zoning regulations cannot impose a time period restriction. SRilka• 8 A.D.3d at 814. As for myself, I can prove both a long history of short term -rentals of my lakefront property and that I rented short-term to single families (in compliance with all current zoning laws). In addition, at all times I paid the county room tax. Again, it is my intention to raise this issue at the next public comment session to make sure the Board appreciates this substantial limitation on any proposed change that prohibits rentals for any time period (in contrast to, say, a noise ordinance). I will also ask that the Board explicitly acknowledge that lakefront properties meeting this criteria are allowed to continue renting short- term for up to 365 days per year. I know there is serious disagreement among board members regarding the appropriateness of limiting the number of days lakefront homeowners can rent their properties short term. It is my 3 hope that you will advise Town Board members not to place limitations the number of days lakefront properties can rent, regardless of grandfathering, to simplify the new regulations for all. Town Board members have also made numerous statements acknowledging that the proposed limitation days are "arbitrary," which will ultimately make any limitation difficult to justify.t I am happy to discuss my interpretation of the law with you any time. Thank'you for your consideration. Carolyn Greenwald, Esq. Law Offices of Carolyn Greenwald, PLLC Owner, 884 Taughannock Blvd since 2001 cc: Town of Ithaca Board Members I e.g., on June 14, 2021, Town Board member Rich DePaolo stated that any decision between seven and months and five moths is "sort of arbitrary" and since he is "at the end of my rope" that "it's time for us to just plug in a number and go." Similarly, at that same meeting Town Board member Tee -Ann Hunter said "throw the numbers in and go for it, just throw in a number, you know, whatever numbers, if you want, just throw them in there and let's be done with it." 4 Paulette Rosa From: Sent: To: Subject: To whom it may concern, Daniel P. Kraak <dpk3@cornell.edu> Monday, November 8, 2021 10:06 AM Paulette Rosa Letter re: Short Term Rental decision We appreciate and applaud the effort to control nuisance activity in STR neighborhoods. However, we do not think limiting the number of days available for owners to realize rental income will effect that goal. It seems to be at best a "shotgun" reaction rather than a tailor made solution. It does not provide a full and effective remedy to the situation. It would, at best, only limit the number of days of nuisance, in that, regardless of the number of days allowed, nuisances could still occur. f We would like to suggest penalizing nuisance activity directly, perhaps with significant fines, as a targeted control method. Responsible owners would not be affected in the least, while offenders would. In contrast, the proposed limited number of days would affect everyone without discrimination. Please consider this while deciding on the possibility of limiting the number of days available for STIR activity to resolve the nuisance issue. We own property (891 Taughannock Blvd.) which we finance through our STR income. Thankfully that income is able to help us meet our mortgage and expense demands. Without it we would not be able to afford the property which we purchased to also enjoy with our family, creating our own lasting memories. Again, thank you for your efforts to keep our beautiful Ithaca a wonderful place to live and visit. Respectfully, Dan .Kraak and Wendy Kenigsberg 607.319.4329 @ 42 Maplewood Rd Ithaca NY 14850 Owners of: 891 Taughannock Blvd. Paulette Rosa From: sally mennen <mennens@gma!Lcom> Sent: Sunday, November 7, 2021 10:27 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: STR Restrictions on Lakefront I am writing in opposition to restrictive regulations on lakefront rentals. We bought a derelict property on the lake 17 years ago --it was overrun with weeds and brush, full of crumbling retaining walls including the lake wall; the house had 10" of water in the basement and parts of the house were falling down. The entire 1.4 acre property was a complete mess. We have worked on the property for 16 years and are still working. Before the financial crisis we had put much of our retirement savings into restoring the old lakehouse (which may be the town's oldest on the west shore --we love vintage spaces) and adding to it. Since we are retired and on a fixed income and had depleted alot of our retirement savings on the property, after the financial crisis we were just very fortunate that short term rentals made it possible for us to afford to keep living here. We rent the larger house and a small ADU which we built because we have a large extended family. Although we rent the larger house as little as possible and try to reserve for family whenever we can, we have found it very gratifying to enable other family groups to find a space large enough on the lake that they can have family occasions in a beautiful setting enjoying one of Ithaca's most treasured attractions. The small ADU is also popular with college parents and small families who want to be near Ithaca but on the lake. We employ many local helpers in our mission to keep the property beautiful. We check with neighbors to make sure that noone is having a problem with renters. AND we vet vet vet our guests to be sure that they will be good neighbors while they are here. We have never had a complaint. The beauty of short term renters is that if a troublesome renter were to slip through the vetting process, they would only be a problem for a short time --much better than a troublesome long term renter! Anyone who says that lakefront properties don't cost any more to maintain than other properties is simply not aware of all the expenses that living on the lake requires. We have spent tens of thousands of dollars on maintaining our seawall, our mature trees, especially the hemlocks, on docks, boathouse, beach. Granted, some of the expense is due to the steep hillside into the lake which could occur on a non -lakefront property, but the two together --the lake and the steep hill --are, as the sign says, "moneysucks." The present flooding is another example of the additional cost of being on the lake. There are many reasons why lakefront rentals should be allowed to continue as they are. As one lakefront neighbor who doesn't do STR said: the effort to regulate/restrict lake rentals seems to be a "solution in search of a problem." Short term rentals to students who party in a neighborhood that is a small cul-de-sac with only a few neighbors is indeed a troublesome issue for those neighbors and should be addressed-- but I am not aware of any such issues on my stretch of lakefront. Lakefront is a completely different type of neighborhood and no such disturbances have been a problem here to my knowledge. Thank you. 1067 Taughannock Blvd Ithaca, New York Town Clerk Paulette Rosa Attn: Town Board Re: Proposed Short -Term Rental Regulations 215 North Troga Street Ithaca, New York November 4, 2021 Dear Board Members, My name is John Butler. My wife, Nathalie Louge, and I presently reside at 1067 Taughannock Boulevard while on family leave from the foreign service following the birth of our first child. We share ownership of the home with another foresign service couple, Joshua and Sabina deLara, who are presently posted in Moscow. Our families have deep connections to Ithaca, which is why we decided to purchase our home -away -from -post here. Generally, we are opposed to restrictions on short-term rentals in the lake front zone because it would greatly impact our ability to afford our home and to maintain it. It would also mean that our home would sit empty for many months most years. l have attached two letters we wrote to the STR committee over the past year, which discuss our situation and views in detail. But, in summary: • Short-term rental has been a common practice on the lake in the Town of Ithaca for more than a hundred years. New platforms like Airbnb and VRBO have only made it more convenient and safer for hosts and guests. • Many residents on the lake only use their homes part of the year and rent the homes the rest of the time. This helps cover the high costs of owning a home on the lake (property taxes, sea walls, docks, etc.) Restricting short-term rentals will mean that homes on the lake will generally be empty for long periods and that only those who can afford to leave their home empty will have homes on the lake, or that the homes will be maintained to a lower standard as folks struggle to afford them. • Long-term leases are not practical for many homes on the lake because they are only designed to be three season homes and because it is difficult to access them in snowy or icy conditions. Long-term leases are also less flexible, which means owners can't spend time at their home. • Our neighbors are supportive of the practice, and many of our guests are neighbors' family members. For example, our next door neighbor rented our home for more than a month this year in several one or two week increments, and she has already asked us to set aside three weeks next summer. • We purchased our home with the expectation that we would be able to rent it short-term to help us bear the costs of ownership and with the expectation that our neighbors would also rent their homes. The purchase price of our home and others on the lake reflect their value as short-term rental properties. Thank you for your thoughtful consideration of our views expressed in this letter and the two attached letters to the STIR committee. Sincerely, John Butler Enclosures. January 4, 2021 Letter to STIR Committee August 9, 2021 Letter to STIR Committee November 4", 2021 RE: Short Term Rentals on the Lakefront To the Ithaca Town Board members: I am an owner of a multiunit lakefront home that is my primary residence. I rely on our Airbnb rental income to afford the home and specifically planned on renting when I purchased the home. For me personally l rent hosted and have multiple areas in my home - I object to a host only being granted 1 permit, section C. and section E. (2) (b). This clause is harmful to me and other hosted property owners, since many circumstances are so unique to each property. A homeowner may wish to rent a unit in their, multiunit home as well as host in their personal unit. This is what I do and I know other hosts who do so as well. This does not mean there are 4 bedrooms being rented just because that is possible. The unique configuration of each home could easily lend itself to hosted in different areas of the home— it is so variable. My home is 4000 sq ft'and it is just the 2 of us living here — Airbnb is a great use of our extra space. r I have over 500, 5 star reviews! This is a great track record, and it shows the guests are happy and I host a quality product that is in need. Our home brings many people to the area to fulfill the Tompkins CO visitor boards expectations — spend money locally, eat, dine, hike and shop. I provide an excellent product that is in extremely high demand. This also allows me to keep my home and property in good condition. If I am limited in my ability to host than I will very likely have to sell the home as the cost to maintain/pay for would be too great. The buyer would likely be a wealthy out of towner who would only be in residence part of the year. Now does this help the community or fulfill our shared goals? As of now we live in our home, and support the local economy, this should be seen is a win -win for all. I know many of us lake owners are frazzled at the thought of being forced to sell our homes and saddened by this ongoing fight with our town leadership and find ourselves asking -- is this really the outcome the town residents were hoping for? I support my neighbors in renting unhosted as well, this is a time honored tradition in Ithaca. Many local owners have expressed to the STR committee during these last 2 years that rental limits on the lake jeopardize their ability to continue to own their properties. As local lake owners we rely on rental income to support the property. Lake property is much more expensive to maintain than an average home. As. a Realtor I know that forcing local owners to sell paves the way for out of town ownership. With most lake homes selling over $500,000 this price range is no longer doable for many local people. Why do you want to open up lake sales to the very wealthy, most likely non local, buyers and force out local people who, have worked hard to afford their lake homes? By penalizing those that need to rent you reward those that can afford these homes out right — it's that simple. Additionally, there is demonstrably more demand than there is supply for lakefront rentals, demand for lake rentals among local residents is very high - Here is a facebook post of a local friend, she rents a home on the lake each year for 2 weeks without fail, she writes: "So appreciative to be able to wake up on this fabulous lake and so grateful that Airbnb gives people who can't afford to own property here the opportunity to enjoy its beauty in .this way never the less!". Having a capon rental nights drives up the price of lakefront rentals —she is wondering if she will even be able to afford the rental next year. I strongly urge the board to pass regulations that allow flexibility in the use of property — being able to host in a separate unit or ADU as well as in personal space and no cap on unhosted nightly rentals. Thanks so much, 1es -----Original Message ----- From: Benjamin Weiner <benerikweiner@smail.com> Sent: Thursday, November 4, 2021 10:02 AM To: Paulette Rosa <PRosa @town.ithaca.nv.us> Subject: Lakefront rental restrictions To Whom It May Concern, I am writing as a property owner on the west shore of Cayuga Lake in the Town of Ithaca. I vehemently do not support any restrictive legislation on the number of rental days per year. In my 26 years of ownership and rentals I have not had a complaint from my neighbors, and it is the only way in which I have been able to pay my excessive taxes and mortgage. This has also contributed to the local tourist economy in many ways. I am happy to pay for a registration permit that will oversee safety, but this seeming need to restrict rentals of my personal property is unwarranted, and I do not see why the Town feels any need to get involved. Sincerely, Ben Weiner 847 Taughannock Blvd Paulette Rosa From: robrosen78@gmail.com Sent: Monday, November 15, 2021 5:04 PM To: Paulette Rosa; Rod Howe; Bill Goodman; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; TeeAnn Hunter; Pat Leary; Eric Levine Cc: 'Margaret Johnson' Subject: Unintended effects of the proposed STRO To the Ithaca Town Board: Please consider these issues with the proposed STRO. As proposed, it will allow large groups of students to take over houses in residential areas. We have seen people buy houses near IC or Cornell for students, with large groups illegally occupying residential dwellings and destroying the peace and quiet of residential blocks. Enforcement was ineffective until the current Rental Housing Law was passed, which seems to have put a stop to it. There is a strong demand for student housing, and parents buy houses in Ithaca for their students to live in as a smart financial move. According to the proposed STRO, a student could buy a house in Ithaca and do hosted short-term rentals to 2 students in each bedroom — 8 or 10 people per house — when the occupancy limit under the zoning law is three unrelated people. Experience has shown that even a group of 5, with their cars and friends, destroys the enjoyment of other residents in a residentially zoned neighborhood. Hosted rentals should be limited to a maximum of 90 days per year. That would provide enough income for homeowners who want to offset their housing expenses and would make student rentals unfeasible. This doesn't seem to apply to the Lakefront zone which has a tradition of large group rentals, but it should apply to other residential zones • The argument that an unlimited number of days per year of STRs are needed for homeowners to offset the cost of housing in Ithaca is not supported. The typical room in Ithaca on Airbnb might rent for $150 per night during normal times and $500 per night on a big college weekend. A house that rents one room for $150 per day for 120 days makes $13,500 per year, and if it rents 2 rooms for 120 days it makes $27,000 per year. A house can make $10,000 per year just by renting on 4 big college weekends. • There should not be a provision that allows someone to do STIR in a house that they own on an adjoining lot — the purpose of the STRO should be to allow owners who want to host as a hobby or make some extra income, not to operate a rooming house for transients in a residential neighborhood. This might not to apply to the Lakefront zone which has a tradition of short-term group rentals, but it should apply to other residential zones. Short term rentals displace people from available housing. Town policy should prioritize rental housing for people who live in the community, and not short-term rentals to transient visitors who could stay in a hotel. This might not apply to the Lakefront zone which is a seasonal resort area, but it should apply to other residential zones. There has been a long-standing effort enforce the limit of three unrelated people per dwelling unit, because of the well -documented bad effects that larger groups of unrelated tenants can have on the neighbors, and because of the money that landlords can make by increasing the number of people in a dwelling unit. It does not make sense that long-term tenants can only have three unrelated people in their house, but that short term - rentals can have 8 or 10 unrelated people. If so many people are going to be allowed, then it should only be for a few big college weekends per year, which is about 15 days per year. This doesn't seem to apply to the Lakefront zone which has a tradition of large group rentals, but it should apply to other residential zones. Thank you again for your further consideration, Rob Rosen Paulette Rosa From: JES SEAVER <jesseaver@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 10:33 AM To: Bill Goodman; Paulette Rosa Subject: STR Lakefront Group letter and comments for today's meeting Attachments: Lakefront Rental Restrictions Opposition Group Letter.pdf Hello Bill and Paulette! Happy Monday! In preparation for today's meeting with the STIR Committee I am re -submitting a Group Letter from the lakefront owners. There are now 39 signatures from supporters of having no limitations on lake front rentals. I hope these views can be taken into consideration. Attached here. In addition I'd like to add these comments myself and have it passed on to the committee - Regarding rental night limits - There are many lake owners who would suggest that 180 nights would work as a limit but that is because they fear that if they recommend no limits that they will be rebuked by the committee. Imposing limits doesn't accomplish the aim of the STIR Committee as there is an unintended consequence. If the purpose of limits is to protect the peace and quiet any non -renting neighbors, limits do not accomplish that aim. For example, if a lakefront homeowner was only allowed a limited nightly rental allowance then the incentive would be to pack it full all summer at the highest rate possible to balance expenses, thus, the owners themselves would have to limit their time at the property or come in the off season. Alternatively, if they could rent all year there certainly would be an incentive to rent during the "off season" at a lower rate but more frequently so that they themselves could use the property more in the summers. The suggestion by the committee has been that owners are quieter and more respectful of their neighbors and that renters are less so. The summer is the time when the most potential noise could occur since activity would likely be outside. A typical off season renter is one who stays indoors to enjoy the view while also visiting the wine trail, does some hiking and then goes to dinner. Typical summer renters would likely be there to enjoy the lakefront, thus making more noise and generally being outside. If the idea is that owner occupants are less disruptive to their neighbors than incentivizing them to use their homes during summer is the best bet. There are plenty of off season renters as hosts will attest. Lake owners agree on this. In addition empty homes for any length of time pose other risks on the lake that wouldn't occur in more dense residential zones. Leaving a home empty increases the risk of vandalism, theft, or unnoticed flooding, pipe burst or other property damage. And it certainly is not the highest and best use for these properties to sit empty through the winter months when they could so easily be enjoyed. It is a waste of an asset and of tourism dollars. Thanks so much for your time! Jes Jes Seaver Associate Real Estate Broker cell: 607.351.8737 office: 607.330.5261 email: jes(a�warrenhomes.com Warren Real Estate of Ithaca 830 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 www.warrenhomes.com December 5, 2021 1024 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 607-280-6100 email: ctdunham5@gmail.com Dear Town of Ithaca Board, We are writing you regarding the proposed Short Term Rental legislation in advance of your December 13, 2021 Board meeting vote. We are strongly opposed to the Short Term Rental (STR) legislation as proposed for the following reasons. We urge you to vote down the proposed Short Term Rental legislation which we view as overreaching and unfair to retirees and homeowners not privileged to be located on the lake. Discrimination against Retirees — as written, unless the owner currently utilizes the property as their principal residence, one's property is not eligible for STR under section D3. We are both long term Ithaca residents who retired in 2014- since then we travel and spend winters in Florida (now Florida residents). Our 1024 Hanshaw Road house has been rented on Airbnb when we are not in Ithaca for nearly seven years. Short term Airbnb rentals work best for us because it enables us to return to our Ithaca home during the fall, winter and spring for holidays and other family events. We have never had a complaint from neighbors. We do not believe that it was your Board's intention to cut off an income stream for retirees from Ithaca but that is one of the consequences from the proposed Short Term Rental legislation. Capped Day Discrepancy Between Lake and Non -Lake Houses — We made a decision to buy the home in the Northeast when we sold our home in Belle Sherman which we had owned since 1995 in order to be close to Megan's parents (Mike and Jan Shay, 80 and 79 respectively) when they move to Kendal, even though we intended to become Florida residents. We typically rent for 80-100 days per year at all seasons. Even a limit of 29 days would represent a hardship impact on our finances and prohibiting any rentals is a huge impact! We bought the house with the plan that our part time presence on site would be financially viable through short term rentals, just as many lake property owners do. We are providing advance notice to the Town of Ithaca Board that the proposed regulation is fundamentally unfair and constitutes deprivation of equal protection to give lake owners 245 unhosted days while non -take owners get 29 days- as well as prohibiting rentals by retirees for whom the home is no longer their principal residence. In addition, it is unfair that Lake owners are not subject to the proposed short term rental provisions that: prohibit parking on the street, require that short term rentals be a principal residence, and limit rentals to a maximum of two bedrooms. Given the political party affiliations of the Board, we are shocked that the Board would propose legislation that so clearly favors owners privileged to own property on the lake and would deprive income from retirees like us as well as other people with lower value homes within the Town of Ithaca. Owner on site for Hosted Rentals — We have an Accessory Dwelling Unit on our property with a long-term rental tenant who watches our property when we are not there. We believe that OWNER OR OWNER'S REPRESENTATIVE ON SITE is an appropriate safeguard to qualify as hosted. 4. Capped Occupancy -As long as a house meets code to support its occupancy, we consider it over -reaching for legislation to specify how many occupants may be in the house. It should be the owner's prerogative to determine the number of guests on site. If this is based on an assumption that more that four guests will be noisy, that is highly discriminatory. The majority of our guests are parents of Cornell students who want to give their child a weekend of home- like time with family, adult couples meeting to tour the Finger Lakes or young families attending Cornell summer camps. They seek out our house, which comfortably hosts 8 people in beds because of its capacity. 5. Cost and burden of Enforcement —given that there are two ordinances already in place to address the primary nuisance complaints against STRs, NOISE and PARKING, that are not routinely enforced, we believe that passing this legislation is irresponsible and redundant. It is very clear that the already over -burdened staff of the Town who struggle to get other permits, board minutes and responses to questions about water bills addressed in a timely manner, will not be able to police the requirements created by this legislation. It is also clear that the additional administrative burden would be significant- probably requiring the hiring of several additional compliance inspectors to complete the required inspections, additional administrative people to keep track of every individual rental since that is mandated for reporting, legal defense costs for challenges to an unfair regulation and financial analyst costs to analyze the past investment clause (which allows an exception period for owners who can document lack of return on investment done for short term rentals). At the December 13 public hearing, we ask you to be prepared to share your plan to staff and administer this proposed regulation and specifically how much this legislation will increase taxes for Town of Ithaca properties. Our understanding is that there are three key issues that the Board is trying to address with this effort: 1) Safety, 2) Noise and Nuisance and 3) Housing stock availability. However, we believe that the current legislation is not an effective solution and that it will cause unnecessary hardships. We fully support a requirement for domiciles used for STRs to undergo an inspection at some reasonable interval (every 5 - 10 years) with a corresponding permitting process to ensure safety. Noise and nuisance ordinances already exist so why not enforce them rather than adding more burdensome regulations which will be more costly to enforce than existing laws? In our case, the proposed legislation would require us to leave our Ithaca home unrented when we are gone- which reduces Ithaca housing availability rather than helping it. If the key issue is stopping the purchase of housing for the sole purpose of Short Term Rentals, then we suggest a much simpler, narrower and less costly to administer regulation to address that. We are confident that it was not intention of the Town of Ithaca Board to penalize retirees and lower property value owners with this legislation. However, we believe that is the net result of this complicated, costly and unfair proposed regulation. We urge you to vote it down. Thank you, t i . r1, Craig Dunham (Cornell'78 and long-term area resident) t Megan Shay (Ithaca native, Wells '83) `-' ' Craig Dunham 1024 Hanshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 iiiCERTIFIED MAIL i�iii 00055r977CWO'I Town of Ithaca Board c/o Town Cleark 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, NY 14850 See Important Information Enclosed RECEIVED DEC 10 2021 TOWN OF ITHACA ` TOtLE CLERK 91 1 /30/21 Letter to Town of Ithaca Board regarding short term 1roperty rentals Town of Ithaca Board members: I am writing as a concerned property owner in the Town Of Ithaca, regarding proposals being considered that would limit my ability and the ability of all home -owners in the town to rent our homes to short term renters. suspect that the push to limit short term rentals is in large part based on assumptions that short term tenants are loud and unruly, and limiting such rentals will help to quiet the neighbourhoods these homes are in. But this argument fails for several reasons. First, there are already ordinances on the books to limit noise. If a short term renter is too noisy or unruly they should be handled in the same way a property owner who is being loud or unruly could be. Limiting a homeowner's ability to rent their home is a poor surrogate. Second, the vast majority of short term renters these days are doing it through platforms such as AirBnB or VRBO, which allow homeowners to screen their guests and rate their guests, most of whom do not want to get terrible reviews about them that will subsequently limit their ability to rent other homes all over the world. Third, long term renters who are difficult to live next to for a variety of reasons (and who hasn't had such neighbours in their lives??) create much more problematic and difficult to address problems. We'd all rather have a bad neighbour for 2 or 3 days than one for a year or more that is nearly impossible to evict! In our specific case as an example, we own a home in the lakefront residential district and have rented our home to short term renters many times in the past 5 years. We have done this as a bridge while working on upgrading the property with the plan of moving into the home ourselves in the next couple of years. Being able to rent the home this way has afforded us the ability to do so. In the end it will end up increasing our property value and thereby increasing our tax burden which will only serve the town's best long term interests. The vast majority of our guests have been families who come to enjoy Ithaca and explore the area. We screen our guests. We contractually limit the number of people allowed on the property. We restrict people's abilities to have parties (which of course is very different from our own actions, where we have repeatedly had large groups of friends over for outdoor summer dinners, lake play and bonfires late into the night and make more noise than the vast majority of our guests. We live about 20 minutes away from the home we rent out and always show up to meet our guests, go by the home during their stay to make sure there's nothing problematic going on. And our neighbours have our phone numbers so they can contact us if there are any problems. Our home has been frequently rented out to people who have never before been to the area, and they leave with a love for Ithaca. They have repeatedly come here after seeing our ad and not because they planned to visit Ithaca specifically. While here they eat at local restaurants, spend money at state parks and do their share to help the local economy. Limits on personal liberties such as limiting the number of nights a homeowner can rent out their home should only be considered as an act of last resort to address matters of significant severity. That is not the case here. Please don't let the few bad stories remove the rights of the many good homeowners. Howard Silcoff. Paulette Rosa From: Mia Slotnick <mjslotnickl23@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, June 14, 2021 8:11 AM To: Rod Howe; Bill Goodman; Paulette Rosa; Patricia Leary; TeeAnn Hunter; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; Eric Levine; Marty Moseley; Susan Ritter; Brock@clarityconnect.com Subject: Ithaca Board of Realtors Attachments: town -of -ithaca-str-call-for-action-09.pdf Dear all, I just wanted to make sure you are all aware that the Ithaca Board of Realtors has been running full page ads in the Ithaca Journal instructing Town residents to "Tell their Town of Ithaca Board members NO!" to limiting the number of days allowed for short term rentals. NO LIMIT ON DAYS FOF SHORT-TERM RENTALS Proposed legislation limits how many da homeowners may rent their homes for short-term rentals (Airbnb, Vrbo, etr.J IF enatlgp, this legislation will Hedge housing affordability Infringe on property rights Discourage tourism ob 1riTell your Town of Ithaca Board members "No Want to learn more? http._•lldit.y lBl RSTIZ or scan cod or contact the Ithrca Board of Realtor3 ibrOithacarealtors.com I (607i 257-1. 1 Their demand is justified with erroneous information. The QR code leads to a document with more erroneous information. (see attached PDF below). It includes the statement: Short-term Rentals Support Home Purchases! This statement is the reason that the Ithaca Board of Realtors are pushing so hard to have no limit on the number of days allowed for STRs. They can claim any home is a potential income property, which leads to more houses selling for more money. Here is a recent ad from the Ithaca Board of Realtors real estate section of the Ithaca Journal describing a property as both an amazing family home or "a highly profitable vacation rental". M LS 404167 $4441000 Or a highly profitable vacation rental, your choice. Amazing views of Cayuga lake basin incl winter lake view. The attention to detail is unmatched. In tie heart of wine country & adj to the famous Black Diamond Trail. A 6 year history of returns as a vacation rental. Bookings for this year are on a record pace, currently through Labor Day. This could be a turnkey opportunity for the savvy investor. Not an investor? As a homeowner you will feel like a Pampered guest living here, come & discover the good vibrations that abound. H570604 Linda Woodard, the Cayuga Heights mayor, made it clear to the Ithaca Board of Realtors that the Village would not tolerate homes in Cayuga Heights being sold on the basis of them being used as STR income businesses. Maintaining the residential character of the Village is the top priority. Please consider following Cayuga Heights' lead in reining in the Ithaca Board of Realtors' push to upsell properties based on their income potential from STRs. Maintaining the residential character of all Town neighborhoods should be the priority. Thank you, Mia Slotnick Paulette Rosa From: Mia Slotnick <mjslotnick123@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2021 11:49 AM To: Rod Howe; Paulette Rosa; Bill Goodman; TeeAnn Hunter, Pat Leary; Susan Ritter, Marty Moseley; Rich DePaolo; Pam Bleiwas; Eric Levine Subject: Lakefront Short Term Rental Survey Dear all, Thank you for sharing the results of the Lakefront STR survey that the Town conducted at the March 8th meeting. Question 11 asked: Have you had problems with guests who have rented your neighbor's Short Term rental? It seemed that the general consensus taken from the results of the survey among the STR committee was that rental properties do not cause a problem for those who do not rent. However, 9 of the 53 people who responded to that question said that they have had problems. That is 17% of respondents, which is a significant number. It must also be recognized that in most MDR neighborhoods like ours, there are neighbors not just next door as they are on the lakefront, but also across the street and behind. STRs have an impact on a much larger number of neighbors in most MDR neighborhoods as compared to lakefront properties. That 17% may also be somewhat skewed since there may have been some encouragement from other lakefront property hosts to complete the survey in a way that will maximize the positives for the hosts. The only way to somewhat mitigate the negative impact STRs have on neighbors is to limit the number of days allowed for both hosted and unhosted rentals. I urge you to recognize that 17% of lakefront residents having a history of problems with their neighbors' STR is indeed a significant number, and that it is likely to be a higher percentage among non -lakefront MDR neighborhoods. I also again request that you consider surveying all Town of Ithaca residents about STRs. This would ensure that all residents were informed about STRs and the pending legislation, and would provide an opportunity for all to express their thoughts and concerns Sincerely, Mia Slotnick AL son TOM P K 1 N S f� CHAMBER March 8, 2021 Bill Goodman, Deputy Town Supervisor Town of Ithaca 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 F&-HACA RE: Town of Ithaca Short Term Rental Committee - Tompkins County Tourism Economy Dear Bill, We are writing today to urge the Short-term Rental Committee to share the importance of lake rentals to the economic vitality of Tompkins County. Visit Ithaca, the destination management organization for Tompkins County, actively promotes all vacation rentals who are registered with Tompkins County. We value the lake rentals immensely, as this is the only option for visitors who wish to have a lake experience in Tompkins County. A visitor who wishes to stay on the lake wants to stay on the lake. The visitor wants the experience that comes with a lake rental, which is very different from a stay in town. In 2020, there were not enough lake homes to fill the demand. Visitors were looking for a safer way to escape with their family pods and lake rentals were the first places they booked. We feel strongly that short term rentals in the lakefront zone should be treated differently from short term rentals in the other zones. We firmly believe that hosted rentals should have no limit in any zone. We also believe that the demonstrated value to the tourism economy indicates that there should be no limits to any rentals in the lakefront zone, hosted or non -hosted. A 90-day limit or even 180-day limit still limits the economic return, not just to the host/property owner, but to the entire community through visitor spending at area restaurants, at grocery stores, at gas stations, wineries, breweries, etc. We also feel strongly that all health and safety insurances should be included in the permitting process by the Town of Ithaca. We urge that all short-term rentals should be registered with Tompkins County, and should collect and submit all applicable sales and occupancy taxes. Thank you for your consideration of the impact on the tourism economy. Sincerely, Jennifer Tavares, CEcD President & CEO 904 East Shore Drive I Ithaca, NY 14850 607-273-7080 1 itavares@tomokinschamber.orrz Peggy Coleman VP Tourism/CVB Director www. t orn pki n s cha m b e r.o rE www,visitithaca.com Paulette Rosa From: Barb Bassette <barb.bassette@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 5, 2021 11:07 AM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Regulating Cayuga Lake rentals I've lived on the west side of Cayuga lake since '83. it's been a wonderful neighborhood with only a very, very few hiccups, and they came not from short term rentals of airbnb but from long term rentals with landlords who aren't present and who don't teach their tenants to be respectful neighbors. That is never the case with short term rentals. We need no more regulations. Long and short term rentals have worked, are working and should continue to be part of the tradition of being a part of our neighborhood. It is the short term people who come in who are respectful of their neighbors and who remind us all to enjoy the lake, sitting at night down at the waterside, enjoying the quiet or having their morning coffee out on the deck basking in the day beginning on a lake theirs for a day or so. I welcome the shortermers. They remind me that what I have is special. If we really wanted to become involved, it would be to remind the (few, lax) landlords that their long term tenants have neighbors, people who will be here after they are long gone. Guests for a day or so? I welcome them with open arms. They are on their best behavior wanting to come back for another visit to the beautiful lake and to a home that is theirs only for a few nights. And, if my information is correct, it isn't lake people thinking lake life needs to be more regulated; they're outsiders who feel the need. Funny, I didn't offer my opinion to Cayuga Heights when they decided sterilizing deer was better than culling the herd and actually helping our fellow neighbors in need by offering the meat to food kitchens. No, I let Cayuga Heights do their own thing. Wouldn't it be good if that were the case here? We on the lake don't need regulations for a problem that doesn't exist. Thank you, Barb Bassette 839 Taughannock Blvd. Ps: Having read the Lakefront Rental Restriction Opposition paper, I am in full agreement with it! I have never rented to anyone, but I have been a homeowner on the lake for 38 years, and I am a person who believes in sharing what is partially mine, that being the lake. I commend the owners who responsibly have and who have been able to then continue to live and share their places. Sent: Saturday„ January 9, 2021 10, 5 AM To: Rod HoweRill Goodinan; Rich DePaci twat Leary; TeeAnin Hunter,- Eric Levine; PBl iwa @)towni.itliaca.n .usb Marty Moseley; sritt r@town.itlaaca.ithaca.ny,LJS, Paulette Rasa Subject: STR r gUlatiOns Attachments: Boyd Letter concerning STRs.dcacx 1r • • ww Ill llll�i 11111�11111�1111 Fill rw11 11rII i • I'm writing • express sorne• • w Committee of the Town Board of •ut hosted short-term I watched the December 14 Zoom meeting and was very much impressed by the presentations from r owners of lake-frontood out that forpeople boughthad o• r - ar properties ^ • about foryears—on expectation that, like •ther lake -front owners,r be able to wrr • some of costs by surnmer rentals, a practice that has been in effect for » w convincinglywught, that their reasonable expectations, made in the light of those expectations, should be respected in the drafting of current leg�islation about shorte•mpelling reasons noto do so. � • wr - ,� r s �► � r • r • • � • r +r - wr rw • s • Efforts to get help from the Town to cope with some of these problems met with the response that the Town lacked the resources to help. The very frequent presence of unsupervised renters in the neighborhood, and the traffic problems they created on our narrow streets disrupted the ordinary life of our residential neighborhood. The reasonable expectations of living in a residential neighborhood that many of us had when we bought our homes were undermined despite the rentals being 'hosted.' In that regard our situation is exactly analogous to that of our fellow citizens who have lake front property whose reasonable expectations might be compromised by limitations on their ability to rent their properties. It seems to me that there's no compelling reason not to frame legislation about 'hosted' short term rentals in neighborhoods such as ours so as to protect the reasonable expectations that we, and many of our neighbors, had when we purchased our houses. The STR committee currently seems to argue that the primary reason to restrict the duration of short-term rentals for un- hosted rentals, but not for hosted rentals, is to prevent a distortion in the housing market that would result if people were permitted to buy several different houses for unlimited un-hosted rentals. It's true that the Town should legislate to prevent that distortion of the housing market, and it's true that permitting unlimited duration for short term rentals only in owner -occupied houses is one way to do that. But the legislation should, I believe, also protect the interests of citizens who bought their homes in the reasonable expectation of living in a residential family neighborhood. In that regard, my understanding is that Cayuga Heights has limited un-hosted rentals to 14 days and hosted rentals to 28 days (28 days total allowed) precisely to make sure that the residential character of the Village will be preserved in the face of a proliferation of short- term rental that in fact functions as a businesses. This issue is one that, in many places, might be treated as a zoning issue. Some areas might be zoned for one -family homes (often suitably defined so as to permit 'in-law' additions or small scale long term rental) and the reasonable expectations of people who buy homes in areas zoned that way --that they will live in residential family neighborhoods —would be protected, as the reasonable expectations of people living in Renwick Heights, Forest Home, and along the lake- front ought to be protected. Other areas might be zoned to meet the expectations and business interests of homeowners with different preferences. It is not at all clear to me why the Zoning Board has not been involved in this issue. Existing zoning rules (including residential zones) were likely set up before businesses such as Airbnb rose to prominence. Thus, it seems to me that current zoning regulations ought to merit another, updated look. without compromising the interests of others who purchased homes in other parts of the Tow I with different reasonable expectations. That could, of course, be easily done in the case of our fellow citizens who live on the lake -front, but it could —and should —also be done to protect th expectations of people who bought properties in small residential family neighborhoods. One way to do that would be —as Renwick Heights residents have frequently suggested —to restrict the duration of short term rentals (hosted or un-hosted) in neighborhoods with narrow streets limited parking and closely spaced houses. I think that that option or something like it should I MMMM= I have one final remark concerning the category 'hosted rental.' It may be that the only reason for framing legislation in terms of that category is to allow for some property owners to enjoy unlimited short-term rentals but to mitigate the impact on the housing market by ensuring that they must actually live in the house that's also their rental property. If, however, the Town Board, in considering the possibility of unlimited 'hosted' short-term rentals, also hopes that having a host will reduce the unfavorable impact of a great many short-term rentals on neighbors, there may be serious problems with how the requirement that 'hosted rentals' actually be hosted is enforced. Suppose that someone —one of our neighbors, perhaps, or one Of YOUrs—obtains a license for their house for (unlimited!) hosted short term rentals but dishonestly chooses to rent frequent�ly when they're not in fact present as hosts, so that any possible unfavorable impact on their neighbors of their numerous short-term would be not be mitigated by their actual presence as Itosts. What safeguards would their neig�hbors have to prevent this sort of thing from happening? Would the Town have the resources by itself to actually enforce some sort of residency requirement? As already noted, the Town has said it would not. So, would it be up to their neighbors to try to keep track of their comings and goings, thereby undermining whatever friendly relations exist in the neighborhood and thereby making neighbors function as cle facto enforcement officers? If their neighbors were to ascertain that their rentals failed to meet the requirements for being hosted, what recourse would they have? Would the Town have the resources to evaluate the results of their investigations? Probably not. I think that considerations like these provide reasons for the Town to frame short-term rental regulations in neigh borhood-specific ways rather than seeking a one -size -fits -all (or one-size-fit- all-except-the-lal(efront) solution, This would allow the Town to respect the reasonable expectations that homeowners in different parts of the Town had when their houses were purchased, A Best regards . Richard Boyd 18 Renwick Heights Road Ithaca Richard N Boyd Susan Linn Sage Professor of Philosophy Cornell University 4 Paulette Rosa From: Julie Crowley <julie@triphammerwines.com> Sent: Friday, January 22, 2021 11:36 AM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short Term Rental Please forward to the committee. I was on the last zoom meeting towards the end of the meeting. There was discussion of sending out a survey. I wanted to add my thoughts. I am a 20 year resident on Taughannock Blvd. We rented for many years, while living next door. We rented by the week during the summer, and weekends into the fall. Our experience — new renters come in full of energy, excited to be on the lake. First night, at the lake, bbq, lots of noise, a fire, etc. People enjoying the lake. The next night, a little quieter. The next night, even quieter, etc. We enjoyed watching people enjoying the lake, that's what its about. My adjacent neighbors are renting all summer, and they do NOT live nearby. Without restrictions, the rentals were 2-3 nights on average. That is a new group coming in every couple days. That is going through this cycle, every couple days. We experienced parties late into the night, music playing. We had fireworks at 2am. We had a boom box playing music at the dock all afternoon. These properties are close together and sound travels on the lake. They also allowed too many people (and I don't think they charged enough), so it was big groups of young people. There was the occasional family, that did their thing and wasn't a problem at all. We are no longer renting, and I completely appreciate that renting is necessary income for many, so they can stay on the lake. I don't think its necessary to take that away from property owners, but I do think restrictions are necessary in order to ensure that renters are no imposing on adjacent properties. Summer is short, and we pay a lot to enjoy lake living. I propose: Limit the # of rentals/week. They can rent for 3 days, but not 3x/week. Maybe something like - not to exceed 6x/month. These rentals are in demand, you cannot find a rental in the summer. It would be zero hardship on property owners to rent by the week instead of the revolving door of every couple days. Frankly, that is just making more $$ for the property managers. I don't think limiting the # of days is necessary or fair to the property owners. When there are issues, hold the property owner AND the rental companies responsible. I think these restrictions would help alleviate property owners issues with renters. There is a way to allow property owners to generate income, respectfully, without imposing on their neighbors, and we can all enjoy peaceful lake living. I'm happy to discuss this further. Cheers, Julie Jut e CrowLe� Paulette Rosa From: Laurene Mongelli Gilbert <Img4@cornell.edu> Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2021 4:11 PM To: Paulette Rosa Cc: Rod Howe Subject: Fwd: Re STR's Greetings Paulette It was suggested to me that I forward you the correspondence below regarding short term rental legislation. I've sent copies to Rod Howe and Tee Ann Hunter. Thank you. Sincerely Laurene Gilbert Begin forwarded message: From: Laurene Mongelli Gilbert <Img4@cornell.edu> Date: January 14, 2021 at 3:16:36 PM EST To: Rod Howe <rhowe@town.ithaca.ny.us> Cc: Tee Ann Hunter <huntertgd@gmail.com> Subject: Fw: Re STR's Hello Rod I'm forwarding you a response I sent to Mia Slotnick who recently submitted a letter to the Town regarding short term rental legislation. I originally received it by way of Amanda Champion who sent it to those on her list serve for the Town. Please take the time to read it and forward it to the appropriate group or committee working on this issue. I appreciate it. Thank you. Sincerely Laurene Mongelli Gilbert 607-272-1903 607-279-7203(cell) From: Laurene Mongelli Gilbert Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 20215:48 PM To: goodneighbors321@gmail.com <goodneighbors321@gmail.com> Cc: Tee Ann Hunter <tdh12344@hotmail.com> Subject: Re STR's Hello I take issue with some of the language and inferences in the letter submitted to the Town of Ithaca by Mia Slotnick. I am a seventy two year old widow, with an attached apartment that has been there for at least since the 1930's. I bought my house on Five Mile Drive in 2009. I've had a successful Airbnb business for the last five years. Not only has there never been a complaint, but half my neighbors never knew I was operating my business until I asked them what their feelings were about it. I I can honestly say my house and property is exemplary and could be used as a model for how having a STIR business enhances the neighborhood and the property of the homeowner. I continue to invest a portion of my proceeds into the upkeep of my home so that it is attractive and appealing to those who choose to stay in my apartment. I have been a designated "Super Host" for as long as I've been doing this. I thoroughly enjoy hosting, meeting people from other places who come to Ithaca to hike, eat in our restaurants, bring their kids here to look at the colleges, among other reasons. It gives me focus and just makes me feel good! I would welcome anyone to read the wonderful comments that people have posted and written after their stay. I've never in all five years ever had a problem with anyone who has made this place their home away from home while they were here. I love telling them about our finest waterfalls and State parks which are literally within a five minute drive. And, Ithaca Beer Company is a big draw! The Airbnb company makes it an easy, seamless way to conduct business, not only monetarily, but with an excellent review system for both hosts and guests. If I get bad reviews I don't get any business; if I see bad reviews for the guest, they don't get to stay here. Easy peasy. Operating my business affords me some extra income I need to pay my taxes and to continue to live in my own home as I age in place. I can understand how buying up properties for the only reason of operating STR's is problematic but one size does not fit all with regard to legislation on this issue. What works for Cayuga Heights does not necessarily work for the Town of Ithaca. I read what the Town has proposed to date and it seems logical and well drafted. I appreciate your consideration regarding the points I have made. Please understand there are negatives and positives to be considered with regard to legislation. I have invested a lot of finances into creating a legally run business, and in keeping the apartment up to code. It would cause me great hardship to disband my business. Sincerely Laurene Gilbert 656 Five Mike Drive Ithaca, NY 14850 January 3, 2021 To: Town of Ithaca Clerk - Paulette Rosa Attn: Short -Term Rental Committee As lake property owners we oppose rental restrictions on properties in the lake front zone. We are a mixed group of owners who live on the lake full time, part time and some who rent long term, short term and or part of the year, hosted and unhosted. • Rental limits jeopardize the ability for local owners to continue to own their properties. Many local owners rely on rental income to support the property or foresee needing to do so in the future. • Lake property is much more expensive to maintain than an average home, the cost of upkeep of docks, driveways, stairways and other infrastructure is extreme. • Limiting rental ability will decrease local ownership leading to more out of town ownership. Leaving the homes to be sold only to the very wealthy and to owners that "summer" here and then leave the lake access vacant and inaccessible for the rest of the year. This is not the type of community we want to promote at the lake. • Rentals are traditional on the lake, many owners have purchased properties with this as part of the ownership strategy or have inherited family cottages and can only keep them based on the rental income. • Rentals occur throughout the year, not just in the summer months — limiting rentals decreases the flexibility of owners, who all have unique circumstances, to make ownership viable for them. • Many local people rent on the lake short term —limiting rental nights will again limit local access. Local families often rent the same cottage traditionally every year, or come for a staycation, or house relatives for a special occasion —this option creates a local "time share" for people that do not want the burden of full time ownership. • There are 67 properties in the Town of Ithaca on the lake — of these more than 60% are rentals, primarily short term with owners who also use the property. Preserving the neighborhood means continuing to allow rentals, short and long term to occur. As a mixed group of owners, we all have unique needs and circumstances regarding our properties. Limiting rentals not only harms our ability to use, enjoy and maintain our properties but decreases access to the lake for all. As there has been little if any complaints on the lake we request that no changes be made to lake rental access. We enjoy our lake community and want to make sure we maintain it for ourselves and others for years to come. Lakefront Rental Restriction Opposition Signature Page 1/8/2021 Rmestamp Name ; Lake Property Address emaiil address !021/01/04 2:09:18 PM EST Jes Seaver 829 Taughannock BLvd Ithaca NY iesseaver@gmail.com !021/01/04 2:14.55 PM EST !021/01/04 6:52:57 PM EST !021/01/04 6:53:21 PM EST !021/01/05 10:51:30 AM EST !021/01/0510:56:28 AM EST !021/01/05 11:09:56 AM EST !021/01/05 11:32:23 AM EST !021/01/0512:11:38 PM EST !021/01/05 2:22:46 PM EST !021/01/05 5:34:34 PM EST !021/01/05 8:16:51 PM EST !021 /01 /06 7:09:26 AM EST !021 /01 /06 8:25:26 AM EST l021/01/0610:26:59 AM EST !021/01/07 9:17:53 AM EST !021/01/07 4:47:28 PM EST !021/01/07 6:16:43 PM EST !021/01/07 7:04:34 PM EST !021/01/07 7:12:11 PM EST !021/01/07 7:54.38 PM EST !021 /01 /08 8:38:55 AM EST !021/01/08 9:33.47 AM EST !021 /01 /0810:42:08 AM EST !021/01/0811:19:48 AM EST !021 /01 /0811:29:52 AM EST !021/01/0812:21:36 PM EST Kenneth Broadwell Carolyn Greenwald Adam Schaye Elaina McCartney Randall Corey Nathalie Louge Joshua deLara PAUL FAIRBANKS Chuck Henderson Ben Weiner Barb Bassette Patrick Burns Chuck Baxter Christine Henseler Paulette Baxter Tony Baxter sally mennen Sheila and All Snyder Kash Iraggi-Wiggins Ata Movassaghi Daniel Kraak Wendy Kenigsberg Richard mennen John & Carolyn Neuman Jennifer Engel John Abel 829 Taughannock Blvd 889 Taughannock Blvd 907 Taughannock Blvd 845 Taughannock Blvd. 979 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca 1067 Taughannock Blvd 1067 Taughannock Blvd 935 Taughannock Blvd 839 Taughannock Blvd 847 Taughannock Blvd 839 Taughannock Blvd. 1089 Taughannock Blvd 1085 taugh. blvd. 841 TAUGHANNOCK BLVD 1085 taughannock blvd 1083 Taughannock Blvd. 997 Taughannock blvd 855&857 Taughannock Blvd 967 TAUGHANNOCK BLVD 831 Taughannock Blvd 891 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY 891 Taughannock Blvd, Ithaca NY 14850 997 Taughannock Blvd 1077 Taughannock Blvd. 927 and 931 Taughannock Blvd 1001 Taughannock Blvd iesseaver@gmail.com cbareenwald@gmail.com ars@millermayer.com emm5@cornell.edu nccorey@gmail.com natiouge@gmail.com irdelara@gmail.com PAU LI ERAYBAN @G MAI L. CO I cph5@comell.edu bene(ikweiner@qmaii.com barb.bassette®gmail.com patHck.burns@cornell.edu asicservices@gmail.com henselec@union.edu paulettechuck®yahoo.com antonyibaxter@gmail.com mennens@gmail.com Sheilsnyder857@yahoo.com kash.balance@gmaii.com atamovassaghi@gmail.com dpk3@cornell.edu wfk1 @comell.edu mennensterdgmail.com iohn neuman@mindspring.coi Jmengel22@gmail.com ifa5@comell.edu Paulette Rosa From: JES SE ER <jesseaver@grnail.corn> Sent: Friday, January 8, 2021 2:22 PM To: Bill Goodman,- Paulette Rosa Subject: Group Letter to STR Conirnitee - RE: Short Term Rental Lakefront Attachments: Lakefront Rental Restrictions Group Letter with signatures.lodf Hello Bill and Paulette, Please see attached group letter signed by 27 lakefront owners to be shared with the STR Committee members prior to Monday's rneeting, We still have more signatures coming in but wanted to get this into Your hands prior to Monday. We have found in talking to our neighbors that there are a great many who had no idea that the Lakefront was to be included in potential restrictive legislation, Trying to get everyone in the loop! Thanks so much for your help! Best, Jos Jes Seaver Associate Real Estate Broker cell: 6 , 0 , 7 ', 3 " 51., 8737 Office: 60Z,33,0!52.6.1 ernait: Warren Real Estate of Ithaca 830 Fianshaw Road Ithaca, NY 14850 www,.wal.r,mr-e.n.l.i.lo.r.n..es, corn January 3, 2021 To: Town of Ithaca Clerk - Paulette Rosa Attn: Short -Term Tental Committee As lake property owners we oppose rental restrictions on properties in the lake front zone. We are a mixed group of owners who live on the lake full time, part time and some who rent long term, short term and or part of the year, hosted and unhosted. Rental limits jeopardbility for local owners to continue to own their properties. Many local owners rely on rental income to support the property or foresee needing to d* so in the future. • Lake property is much more expensive to maintain than an average home, the cost of upkeep of docks, driveways, stairways and other infrastructure is extreme. Limiting rental ability will decrease local ownership leading to more out of town ownership. Leaving the homes to be sold only to the very wealthy and to owners that "summer' here and then leave the lake access vacant and inaccessible for the rest of the year. This is not the type of community we want to promote at the lake. Rentals are traditional on the lake, many owners have purchased properties with this as part of the ownership strategy or have inherited family cottages and can only keep them based on the rental income, • Rentals occur throughout the year, not just in the summer months — limiting rentals decreases the flexibility of owners, who all have unique circumstances, to make ownership viable for them. many local people rent on the lake short term — limiting rental nights will again limit local access. Local families often rent the same cottage traditionally every year, or come for a stayc�ation, or house relatives for a special occasion — this option creates a local "time share" for people that do not want the burden of full time ownership. There are 67 properties in the Town of Ithaca on the lake — of these more than 60% are rentals, primarily short term with owners who also use the property. Preserving the neighborhood mieanis continuing to allow rentals, short and long term to occur. F.4LOINJOKOIKOI&TAII Urniting ren is not om, access to the lake for all. As there has been little if any complaints on the lake we request that no changes be made to lake rental access. We enjoy our lake community and want to make sure we maintain it for ourselves and others for years to come. Paulette Rosa From: Sent: To: Bruce, Lane <PUrityice@aoLcom> Tuesday, January 5, 2021 9:51 PIV Paulette Rosa Cornments on short terni rentals My wife, Heather, and I live at 1071 Taughannock Blvd. and I thought it would be useful to provide you with a couple of comments about the issue of short term rentals on Cayuga Lake. While we do not currently rent out our house, we have, upon occasion done so (during tile winter). know that many home owners on the lake do short term rentals, which are sort of traditional for homes on bodies of water where we all like to vacation (!). It helps pay the bills (our taxes on our Lake house are more that our Ellis Hollow house, which is bigger), and often allows people to keep an increasingly expensive -to -maintain house in the family. I would think it a good idea to not chan that traditional way of sharing vacation homes, which predates AirBnB. I am sure that there are noise and nuisance ordinances on the books already which would work to deal with the occasional "loud guest". When one has occurred at a neighboring house in our area, we are usually successful in quelling the noise by a quick knock on their door. So, I think there are existing ways to deal with the infrequent "bad actor" which would be much more appropriate and scaled than such a restrictive ban as is being contemplated. Please let me know if we may provide any additional input. Thanks for the work you do to keep our Town working and working well! NM MIS M I M.- Purity Ice Cream Co., Inc. cell 607-227-4713 office tel. 607-272-1545 fax 607'-272-1546 email: bruce@purityiceci"eam.com wwwl,, --pqt�ityicecream.com —W-W.--W---1P dtYmngm-0—m 1067 'Iaughannock ]Blvd Ithaca, New fork Town Clerk Paulette Rosa Attn: Short -Term Rental Committee 215 North Tioga Street Ithaca, New York 14850 January 4, 2021 Subject: Proposed Short -Term Rental Restrictions Dear Members of the Short -Term Rental Committee: We are writing to express our concerns regarding the proposed short-term rental restrictions for homes in the lakefront zone. We are two young families in the foreign service who recently bought 1067 Taughannock Blvd from a long-time Ithaca resident who, for the last ten years, has used it as a second home and short-term rental property. We both grew up in Ithaca and throughout our adult lives have returned several times a year with our spouses to stay with family and friends and to enjoy the natural beauty of the Finger Lakes. As we move around the world, Ithaca is still very much the place we call home. We stretched ourselves financially to purchase this dream home to have a place to bring our family and friends together and to deepen our lifelong connection to Ithaca. We plan to use the home as our primary residence for ourselves at least two months each year, and as a vacation home for our family and friends for another month. However, that leaves nine months where the home would be unoccupied, but for short- or medium -term rentals. While we acknowledge that we are very fortunate to have been able to pool our resources to afford a beautiful home on the lake, few owners, including us, can afford to leave our homes empty for nine months of the year. Short-term rentals are essential for us to be able to afford to maintain and improve the home. For example, our home needs to be repainted and a shared driveway repaved. These are costs we hoped would be offset through income from short-term rentals, but these investments would likely need to be delayed or the work, manship compromised ifour home will sit empty f`or most of the year. W'ithOUt short-term rentals, seasonal occupants incentives will be to keep expenses low, rather than to invest in maintaining and improving our hornes. Keeping the Ironies occupied and owners investing ill them is the best way to maintain the character ofthe lakefront neightwrhood, Which has always included short-tert'n rental rise. Long-term leases are riot an alternative for us [)ecause it would prevent us from furnishing and enjoying our honic ourselves. Moreover, the steep drivewayand three -season construction limit the rise ofthe house in winter for long-term renters. Finally, the purchase price we paid for our horneand the assessed values of hornes along the lake reflect their values as short-term rentals, not just their value as seasonal or vacation homes. Restrictions on short-terin rentals will have as negative impact on the values of these hornes and on real-estate and school tax revenue. For these reasons, we oppose restrictions on short-term rentals for the lakefront zone. Sincerely, J Joshua Delara N4i , af , te Louge cc: DeputyTown Clerk, Becky.fordan Deputy 'Fown Supervisor, Bill Goodman Board Merriber, Rich Dellaolo Board Men-iber, "Fee -Ann f '111ruer Board Member, Pat Leary Elaina McCartney 845 Taughannock Blvd. Ithaca NY 14850 1/5/2021 To: STR Committee I have owned and lived in my lakefront duplex home at 845 Taughannock Blvd. for 25 years. I bought the place as a severely run-down fixer -upper in 1996, as a full- time working single parent, and have invested significantly in improving the property over the years, which in turn has raised its value on the tax rolls. Now I am retired. I live upstairs and have always rented the downstairs apartment. Since 2015, the downstairs has been operated as an Airbnb short-term rental, is certified, and meets all inspection requirements. A 3% room tax is paid directly to Tompkins County through Airbnb. Like other properties along Cayuga Lake, we provide beautiful lakefront accommodations and water access to tourists, families visiting local residents, parents visiting or dropping off Cornell and Ithaca College attendees, tourists sampling the Wine Trail, Art Trail, Farmers Market, exploring parks, and sampling well-known restaurants, local Ithacans who want the lakeside experience for a staycation, or writers wanting peace and quiet. Sometimes we're the home base for reunion or conference attendees, families dropping off their college -bound children, kayakers, paddleboarders, boaters (mooring provided), swimming enthusiasts, birdwatchers, triathletes, bikers, hikers on the Black Diamond and Waterfront Trails, and so on. For me, as a retiree on a fixed income, short term rentals provide a stable way for me to pay the high lakefront property and school taxes, continue to maintain driveway, stairs, dock, and general upkeep, and continue to live here. This is a quiet neighborhood. All guests are vetted through Airbnb, and the number of guests is strictly limited. Parties and events are not permitted, and dock use after 10pm is prohibited. We have had zero complaints from neighbors regarding our Airbnb short-term rentals, including zero complaints about parking or noise. Recycling and trash are managed as any responsible homeowner does, and the premises are kept clean and well -maintained inside and out. There are professional cleaners who work regularly in the neighborhood between guests, who depend on this income. I live on the property so I can respond immediately should guests or neighbors have any concerns. I don't believe the general concerns that some Ithaca residents have raised about short-term rentals apply to the lakeside neighborhood. Examples of concerns raised elsewhere are parking, noise, and the presence of strangers. We have a small parking lot along the road where guests are allocated a parking spot. In addition, there is plenty of parking all along the west side of Route 89. The Town of Ithaca already has a Noise Ordinance should there ever be an issue with any short-term rentals along the lake. An anonymous call may be made to Ithaca Police Dispatch and an officer will deal with it promptly. We have made this information available to our neighbors but no one has had to use it. As far as concern about "strangers", that's what tourists are! We welcome them to quietly enjoy the lake and other features Ithaca has to offer, and of course only the number of guests appropriate to the space. I believe short term rentals along the shore of Cayuga Lake contribute to the local economy in a very positive way, and allow visitors to experience what makes Ithaca so special. I don't think an arbitrary restriction of number of nights deals directly with the concerns that are raised. It is impractical to switch back and forth between short- and long -terms rentals. If one does short term rentals, for example only in the summer, then the rest of the year is limited to the student market. But more than that, such restrictions to not directly deal with the concerns raised (parking, noise, strangers), but make a cause -and -effect assumption that may not be valid. Thank you for considering these thoughts. Paulette Rosa From: Joleen Multari <jonepa104@yahoo.com> Sent: Saturday, January 2, 2021 9:56 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short term rentals Dear Town of Ithaca Board Members: I am writing about the issue of regulations you are considering on short term rentals such as those through Airbnb. As a lifelong member of this community, an owner of property in the town of Ithaca, a local business person and a frequent guest at Airbnb rentals all over this U.S. and abroad, I am shocked at the proposed regulations and limits you are entertaining for short term rentals in the Town of Ithaca. Most Airbnb hosts take pride in hosting a clean, quite, well run unit. This is a system driven by reviews. Those that fall short, quickly find themselves without guests and are forced to clean up their act or have no business. It works the same for guests. Bad reviews, they aren't accepted for a reservation. do not own or manage any STR. My interest is in the success of our residents and the community. STR bring many more tourists into the immediate area. They bring $ to the community. They SPEND when they are here. They patronize local businesses, restaurants, wineries, spas, supermarkets, parks and more that are close to the place where they stay, not to mention the occupancy and sales tax that the town receives from their expenditures Cities all over the US have found ways to embrace and benefit form a thriving STR (Airbnb) community without limitations on the # of night guests can stay each year. Having STR such as Airbnb is a win, win, win situation for the area. In addition to the $ spent at businesses and the taxes the town will receive, THEY CREATE JOBS. Lots of jobs. Jobs for cleaning people, lawn and garden people, decorators, contractors and for those who work at the restaurants, wineries, stores etc. If you decrease the # of STIR and/or limit the # of days they can operate in a year, tourists are simply going to stay at them in other towns and Ithacans loose. I'm sure that other towns in areas will be thrilled to have all of these people staying in their local STIR, spending lots of $ and paying taxes there. STIR like Airbnb are what tourists want now. A great many people these days will only stay at them, not at hotels. You should embrace this, not bow to pressure from the unfortunate few who had problems and punish the majority of people who do things the right way. There are solutions to the problems so that the community wins. By all means find a solution that allows responsible STR owners to operate 365 days/year. For example, have a permit system that is renewed each year for a nominal fee to get the STIR and their owners registered. Make them accountable. Have a system to accept and track complaints about a particular STR. Have fines for the first few violations and then pull their permit for the rest of the year. There are many possible solutions. I do not think that it is appropriate to force property owners to rent only to long term tenants. These are often relationships that are wrought with their own set of problems and liabilities far worse than STRs. The staggering increase and array of new housing in the town, city, and county should certainly provide adequate long term housing solutions. There are a number of retired people, single people and people who are out of work that take pride in renting an STIR which provides them with much needed revenue to live on, to pay for their property taxes and to find satisfaction in hosting visitors to the area and promoting local businesses and attractions. Please, take a closer look at what you are considering, find solutions to the problems and do not put a limit on the # of days/year that STIR can operate in the town. If you do, you will be giving up a huge and profitable opportunity for this community at a time when people and businesses desperately need it. Sincerely, Joleen Multari From: Rebecca Schwed <rebecca.schwec1@gmaH.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2021 10:29 AM To: Pamela Bleiwas" Rod HowePaulette Rosa Subject: Re: air brib Hi Pam, Thanks so much for your reply. I am pasting in below what has been shared cin a Fla Ithaca air bnb page for your information, I'm sure YOU realize why this would be of concern to rnany of us hosts. It seems to me that this would be especially harmful during a pandemic, and the ensuing economic turmoil. I have never had any complaints front neighbors, a few of whom also have apartments attached to their homes that they rent out. Best, Rebecca 0 Here is a copy of the letter that was sent to the 'l I own that was forwarded to roe. I'll copy iny response that I sent to then 'll 0wo Town of Ithaca Wks - Resident Mia Slotnick has asked as few Legislators to share file belo"r information regarding tlieTown's phans regardingshort-tertri rentals. If you arrc^ interested in discusMng this issue with her and others, please reach our to the ernail at the boutont ofthis inessage, I ant not involved it) this and arn siniply passing the me ssage along. Amanda lac* ar Town of ltfmca resident, nte'rown of itioca is it) the process ofdraffing laws to regulate short-terin rentats (STR) in all residential areas of Haar Town, S"I'lks are rentals less than 30, days in length, and are rnarketed by hosts on as number of different onfine plaUtwins (Airbnb, VFW, Home Away , Fhpkey, etc), In our Town of Ithaca neighborhood the presence of'STRs and their "guests" has decreased our overall quality of We due to lncreased traffic, nrose, danlage taa neighbors, property, parking constraints, and as dechne in oursense oftornriturlity. Additionally, the Town reties on neighbor coniplaints as as priniary inethorl of rnonitorhig anil poking TRs, which leads to conflict between neighbors, ffixamse STits; can be so profitable, horries are behig boright solely for SIN usage, which decreases the availability and affordability of hoines for pinup -terni rentals and faroily purc[Nise. J, lie current STH legislation draft allows for 29 days of unhosted rentals per year (e.g,, the owner is riot present at the Wow) and art kinhinited nurnber of hosted days per year, Tms trieans that if' thfs legislation is passed, you coilld end tip having an eqllrWdent of a hotel or B&B in operation 365 (lays of the year, right next door, In contrast, Cayuga lleighLs has had successful STR laws in place for niore than two years.These laws lirnit rentals to 14 days of unhosted Oil 28 days of hosted per year (fora utaxianan total of 28 (lays per, year). Cayuga Heights' rationale for capping the number of &ys at 28 Per year was to prioritize the original zonlrig intention ofthe area as a residential neighborhood, by filiriting they Potential for STR buskusses to infiltrate tire Conirtrunity. The Town would like to hear front re.sidents who have concerns aborit STRs coming to their neighborhoods. Nease email at I for niore infortnation and details on howyourvolce can hie heard. 1EUEE), Nfi,f "K1M Vacation Rentals - Beach Houses, Condos, Cal!)ins, Apartnients & Vacation Homes [ Trppirlgx'oni c) like 0 Reply a ad Hmv Is nay nNfwnse that I sent Lo Paidette Rosajown (,','fork mm I take issue with some of he NnWmge and inferences in the letter submitted to ow,rown Of ILIUM by Nfla Slotruck. I am a seventy two year old widow, ",fth an attached apartment that has been there for at Wam since le 193W* I bought my home on Me Mile Wve in 2oog. rve had as sumemild Akbnb buMn"s kw the last five years. Not only has there nevu been a amWNint but half my neWhbors never knem, I was operating my bmirtess until Qskd Umm what their 90hp were aboutit, I mr; hcuiestly sq my horn w and pnMeny 3 ewmpAq aral mauled be wed m a model For how ImOng a STR busirims enharrms the neighborhood and the prolremy of be horneovnrer. I cmithrme to Went a portion of my proceeds hAn be upkwp of my home so that it is attractive and appealing to those who choose to stay in nW apaianent- I have Imen as desiginted "Super hunt"" Wr as long as I've been doing this I koraMhQ enjoy WK& ineeting pecifik from other places who mme W 11ma W hike, ca W our rmMustror, b&g their kids here to look at the colhge% atuong other reasons It gWes me focus and just nrakes me feed good! I would welcome anyorre to read the wonderful comments that people have posted and written after their sixty. rye never in all We yews e"w had as prolAmn with arquim who Irm ntadetbis filrice their home away from home while they were here. I leaves telling there about our finest wateddIs and SWW pits which are kets" Whin a five Mum! drive Ana Ithaca Beer Company is as hig dmM The Ait lant) company makes it an easy, warnless way to conduct busirrms, not only monetarily, but with an exceHent review sysmon har both hosts and guests. It I got had reviews l don't go a" bminess; V I see had reviews for the guest, they don't get to stay here. Easy peasy. Cleisting my Wru5s afflirds me some extra kworne I nmd to pay my taxes and to continue to Irve in toy own horne as I age in phu.1 on uMemAnd how buying up pi-cip"Hes for the only reason or opcmhng Tr N In-oblematic but one Me dws not M all M mgm-d to QgWathan on MH isme. What works for Cayuga Heights does not necessarily work for theTown of Ithaca. I read what die lb%vn ON proposed to date and it seems logic gal and well draHed. I appreciate your coruddermion re ganhng the ImWts I have niadm Ilease understand there are negatives and positives to be ,xinsidavd with rqjard to QgWbHom I have invested a for of nnances into creating a legaNy run business,and ai keeping the apaninent up to code. R would cause rue great lwrdship to disband my business. SWWY lAurene Gilbert 656 Me Mike Me kWwl NY 14850 %warded message I'mar Pame4a Bleiwas <j, Date: Tue, Jan 19, 2021 at 10101 AM Subject: Fwd: air bnb To: Rebecca Schwed <!tebecca.sci��y��f.,,,,,rniltl,c�on"l,> Hi Rebecca, Please see my reply to you email, below. The one I sent to the OL.Itlook email bounced. Begin forwarded message; From: Pamela Bleiwas - Town of Ithaca <Pl3leiwas@townJthaca.n LIS> Subject: Re: air bnb Date: January 19, 2021 at 9:58*04 Al' EST To: Rebecca clawed Outlook F2 FB 16 F46C D636BC @ OLIt look, corri> Cc: Rod Howe <rhoweiPtown, th ca Paulette Rosa s > f �L!q !qg' �Lly a Thank you for reaching out about Your concerns. Since I am not on the committee working on this issue I am copying our Town Supervisor Rod Howe on this. Rod, please let us know if anything I wrote below is incorrect or needs further illumination. As i Understand it, the committee is considering different rules depending on whether the short-term rentals are hosted (meaning the owner is on the property at the time of the rental) or unhosted. A major concern is that investors will buy up properties and rent them Out full-time. This would not only reduce the already limited housing stock in our town, but would negatively affect neighborhoods as the residents move from fellow community members to short-term transients. This type of activity needs a different sort of regulation than the hosted rentals, like yours. 1, and many if riot all of the Town Board members, agree that hosted rentals can have a positive effect on the local econorny. We have heard from many hosts about their overwhelmingly positive experiences as hosts, both personally and financially. While some regulation of hosted rentals may be necessary to protect the health and safety of Town residents and visitors, I will riot support any regulations that Unduly limit the ability of residents to continue operating hosted short-term rentals. As far as I know, the Town does not have a comprehensive list of short-term rental hosts, whether it is through Air BnB or any other company. All meetings are posted on the Town's website at h t &MW,!q�M[L.J hac n A S neetin&,, .-IM/ .1. . --� -y-.!.A ca.lenAqtw. I have copied Town Clerk Paulette Rosa on this email. Paulette is dedicated to keeping Town residents informed about what is going on. She may be able to reach OLA to YOU with more information about staying on top of Town Board activities related to this or other issues. Please let me know if YOU have any more questions at this point, and please continue to reach out when YOU have input on any Town iSSLIes. Best regards, Parn Parnela Bleiwas - Town of Ithaca PBlcimg( lown.ithac . It's a single rental unit, so only one additional car that parks in my driveway. There is no additional traffic or noise. I don't allow parties, and I mostly get couples arid young families. I rented for 60 nights in 2020, my best year ever, This I believe was clue to the pandemic, and people in the Northeast needing to travel locally rather than farther afield. This meant that many people discovered the attractions of the Fingedakes region, This also rnearis more people spending their dollars at local attractions and restaurants. I also pay taxes on that income. For me, it meant riot relying solely on Cornell parents corning to the area. Hopefully, these tourists will return now that they know about the area. Liniffing the number of nights I can rent Out my space to sorne ridiculously low number would put a huge damper on tOUrism in the area, and the money that brings into the town. It would probably riot be worth it to me to rent out for only 25 nights a year. I'm also LIP.SPt that I had to hear about this discussion by accident, and that the town has not reached Out to air bnb owners in the town for feedback. Transparency is needed. Thanks for reading, Rebecca Schwed Sent f rorn Mail for Windows 10 Paulette Rosa From: Marian Mumford <marian.mumford54@gmai1.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 12, 2021 3:10 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Town proposal to limit short term rentals Hello Ms. Rosa, I do not support the recent proposal to limit short term rentals on Cayuga Lake in the Town of Ithaca. I purchased my west shore home in 1996. 1 was able to build a studio apartment on the second floor. That rental unit brought in income when I was going through a divorce, and later when my second husband died in 2009. 1 would not have been able to manage my mortgage payments otherwise. Lake residents were assured they would not be included in whatever new limits the town of Ithaca plans to impose on short term rentals. I know that as I move toward semi retirement, I would like to have the option to supplement my income with occasional short term rentals. I have neighbors who planned their retirement around the assurance they could rent their adjacent ( to me ) cottage as an air B and B. They launched this past summer and I have no complaints about noise or disrespectful, or disruptive behavior. My neighbor on the other side of me also offers short term rentals to families with children during the summer months. Again, I have no complaints. Contrary to what people believe, not everyone living on the lake is wealthy. Some of us are middle class with mortgages and tuitions to pay like everyone else. I think good landlords make all the difference. A contract with clearly stated private and public rules/regulations, including the town noise ordinance, plus security deposit should assure compliance from short term renters. Thank you. Marian Mumford 853 Taughannock Boulevard Ithaca Sent from my iPhone Paulette Rosa From: Benjamin Weiner <benerikweiner@gnnaiiconn> Sent: Sunday, January 1[\2O21 1:38PK4 To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Lakefront rental restrictions Hello Mrs. Rosa, My name is Ben Weiner and |amaproperty owner at 847 TaughannockBlvd inthe Town of Ithaca. |was recently made aware of a Town Board push to increase some rental restrictions on the lakefront. | have owned and rented here since 1995 and I am vehemently opposed to any restrictions that will limit my ability to rent. The rents that I have gotten over the years have allowed me to afford the high taxes,insurances, upkeep, and mV mortgage sothat | can continue toown and enjoy this property. | currently live here full time (although that has varied over the years), and I hope to own this property for the rest of my life and pass it on to my child. |tisaspecial place that I love. |domy best to rent to lake lovers, not loud weekend party people, and | have never had aproblem with myneighbors about this. Although | understand the noise and community issues that other neighborhoods rnayhaVeconcernsabout the very nature ofthe lakefront and the fact that nxyneighbors areseparatedbv$poceandraxines,mnakesitavery different rental environment. The lake has a historical attraction as a tourist destination too, which bring much needed tourist dollars toIthaca inahundred other ways. Without the ability to rent as I see fit, I fear the expenses may force me out, and that seems particularly unfair from a legislative perspective. Many thanks, Ben Weiner Paulette Rosa From: Amy Yale -Loehr <amy.yale.loehr@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, January 11, 2021 12:17 PM To: Paulette Rosa Cc: Stephen Yale -Loehr; Ata Movassaghi; Jes@warrenhomes.com Subject: Add our signature to document - re Short Term Rentals for Lake Property Attachments: Lakefront Rental Restrictions Opposition Group Letter.pdf Dear Ms Rosa: We would like to add our signature to the previously submitted letter regarding proposed restrictions on Lakefront Property short term rentals. We own the property at 1099 Taughannock Blvd. It is a seasonal property. We do not rent it currently but have in the past and would like to have the flexibility to rent in the future. Rental income offsets the significant expense in owning a lake property, particularly one that cannot be used throughout the year because the house is not winterized and the difficult road access. We live in Ithaca throughout the year. This lake property has been in the Yale Family since 1965. We are good stewards of the property and the lake. Sincerely, Amy and Stephen Yale -Loehr Paulette Rosa From: Randall Corey <rhcorey@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2021 12:01 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: Short term rentals To the Short Term Rental committee and Town of Ithaca Board: My name is Randall Corey. I am a local business owner of over 30 years. In 2001 1 bought a house on the lake at 979 Taughannock Blvd. The house was previously a rental property and rented mostly to students. The house was in disrepair and needed a lot of work. I took on the work and put my resources into rehabbing the house as my home. After my son was born in 2004, we decided it would be best for him to have a yard to run around in, so we bought our current home in Enfield. In 2005, we moved and began renting the lake cottage. I put a tremendous amount of work into the house and have been fortunate to have many repeat customers and all 5-star reviews. My neighbors have not brought up any issues with me or my renters and we share a steep driveway and parking area with the adjacent houses without incident. I am not a rich man. I was 39 years old when I bought my first house (the lake cottage). I am now 59 years old and getting closer to retirement. My business has been severely affected by the COVID-1 9 crisis. I had to shut down my chiropractic office for three months during the pandemic. Since reopening my office in mid -June of 2020, 1 have had to implement various COVID protocols that have resulted in me having to basically do twice as much work to be able to see half as many patients as I was prior to the crisis. Fortunately, the lake cottage rental business was strong and has kept my family financially solvent in this volatile climate. My lake cottage brings tourist dollars to our town. The people who come to stay at my house would not come and stay in a hotel. They have boats and kayaks and fishing gear. They want to experience lake living. They want to hike, and ski, and explore, and spend money in our town. They want to experience the wonderful and varied restaurants that Ithaca has to offer. I regularly give recommendations to local food and experiential businesses that help our local economy thrive. I dollars to our economy. The way my lake cottage is situated, is such that our deck is at a different height than the neighbors on either side. We have privacy landscaping and shades set up so that the neighbors are not affected by my renters. The lakefront area is separated by a small boathouse from our neighbors to the south and by large shrubberies from our neighbors to the north. As I stated previously, we have a very good relationship with our neighbors and the renters are happy with the setup. Many of my renters have local ties and/or are affiliated with the local colleges and University. Often, we will host students and their visiting families or prospective students visiting the schools to help decide if they want to attend school here. I am happy to say, that staying on the lake for a few days typically helps sway their decision in our favor. All in all, being able to rent my house throughout the year is crucial to my financial solvency and my ability to keep my local business afloat. This is a time of crisis in our country. The economy is very unstable. Many businesses have failed or will fail due to the drastic changes in our society. I believe that restricting anyone's ability to earn a living is unconscionable at this time. implore you to exclude lake front properties from your proposed restrictions and to reconsider putting any time constraints on short term rentals in general. People will be forced to sell their homes and close their businesses and move out of New York to survive. It is hard enough to live and work in this state without these proposed restrictions. I ask that you please reconsider your motives and realize the consequences of your proposal. Dr. Randall H. Corey 435 Franklin St Suite 206 Ithaca, N.Y. 14850 phone: 607 257-6217 fax: 607 257-6847 1 /30/21 Letter to Town of Ithaca Board regarding short term 1roperty rentals Town of Ithaca Board members: am writing as a concerned property owner in the Town Of Ithaca, regarding proposals being considered that would limit my ability and the ability of all home -owners in the town to rent our homes to short term renters. suspect that the push to limit short term rentals is in large part based on assumptions that short term tenants are loud and unruly, and limiting such rentals will help to quiet the neighbourhoods these homes are in. But this argument fails for several reasons. First, there are already ordinances on the books to limit noise. If a short term renter is too noisy or unruly they should be handled in the same way a property owner who is being loud or unruly could be. Limiting a homeowner's ability to rent their home is a poor surrogate. Second, the vast majority of short term renters these days are doing it through platforms such as AirBnB or VRBO, which allow homeowners to screen their guests and rate their guests, most of whom do not want to get terrible reviews about them that will subsequently limit their ability to rent other homes all over the world. Third, long term renters who are difficult to live next to for a variety of reasons (and who hasn't had such neighbours in their lives??) create much more problematic and difficult to address problems. We'd all rather have a bad neighbour for 2 or 3 days than one for a year or more that is nearly impossible to evict! In our specific case as an example, we own a home in the lakefront residential district and have rented our home to short term renters many times in the past 5 years. We have done this as a bridge while working on upgrading the property with the plan of moving into the home ourselves in the next couple of years. Being able to rent the home this way has afforded us the ability to do so. In the end it will end up increasing our property value and thereby increasing our tax burden which will only serve the town's best long term interests. The vast majority of our guests have been families who come to enjoy Ithaca and explore the area. We screen our guests. We contractually limit the number of people allowed on the property. We restrict people's abilities to have parties (which of course is very different from our own actions, where we have repeatedly had large groups of friends over for outdoor summer dinners, lake play and bonfires late into the night and make more noise than the vast majority of our guests. We live about 20 minutes away from the home we rent out and always show up to meet our guests, go by the home during their stay to make sure there's nothing problematic going on. And our neighbours have our phone numbers so they can contact us if there are any problems. Our home has been frequently rented out to people who have never before been to the area, and they leave with a love for Ithaca. They have repeatedly come here after seeing our ad and spend money at state parks and do their share to help the local economy. Limits on personal liberties such as limiting the number of nights a homeowner can rent out their home should only be considered as an act of last resort to address matters of significant severity. That is not the case here. Please don't let the few bad stories remove the rights of the many good homeowners. Howard Silcoff. Paulette Rosa From: Kelli Cartmill <Kelli.Cartmill@hilton.com> Sent: Thursday, July 22, 2021 1:39 PM To: Bill Goodman; Pat Leary; TeeAnn Hunter; Rich DePaolo Cc: Paulette Rosa Subject: Re: Letter to the Town of Ithaca Short Term Rentals Good afternoon I hope each of you were able to read this letter I sent to you a couple months ago. I would like to remind you that if you limit STR to only 29 nights that will have a larger effect to the town and it's business especially as they are trying to recover from the pandemic. Now would not be the time to hurt the tourism industry (restaurants, retail shops, grocery stores, museums, theaters, etc.) even more than they are currently impacted. Please consider the economic impact before voting. Kind regards, KeIHHi CairtmiIII III 1 F307 ,,177 8900 tawi 1 7 7 8'9 10 F a x �hilton.c�om ... ... . ... ... ..... ... . wwwJ.t. a .lh( corn b !�� JHiltonj CleanStay xz"A-00, Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection is setting a new standard for hotel cleanliness and disinfection. Learn more by visiting: http://www.hilton.com/cleanstay 1 From: Kelli Cartmill Sent: Tuesday, May 25, 2021 11:48 AM To: BGoodman@town.ithaca.ny.us <BGoodman @town.Ithaca. ny.us>; pleary@town.ithaca.ny.us <pleary@town.ithaca.ny.us>; thunter@town.ithaca.ny.us <thunter@town.ithaca.ny.us>; rdepaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us <rdepaolo@town.ithaca.ny.us> Cc: PRosa@town.ithaca.ny.us <PRosa @town.Ithaca. ny.us> Subject: Letter to the Town of Ithaca Short Term Rentals Good Afternoon Town of Ithaca Short Term Rental Committee, My name is Kelli Cartmill and I am the chair of the county's Strategic Tourism Planning Board. I have attached a letter on behalf of the STPB regarding our position on Short Term Rentals. I am happy to answer any questions you may have. Kind regards, Ke III III lii Cairtmill Y IiP� ai:a. I f � l/1�1tf7Cl 1 F307 , 77 8900 otawl 1 F.` 07 177 8' 910 F ;eau kelli.cartmill(@hilton.com www.ithaca.hqi.com iIton] Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection is setting a new standard for hotel cleanliness and disinfection. le anSta Learn more by visiting: http_. www.hilton.co _y I lar; 11rral�sirnur;ucain IS 110f ra riigIi al 01 o'k."C 1,01do uigilatuil"(., ral�d Cam lo� II ¢.,scd Io roan docuir'wcmt, of a7utl enflr;n�fc, ra Colt k`act 14i11on rainy Its affihates rar,r7r?pa no h ability al ish q ii I ruin Hntnrrl With I 's li ansmisr;icaii" Oopyi ghl 021 l fNoi � I'ropi ictrai y and Ooi �1iricu�inflr l Paulette Rosa From: Mildred Elizabeth Sanders <mes14@cornell.edu> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 2:02 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: your Thurs. meeting on short-term rentals Hello Paulette. What issues do you think will be discussed tomorrow in the committee on short-term rentals? Will they consider any limitations, any neighborhood characteristics (like historic districts, density/crowding, parking limitations, noise concerns, etc)? Can an AirB&B rental be allowed in any family house, anywhere, any time? And can only FAMILIES do short-term rentals? Thanks for information. Best, Elizabeth 1 Paulette Rosa From: Karolina Hubner <kh753@cornell.edu> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 7:10 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: comments for Short Term Rental Committee for July 22 meeting Dear Ms Rosa, Please kindly forward this to the Short Term Rental Committee for tomorrow's meeting. Thank you, Karolina Dear Short Term Rental Committee Members, I'm writing in reference to the Short Term Rental law under discussion. I'm a homeowner in the Forest Home neighborhood, in an enclave of about 10 houses along a one -lane private road called The Byway. I'm would like to express a very strong concern about the potential negative impact of allowing for short term rentals on our street and others like it. The Byway is a very dense miniature neighborhood of mostly small 19th century houses situated very close to one another, all accessible solely through a single, very narrow, unpaved U- shaped road. My concern is twofold. First, and most importantly, I'm afraid that allowing for short term rentals in our little area means exacerbating already significant parking and passing problems. A single additional car by a visitor or a service provider already makes it difficult to find a place to park and for other cars to get by on the Byway. There is unfortunately no room to create additional parking spaces, as we are locked in on one side by the creek and on the other by Forest Home Drive. To be clear, this is not just a matter of inconvenience -- I'm primarily worried about access for emergency vehicles. In an exercise by the fire department a few years ago a small firetruck had difficulty getting through to the houses when there were any cars parked on the Byway. I'm terrified that one night an ambulance or another fire truck won't be able to get to one of us. Short term visitors are unlikely to be familiar with the potential difficulties of access for emergency vehicles and so are unlikely to take that into consideration when parking. When I first moved to this neighborhood, I myself inadvertently parked in a way that effectively blocked others from exiting. So, without any bad intentions, adding additional cars is bound to create difficulties and potentially even genuine harm. Second, I would very much like you to take into consideration the unique historical character of this tiny, quiet community, which seems to me worthy of care and preservation, in place of encouraging further redevelopment and transient habitation. In sum, I would urge you to consider our neighborhood and others like it as distinctive cases when drafting the law. At minimum, any permitted short term rentals should in my view offer a specific plan for how they will avoid contributing to existing problems of car and parking congestion. Thank you for taking my concerns into consideration, Best regards, Karolina Hubner Karolina Hubner Associate Professor Director of Graduate Studies Sage School of Philosophy Cornell University Cornell University is located on the traditional homelands of the Gayogoho-ng' (the Cayuga Nation). The Gayogoho-ng' are members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, an alliance of six sovereign Nations with a historic and contemporary presence on this land. The Confederacy precedes the establishment of Cornell University, New York State, and the United States of America. We acknowledge the painful history of Gayogoho.nq' dispossession, and honor the ongoing connection of Gayogoho-ng' people, past and present, to these lands and waters. Paulette Rosa From: Mildred Elizabeth Sanders <mes14@cornell.edu> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 11:48 PM To: Paulette Rosa Subject: comment on short-term rental laws Dear Ms. Rosa and Short-term Rental Committee, Town/city rules about short-term rentals can be highly significant when they change the character of a neighborhood and allow some neighbors to augment their incomes at the expense of others. This may happen to our old mill village where two households have already been permitted, with little notice to others, to create new rental apartments in an already densely populated area with a paucity of parking spaces on a tiny, narrow road-- making it very difficult for emergency vehicles to get to some houses. Densely populated areas in unique historic districts should not be forced to undergo such transformations. They reduce quality of life and the value of non -rental homes. People who bought homes near the creek for their unique history, natural views and abundant trees and wildlife will now find their road marked by noisy short-term rental apartments. The committee should consider the quality of life reductions caused by turning a historic neighborhood into a congested rental area. It should look carefully at such unique neighborhoods and imagine how they are going to be changed by short-term rental units. There is no good reason to force all neighborhoods to become crowded, noisy, and barely accessible places. Historic neighborhoods should be allowed to maintain their unique character. Otherwise, what is the point of historical designations? Sincerely, Mildred E. Sanders 16 The Byway Ithaca, NY 1 Paulette Rosa From: Marcelo Aguiar <ma18@cornell.edu> Sent: Wednesday, July 21, 2021 6:56 PM To: Paulette Rosa Cc: Mildred Elizabeth Sanders; Karolina Hubner Subject: comments for the Short Term Rental Committee Dear Paulette Rosa, I would like to offer input toward the drafting of the Short Term Rental law for the Town of Ithaca. I hope the law includes restrictions or prohibitions of such rentals in certain residential areas where they would have a negative impact on the quiet character of the neighborhood, increase traffic and parking demand, all leading to a loss of life quality for the residents and a decrease of property values. One such area is the nook known as The Byway, a part of the historic Forest Home neighborhood, where I reside. This is a quiet family neighborhood, yet the houses are densely packed in a small area, so the addition of new long or short term residents is certainly going to be felt by everyone. Driving in and out of The Byway is often difficult and complicated by the absence of parking options for visitors and residents alike. Opening the area to renters with unpredictable driving and parking habits would only worsen this problem. One important related issue is the lack of proper access for emergency vehicles to the area. This would also be made worse. Thank you, Marcelo Aguiar 12 the Byway