Today’s guest columnist is Maury Shevin.
The City Council of Birmingham appears to be wrestling with the issue of permitting Short Term Rentals (think VRBO and Airbnb) within residential neighborhoods of the City zoned for single families. Why this “no brainer” issue has so tied up the Council in knots is beyond reason.
Residential neighborhoods are the life blood of any city. The safety and security that comes with knowing one’s neighbors cannot be overstated as contributing to quality of life. Short term rentals are a clear and present danger to residential neighborhoods.
Those who operate short term rentals are engaged in business—nothing more, and nothing less. With very limited exception, businesses are not allowed within zoned single-family, residential neighborhoods. Zoning laws are self-imposed by local governments for very good and valid reasons.
The reason that some Councilors seem to support STRs is based on the belief that homeowners should be able to profit from their properties. Profiting from one’s investments is laudable. But, creating a business in a single-family residential neighborhood is not.
We have a long tradition in our country of placing reasonable limitations on what activities can be conducted within residential neighborhoods. It is fundamental that business activities that alter the character of a residential neighborhood cannot and should not be permitted.
Some Councilors apparently are listening to the voices of short term rental company representatives and property owners, both local and not so local investors, who want to turn a profit from their properties—without regard to such activities destroying the peace and sanctity of their neighbors. This is wrong on so many levels. Do these Councilors want City residents to move to the suburban cities outside of Birmingham—where short term rentals in single family neighborhoods don’t exist?
Do they understand that inviting short term rental ownership into neighborhoods diminishes affordable housing by pricing out families seeking permanent housing in our City—at least until the neighborhood becomes so untenable that prices collapse?
It has been argued that reasonable enforcement regulations can be imposed on property owners within residential neighborhoods that would control the abuses of short term rentals. Depending upon enforcement of such regulations in our City is a fool’s errand. We have trouble enough enforcing the ordinances that are on the books as a result our understaffed departments including sanitation, parks & recreation, code enforcement, traffic and police. To place the burden of enforcement on neighbors and neighborhood associations is an absurd proposition.
Any attempt to fine-tune a regulation that permits short term rentals in single family neighborhoods is an invitation to disaster. Sometimes there are absolute rights, and absolute wrongs. Running a business within a single-family residential neighborhood is just wrong.
The Birmingham City Council needs to listen to the overwhelming cries of residents who are unalterably opposed to short term rentals in their neighborhoods.
Otherwise, the Council makes a mockery of Birmingham’s “Putting People First” tag line.
Maury Shevin—passionate about the City of Birmingham–lives, works, thinks and plays on Birmingham’s Southside.
David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
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