Property rights fall within the guidelines of zoning. Yes on Measure T protects your property right to not have a motel next door to you. The idea is that residential zoning is for residents. Vacation Home Rentals are businesses. They need a license and pay taxes. Unlike normal home-based businesses, the owner of a VHR does not live there, nor is he on the premises during “business hours.” The owner lives somewhere else, and a very good chance not next door to a VHR.

VHRs are investment properties. They are second, third and fourth homes. The property rights of a primary residence in a residential zone supersedes those of any business.

Measure T is more than fair. It gives VHR owners three years to decide what to do with their business/investment. Where do you get a three-year heads up on your investment? Certainly not in the stock market. Not anywhere.

Workers also get their VHR owner’s potential three years to decide what to do about their jobs. Once again, as a worker bee, where do you get a three-year heads up to make a change?

BTW, Measure T does not affect hosted/shared rentals. A hosted rental is not a VHR. A hosted rental is the owner’s primary residence and the owner is in attendance when renters are there. We have many Airbnb hosted rentals in town and they are not affected by Measure T.

Going forward, there may be some additional areas in SLT that are conducive to residential-commercial zoning. Let’s get VHRs out of our residential neighborhoods, then identify those areas and start over with proper zoning first.

Vote Yes on T.

Carole Beller

South Lake Tahoe, California