Editor,
This last week the city of Anaheim voted on a total ban on short-term rentals. What does the city council of Anaheim know that our city council doesn’t? Is their city council so progressive in their thinking that they have come to this conclusion without looking at all the possible ideas about this issue? If a large city like Anaheim thinks it is in the best interest of its citizens, why would it work just fine in a small city like ours in Laguna Beach? It will not, and trying to regulate it rather then ban it will be a nightmare for our city.
Billy Fried’s article on short term rentals this last week is hopeful we can all just get along. His claim that he has no skin in the game is untrue because he mentions he knows people who go out to the hot desert and rent out their homes to raise extra income. I say he is advocating for friends and has a conflict of interest because he has a very public forum to express his point of view.
As an artist that moved here more then 30 years ago I can say that at that time I was able to rent a studio apartment for a modest $125 a month, utilities included, in North Laguna. Today, I doubt a young artist could find that studio for a $1,000. Why would a landlord even offer it for that amount when they could use Airbnb to get $500 a weekend? If you want to see an end to the art colony of Laguna Beach, push for short-term rentals. If you think the quality of life here is worth saving then show up in force at the Susi Q Center, on Thursday, July 14, at 4 p.m. for the sub-committee meeting.
David Milton, Laguna Beach
