To the editor:
At a recent City Council meeting, someone in the audience stated (soto voce) that since Gerry and I rent our house part time to others, we don’t “understand” the village and are just in it for the money. Gerry chuckled and whispered to me, “I’ll bet we’ve buried more friends in this town than she has now …”
We’ve owned our home and other properties in town for more than 20 years. Initially it was a second home for us. Upon retirement we became full time residents. Now we live near our kids, grandkids, and better medical facilities. To help defray the taxes and maintenance costs, we rent our Yachats home when our family and friends aren’t enjoying it.
So for the relative newcomers to our village and on the City Council, let me talk about the last time Yachats got caught up in a battle over private property rights.
Back in the 1980’s, a determined local decided that it would be nice if the 804 Trail could be extended southward along the edge of the bluff from the Adobe Motel to Yachats State Park at the mouth of the Yachats River. Never mind that the land she wanted to use for the trail was private property owned by residents of the Ocean Crest subdivision. This visionary person decided that private property rights meant nothing to the public interest and she managed to raise enough money from outside interests to keep the issue alive in the courts for years.
Gratefully the City Council chose to protect the interests of its citizenry and fought the lawsuits and endless appeals. Ultimately the courts decided in favor of private property rights. A compromise was reached to purchase a couple of public right of way access points and to create a walking path on public property along Ocean View Drive. This litigation required massive amounts of council time, wasted tens of thousands of tax dollars, and had a serious impact on property values.
With its recent actions regarding vacation rental policy, our City Council has taken the risk of inciting another round of lawsuits regarding private property rights. Should we be allowed to rent our homes to tourists as we have for decades? Instead of defending the rights of its citizenry, the council is leading the attack, creating discord between otherwise law abiding neighbors.
Yachats has been a tourist destination since the Native Americans gathered every year to catch salmon and collect clams and mussels. The shell middens that still remain are a testament to the success of the early trade. Today the lodging and restaurant taxes paid by tourists fund a large portion of the city budget, reducing our property tax burden. Why kill the Golden Goose?
Is this dispute the highest and best use of our time and tax dollars? Let’s use some common sense. If we have law enforcement problems, let’s address them with law enforcement. Surely it will be more cost effective to simply enforce standard codes of conduct regarding parking, noise abatement, or creating a public nuisance.
Another expensive round of litigation serves no one but the attorneys. Why pass rules that sow dissension, are difficult to enforce, and are likely unconstitutional?
— Douglas Cochrane, Yachats