While we in Talbot County might think that the issue of short-term rentals (STRs) is local, municipalities all over the country are now regulating STRs by listening and incorporating local neighborhood concerns. Not here in Talbot County. “Neighborhoods are for Neighbors” (NrN) has been involved in this issue, at the local level since the beginning of the debate.
NrN has never asked for a ban; only for common sense regulations. For example, we suggested tying the length of a lease to the closeness of the adjoining home – the closer the home the longer the lease. This was well received by the county’s consultant. We recommended that only Talbot County principle residents could obtain a license, allowing local citizens the ability to share their home and earn additional income. This would prevent outside investors buying up property and turning neighborhoods into hotel zones. This was proposed as an amendment, but Councilmen Callahan, Pack and Williams bowed to special interests and defeated the amendment.
The Talbot Planning Commission and Planning and Zoning approved a 500-foot separation between STR’s and proof of insurance for the STR. Both were removed by a last-minute amendment submitted by Williams and supported by Callahan and Pack.
During this process Williams said, a good bill will be one that the both sides dislike. Assuredly, this should have meant a compromise, which is the essence of democracy. This didn’t happen, the Mid-Shore Board of Realtors president was quoted in the Star Democrat as saying “The broad part of it is, we are very happy at the way the short-term rental was voted on…”
Many candidates state that they listen to constituent concerns, but Callahan, Pack and Williams rammed this through with as little public input as possible and in the end virtually none of our concerns were incorporated into the final bill. On the other hand, Council woman Price has listened and acted on our concerns. At a community meeting with over 30 Rio Vista and Bentley Hay families, Both Price and Callahan saw how close these properties are to one another and acknowledged that there should be an exception for our type of neighborhood. We asked Callahan to introduce an amendment after he suggested we make STR a non-permitted use in our Town Residential zone, just like St. Michaels had done in their residential zone. After hearing nothing from him we asked Laura Price and she acted. It failed due to lack of support from Williams, Pack, and Callahan.
Laura Price will get all our votes for being sensitive to our concerns about the STR problem. Lesher will get our vote for work he’s done on STR’s, Hyman and Haythe will get our vote because they have pledged not cave to special interests.
Your vote will decide the direction of our county. Will we have a county government that listens to resident concerns and acts upon them or continues to cater to special interests?
Ambassador (retired) Peter F. Romero
St. Michaels
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