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Home My WebLink About040625 email - RE_ Additional Comments regarding the Planning Commissions recommendations on STRs in Jefferson CountyALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them. Dear Commissioner, Below are my comments that I sent on 3/3/25 regarding my views on the Short Term Rentals regulation updates. I share these with you both as a reminder of my opinions, as well as reminder that the Planning Commission (PC) was not in consensus about the final recommendations made to the BoCC. The recommendations presented were a compromise negotiated by and then voted upon by the PC. I’m also not sure if PC Chair Hull has updated the BoCC that I will be attending the 2:30pm meeting tomorrow regarding STRs in his place. At last Wednesday’s PC meeting Chair Hull asked if I could step in for Kevin Coker who wasn’t available. At the time I had a conflict but I was able to resolve it and I emailed Chair Hull asking if he still wanted me to be the District 3 PC representative at the meeting and he indicated he did. I will be happy to address any of the points I made in my email below dated 3/3/25. In addition I’m going to add just a few more points for your consideration. First I will point you to my highlighted comment below in my prior email, and reiterate that I do see and understand the need to regulate and control Short Term Rentals. I support that effort if it can be done effectively. I do have concerns about the County being able to do this effectively. Here is a bulleted summary of my primary concerns: * Concerned about the impact this will have on Tourism, especially the South County area * Concerned about the ability to enforce the new regulations, along with proper oversight and accountability. Without effective enforcement and accountability it equals more of the same as I see it, or perhaps an even bigger problem. * It does not really do much to help the housing crisis, which is in need of a focused solution that can be executed. I don’t believe limiting STRs even begins to address the housing issue in the county, again especially the South County area * At last Wednesday's PC meeting I raised/asked the question; “How did we get to almost 500 un-permited STRs?” I’ve asked a question similar to this at one of the GMA Steering Committee meetings regarding the updating of the County Comprehensive Plan. “What lessons were learned from the past?” Personally I don’t like to get bogged down in the mistakes made in the past, rather what did we learn from those mistakes moving forward. Perhaps DCD has done this analysis and I don’t know it, but I don’t believe I have seen or heard any explanation about how this problem got so large and out of control (my opinion perhaps). * I understand you must begin somewhere, that the numbers though questionable in my opinion, are not exactly accurate but you have to make some kind of estimate to address the STR regulations. That said, it is very important I think that a future review date be scheduled as part of this process. Maybe 2-3 years to determine if the new regulations are working or not, and to consider adjustments if needed. I believe that was included in the PC recommendations. Thank you again in advance for considering my comments both above and below. I will welcome your questions at the continued STR deliberations tomorrow. Regards, Andrew ====== Andrew Schwartz Brinnon Resident Lazy C Club HOA President Ex. Director: North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce Member: Jeffco 2025 Growth Management Act Steering Committee Jefferson County District 3 Planning Commissioner as2020@me.com PO BOX 509 Brinnon, WA 98320 O# (603) 296-1044 C# (603) 305-8531 Begin forwarded message: From: Andrew Schwartz <as2020@me.com> Subject: Additional Comments regarding the Planning Commissions recommendations on STRs in Jefferson County Date: March 3, 2025 at 9:02:27 AM PST To: jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us Dear Commissioners, I wanted to add my personal point of view regarding the recommendations being presented to the BoCC by the Planning Commission (PC) on Short Term Rentals in Jefferson County today. Though I agree there is a need to regulate and have reasonable limits on Short Term Rentals, and the clear need for STRs to be properly permitted and safe, I have concerns about the execution of the recommendations. I do not align with the Planning Commission 100% on the recommendations being presented today. · I’m concerned about the capacity of the DCD to actually implement and regulate the new STR requirements. o I don’t believe DCD will be properly staffed to hold Jefferson County Residents accountable to the new STR requirements. o I worry that the County and DCD will not effectively get the messaging out regarding the new permitting requirements and the residents won’t know about it. Without effective messaging and oversight STR property owners won’t pay any attention to the permitting requirements, as many don’t now. - DCD currently estimates over 400 STRs in JeffCo that are not currently permitted and that only around 29 STRs are. - If these new regulations are not properly implemented with effective oversight, they will have little to no impact, which is the current state of affairs in my opinion. o The voted upon recommendation of 4% of total housing units number being the limit of county STRs by the Planning Commission does consider the 400+ unpermitted STRs. - It seems that the county does not have a 100% accurate picture of how many housing units are in the county and how to best measure that number. Meaning do you use the Tax Assessor’s numbers, the US Census numbers, or the OFM numbers. It was determined that the OFM numbers are likely the most current by the PC. Is this accurate? · I also worry about how the distribution of limited STRs in JeffCo will be implemented. South County specifically I think, has a larger concentration of unpermitted STRs due to the lack of hotel accommodations in the area. Tourism and its economic impact are essential factors for South County. If there are limits creating fewer South County STRs that will likely create fewer places for tourists to stay in South County and less tourist spending there too. · Perhaps limiting STRs will create some new long-term rental opportunities that currently don’t exist? But I don’t believe it will help solve the county’s housing crisis, and I don’t think that many of the STRs that could become long-term rental opportunities will fall into the category of “affordable housing.” These are some of my primary concerns about the PC’s recommendations to the BoCC regarding STRs. I will add that it also concerns me when government limits how people can make investments and generate revenue for themselves. As always thank you for considering my comments in your decision making. Regards, Andrew Schwartz ==== Brinnon Resident Lazy C Club HOA President Board Member: North Hood Canal Chamber of Commerce Member: 2025 Growth Management Act Steering Committee Jefferson County District 3 Planning Commissioner as2020@me.com <mailto:as2020@me.com> PO BOX 509 Brinnon, WA 98320 O# (603) 296-1044 C# (603) 305-8531 GKAR46HBoLCICSuMOY/v///wEiCwiAkrjDmP7///8BUgASEi8vZW1haWwvaW5ib3gvYm9keRqsAw0KDQpCZWxvdyBhcmUgbXkgY29tbWVudHMgdGhhdCBJIHNlbnQgb24gMy8zLzI1IHJlZ2FyZGluZyBteSB2aWV3cyBvbiB0aGUgU2hvcnQgVGVybSBSZW50YWxzI HJlZ3VsYXRpb24gdXBkYXRlcy4gSSBzaGFyZSB0aGVzZSB3aXRoIHlvdSBib3RoIGFzIGEgcmVtaW5kZXIgb2YgbXkgb3BpbmlvbnMsIGFzIHdlbGwgYXMgcmVtaW5kZXIgdGhhdCB0aGUgUGxhbm5pbmcgQ29tbWlzc2lvbiAoUEMpIHdhcyBub3QgaW4gY29uc2Vu c3VzIGFib3V0IHRoZSBmaW5hbCByZWNvbW1lbmRhdGlvbnMgbWFkZSB0byB0aGUgQm9DQy4gVGhlIHJlY29tbWVuZGF0aW9ucyBwcmVzZW50ZWQgd2VyZSBhIGNvbXByb21pc2UgbmVnb3RpYXRlZCBieSBhbmQgdGhlbiB2b3RlZCB1cG9uIGJ5IHRoZSBQQy4NCg0 KSeKAmW0gYWxzbyBub3Qgc3VyZSBpZiBQQyBDaGFpciBIdWxsIg4KBIADggMSBOsC/gIaAHp9CgJQQxITUGxhbm5pbmcgQ29tbWlzc2lvbhgBKAE6E1BsYW5uaW5nIENvbW1pc3Npb25CAmVuSgMwLjBSQDE1M2M0MmQ5NjgzMDMzYzNkZjg4ZTY4NDkwMjM3MTAyMD U0YmRkNTMzYjc5Nzc5NGU1M2Y0ZjYxZWY4ZjhjMTI=", "@EntityId": "bd9bc979-cf87-42bc-bb02-655666ea3445", "@correlationTrail": "AssetId=15c661d2-b5e7-438b-9b48-da683fed48c6;ExtractionId=6b3347d0-c8b0-407e-9a 7f-39d6243b4690;EntityId=bd9bc979-cf87-42bc-bb02-655666ea3445", "@extractionTimeUtc": "2025-04-07T00:00:38.949856Z", "@extractionInfra": "AcronymExtractionPolymerProcessor"}]