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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023-546 Ramirez, Jonathan From:Connie Crisp <cocrisp@gmail.com> Sent:Thursday, March 30, 2023 10:14 PM To:Agenda Item Comment Cc:Planning Shared Subject:CUP-2023-008 opposition to short term housing on townhomes on Fletcher CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the City of Fayetteville. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. To City Council: My name is Connie Crisp. I live at 1040 Rodgers Drive. I am opposed to short term rentals of the town houses on Fletcher for the following reasons: 1. These homes were marketed as workforce housing for the folks who work and live in Fayetteville. The neighborhood did not want a rezoning but was grateful for the opportunity for the residents of Fayetteville to acquire affordable housing since Fayetteville has an affordable housing problem. As stated by a neighbor, Justin Minkel in the Dem Gazette, “ I think we all came to peace with the idea that we were doing this sacrifice, whether we want to or not, for a good reason. We’re going to increase housing, we’re going to increase workforce housing.”(March 5, 2023) The town homes sold for $370,000.00 and up. This is not affordable housing . Fayetteville planning sighted as a guide for affordable housing the HUD affordable housing formula in which 30% of household income is used for housing. Hypothetically, if you bought a townhome for $450,000.00, put down 20%, at an 7% interest mortgage then your payment would be approximately (with tax and insurance)about $3000.00 per month. If this is 30% of household income, then you need an income of $10,000 per month or $120,000 a year. Other considerations can be put in the formula like two incomes or multiple children which could make this payment more or less difficult. Regardless, the median household income in Fayetteville in 2021 (latest I could get) is about $52,000. I am sure it is a little more now. The numbers don’t work yet the developer of the townhomes stated in in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette that “the project delivered what the city wanted. Homes in the area, many which lie within the Washington- Willow Historic district to the west, are typically worth more than $1 million. By that measure, the townhomes are comparably affordable.”(March 5, 2023) I completely disagree with the builders statement. Where’s the research and spreadsheet? What does a million dollars have to do with workforce housing? How could these homes ever be considered workforce housing?Where is the accountability of the developer? These town homes are not in the historic district. These homes were pushed as workforce affordable for Fayetteville residents. Yet, they are not affordable to a majority of people who live in Fayetteville. 2. What does an Airbnb have to do with affordable housing? Even if someone could afford to live in one of the townhomes, they would not be able to because the town homes are short term rentals. 3. We have vibrant healthy neighborhoods in Fayetteville. Too many short term rentals take away from community and commitment in a neighborhood and in a city. Oftentimes, the owners of short term rentals are solely investors who can live anywhere in the world and have no ties with the vibrancy and funkiness of Fayetteville. As an example of this lack of respect for neighborhoods, I am sending pictures of the garbage cans in front of the townhomes on Fletcher that are always on the sidewalks, in the streets, or by the stairs. As you can see by the pictures and the dates, many of the trash cans have first and second offenses on them and some have letters from the city that are sent after second offenses. The common thread is none of them are put behind the fences as mandated by the city, and everyone in the neighborhood has to see them, walk around them, trip over them, avoid them in the roads, etc. There is a 12 hour time frame for putting up your trash cans. Neighbors put up their trash cans, a group of Fletcher townhome owners do not. I would also like to address the people who bought these townhomes as an investment. 1 Investments are never a certainty and can be wonderful or can be disappointing. It’s always best to do your homework before you make your investment. For example, make a purchase contingent upon approval of the city for an Airbnb. Regardless, the owners lack of foresight should not be the problem of the neighborhood, (nor should the garbage cans.) 4. I am not opposed to having some short term rentals in Fayetteville if the rental is compatible with the area. There is a procedure in place. The City Council recently amended the short term rental ordinance to give the Planning Commission the authority to deny a conditional use permit request for short term rentals for various reasons such as density, traffic problems, parking spaces, compatibility, etc. On Monday, February 27, the Planning Commission denied 2 short term rental requests on Fletcher with only one affirming vote. At the next meeting on March 13, the Planning Commission denied another short term rental on Fletcher with a 100% vote to deny the short term rentals. The Fletcher town homes have multiple issues regarding short term rentals that the commission looked at and ultimately decided that short term rentals at the Fletcher townhomes were not compatible. I certainly believe in due process for the owners, but I would hope you will consider the judgement of the planning commission in determining the compatibility for short term rentals on Fletcher since you have given them the authority to make these decisions. 5. I would also like to address the Fayetteville hotel industry which is a strong tax revenue for the city and ask if the industry and the city are hurt by the recent rise of short term rentals. Hotels pay taxes to the city. I wonder how many illegal short term rentals there are in Fayetteville that are not registered and are not paying taxes. It seems hotels would be more profitable and a better fit for Fayetteville. 6. I would like for the city council to consider a revision of the short term rental ordinance to include more specifics on compatibility within a neighborhood, more input from neighbors, accountability for following the ordinance and consequences for failure to follow the ordinance. Furthermore, consider an elimination on short term rentals of new housing for a certain amount of years which could eliminate building for the sole purpose of short term rentals and make available long term rentals or purchases by the residents of Fayetteville which will move housing in a positive direction. The pictures and dates of the trash cans on Fletcher will be in a separate email. D’Andre Jones, Sonia Harvey and Sara Moore have copies of all my prior correspondence with the planning commission. I stand by all that correspondence. Sincerely, Connie Crisp Sent from my iPad 2