YES TO MONTHLY RENTALS - NO TO NIGHTLY RENTALS IN OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS
From Hawaiian Dictionary by Pukui and Elbert
mā.lama
1. nvt. To take care of, tend, attend, care for, preserve, protect, beware, save, maintain; to keep or observe, as a taboo; to conduct, as a service; to serve, honor, as God; care, preservation, support, fidelity, loyalty; custodian, caretaker, keeper.
At this time there is significant pressure on our Planning Commission and City Council to change the existing code to allow overnight/transient rentals in our Leavenworth residential neighborhoods. Turning our homes into hotels in the residential neighborhoods. We believe that this would be a detriment to our beautiful village in the mountains. We are a prominent destination for outdoor recreation, shopping, dining, wine and beer tasting, hiking, river rafting and rock climbing. Much of our daily lives are impacted by vacationing visitors. Many businesses thrive and grow.
Balance is the key to a healthy way of life. As a coalition are trying to conserve and protect, mālama, our very small residential neighborhoods. To protect what little space we have left for our homes and families, free from overnight/transient rentals.
This from a fine letter to the City Council on June 28, 2016.
"The residential restriction area is ridiculously small. Consider:
*The area encompassed by the Cascade School District (what we usually refer to as the Upper Valley) is about 1,170 square miles, or 748,800 acres, probably 20% is inhabited, or about 150,000 acres.
*The entire city is 1.23 square miles, or about 788 acres (this excludes water)
*Over half (54%) of Leavenworth is commercial or zoned TO ALLOW nightly rentals.
*The residential zone where nightly rentals are prohibited is 366 acres (from Nate Pate, less than 1/2 square mile). 46% of the city, far less than 1% of the inhabited Upper Valley.
*The conversation should be on how to maintain and grow the quality of residential in this TINY zone, NOT giving over to tourist trade the last bit of a place trying to be a real village."
- John Agnew
We will be in your neighborhood soon with our Petition to the City to continue to:
SAY YES TO MONTHLY RENTALS - NO TO NIGHTLY RENTALS IN OUR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.
Write letters to Leavenworth City Council members www.cityofleavenworth.com
Write letters to both the Leavenworth Echo and the Wenatchee World with copies to the City Council.
Attend City Council Meetings July 12 and 26th.
Talk to your neighbors about this possible major change to our lives.
If you support our vision call me at 509-433-2211 to have the Petition brought to your home.
With deep aloha,
Momi
