GUEST COMMENTARY

DAVID HUNTER

As some of you may know, the problem of short-term transient rentals, also know as “vacation home rentals,” continues to roil the tranquil residential neighborhoods of Vero Beach. Especially in the beachside areas, investor “property owners” are seeking to buy and convert single family residential houses into motel-like daily and weekly rental units.

In the past year, there have been over 300 such “vacation house rentals” offered in Vero Beach and surrounding areas, including many in Central Beach, RioMar, and South Beach. This past February, one such vacation rental owner hosted a Miami teenager crime wave which terrorized residents of Central Beach. He rented through AirB&B and didn’t even know the names or ages of his “guests.”

The City of Vero Beach has had, since the mid-1980s, a Zoning Code on its books that states that transient guest houses can only be opened and operated in areas zoned “Commercial.” Yet the profit (or greed) of investors motivates them to disregard our Code, or find loopholes to abuse it.

Several years ago, after the John and Tracy Carroll attempt to claim the Code was too vague to enforce, our city attorney, at the request of the City Council, wrote clarifications to help any other confused would-be profiteer to better understand what short term and transient means when operating a ‘Public Guest House’. Even with that clarification provided, a recent “vacation rental owner,” Charles Fitz, continued to offer his two rental homes in Central Beach openly on websites for daily/weekly rental, even publishing guest stay reviews. He was cited with and assed the City’s newly increased fines, now running $500/day for continued violations. But rather than desist, Fitz hired a attorney to fight our Code.

Fitz and his attorney just completed an administrative appeal up to and through the City Council level, where at each level (Code Enforcement Board, Planning and Zoning Director, P&Z Committee, and City Council) his appeal was rejected. The next step is likely to be Fitz’s further appeal to the County Courts. (He lost an emergency injunctive relief appeal at County Court even before the P&Z Director’s appeal was decided).

What makes all this so important is that the City Council’s recent vote against Mr. Fitz and what he represents — investors turning our residential neighborhoods into unregulated ‘hotel’ districts — was just 3-1. Councilmembers Winger, Old and Graves rejected Fitz’s appeal. But Councilwoman Pilar Turner, who first stated that she too was against having short term rentals in her neighorhood, shockingly then voted for Fitz, saying that the Code was unenforceable! Fortunately, the City Council majority continues to act to keep financial profiteers from destroying the fabric of our neighborhood communities. (Can you call someone who unpacks a suitcase for a long weekend your neighbor? Can you call an owner-investor who rents his property to strangers by the day your neighbor?)

With the upcoming November elections for City Council, it is imperative that citizens ask the candidates where they stand on this important issue. Incumbents Mayor Winger and Councilwoman Graves have made their positions clear, to strongly support maintaining the integrity of our residential neighborhoods by keeping “Public Transient Lodging Facilities” (as they are so defined by Fla. Statute 509.242 (1) “Public Lodging Establishments”, section 1—a. Hotel, b. Motel, c. Vacation Rental, etc) out of our residential-zoned neighborhoods. But what of Laura Moss and Harry Howell, who are also running for City Council? Where do they stand on allowing vacation home rentals and other transient lodging? Votes have a right to know.