Letters and commentaries - Big Bear Private Home Issues Home
| The following letter was sent to the Grizzly on July 13: Dear Ms. Bower: In your article on July 12, Wheeler incorrectly contends that vacation rentals were built here long before the Lodges. Oak Knoll Lodge was built in the 1920s and was the first Lodge that travelers would encounter as they drove into the valley from Mill Creek Road, the main road into Big Bear (then known as Pine Knot) at the time. I wonder if Wheeler or Reid know of ANY vacation rentals built before 1920? You can read up on ACTUAL Big Bear Lake history here: http://www.big-bear-lake.com/History.htm As for Perry's arguments, of course homeowners have the right to rent their properties -- they simply should have to follow the law. And, even if "[s]tatistics show that vacation rental stays account for about 70 nights a year, meaning for almost 300 nights the house is empty or the owner is using it" they are not complying with the laws that every Lodge has to comply with for those 70 nights. Regardless of the economic impact of the proposed ballot measure, we wouldn't let brothels operate illegally just because they inflate home prices or bring in a couple more million annually on things such as (legal) recreation, dining, shopping and other discretionary items. Lastly, I bet the Sheriff's Department can tell you whether every vacation rental is such a "great neighbor”. Maybe you should have interviewed some deputies responding to late-night, drunken parties in otherwise quiet neighborhoods, or an actual Lodge owner, for the other side of this story. Sincerely, Charles Lawrence |