Flower girls love the library
Last week’s paper featured three girls holding armfuls of paper flowers that they and other volunteers had made at the library to decorate the route of the Apple Blossom parade. We received this nice thank you and shout out to the library from one of the girls’ parents:
EDITOR: Thank you for featuring the girls in your newspaper. We are big fans of the library and all that they do! I was introduced to the ukulele by the library. My daughter has improved her reading and math because of the library. She even sewed her own reversible bag courtesy of the library. They are so much more than just research and books. They are part of the community … through them we are more interesting and engaging participants in said community. Thank you for featuring them.
Jen Gamboa
Sebastopol
Vacation rentals in Sebastopol
EDITOR: Recently I learned that the city of Sebastopol allows non-hosted vacation rentals in residential neighborhoods (if a permit is granted by the city). A non-hosted vacation rental is a home where the owner or agent lives elsewhere, not on the property where the vacation rental is located.
On the street where I live, a house was recently purchased by a real estate agent, who applied for and received a permit for a non-hosted vacation rental from the Sebastopol Planning Commission
According to the City of Sebastopol’s Information on Vacation Rentals document that I found online, the city’s intention is to “promote visitor-serving businesses while preserving the character of residential neighborhoods” and “preserving the supply of permanent housing.”
Most of us know that there is a severe shortage of rental housing in our area. If non-hosted short-term rentals to tourists are allowed, obviously there will be even fewer rentals available to long-term residents.
Also, allowing groups of tourists to be frequently moving in and out of homes in residential neighborhoods is not good for the neighborhood. Long-term residents value knowing who lives in each house, often even helping each other out and establishing friendships. Losing even one house on the street to non-residential use can detract from the pleasure and security of living in a real neighborhood.
Neighborhoods like mine near the center of downtown may seem desirable for tourist rentals. But more importantly, they are excellent locations for long-term residents who work at or patronize downtown businesses because no driving is required.
I hope that the Sebastopol City Council and the planning commission will take a good look, as soon as possible, at the question of whether non-hosted vacation rentals should be permitted at all. I feel fine about living in a tourist destination, but when it comes to preserving housing and neighborhoods, I think the needs of residents should always be the most important consideration.
Janet Peterson
Sebastopol
Health district website is dishonest
EDITOR: The Palm Drive Health Care District website is prima facie evidence that the district cannot put forth an honest statement. Specifically, in the very first paragraph, they identify communities from Forestville to Jenner as communities that they serve. These are the very communities that detached from the district with the recordation of LAFCO Resolution No. 2664 on Feb. 2, 2017. Subsequently, LAFCO changed the SOI (sphere of influence) to eliminate the detached River communities from the district sphere. Their claim of service is false. Did they make the usual claim of helping during the recent flood? No, because they did not help. Further, false information is shown in the website when they show a monthly meeting of the governing body. It has not ever held a meeting. Get honest PDHCD and eliminate these lies from your website.
Gary Harris
Forestville
