Hague holds public hearing for Short-Term Rental Ordinance

HAGUE | On Thursday, July 27, the Town of Hague proved what residents and the Town Board are so passionately fighting to preserve in the ongoing Short-Term Rental Ordinance the town is considering adopting- a small hamlet where neighborly goodwill reigns supreme. As the population of Hague finally had their say at the Public Hearing to discuss how the ordinance would impact properties owners on both sides of the fence, the theme of the night that revealed itself over the span of two hours was the old-fashioned notion of simply "going over the fence" to problem solve. Though the best interest and economic stability and growth of the town was at the forefront of everyone's mind, there was still a great divide of opinion on just what the right course of action should be. The concept of short-term rentals is by no means new to Hague (Benjamin Franklin even stayed there in 1757 for a few days), the 58 short-term rentals (STR) in Hague by far outnumber traditional commercial rental properties and motels (a STR is defined as a period of less than 28 days). Considered the new tourist accommodation, STRs are an inarguable source of revenue, some residents expressed their belief that though they shouldn't necessarily be subject to the same guidelines as commercial properties, for safety reasons alone some regulatory measures need to be put in place. "If any town in this county needs short-term rentals, it's Hague," declared Alice Patchett of the Trout House Village Resort. "Do they need to be under the same guidelines as the trout house or the Hague Motel? Absolutely not- they should not. They are not a commercial business. However, there needs to be rules and regulations to protect the neighbor next door and to protect the people that are renting." The 11-page ordinance has elicited much scrutiny and criticism with many of the STR property owners appealing to the Town Board for proof that ultimately drove the board to want an ordinance at all. "If what the STR committee has said has any validity, you have to show us all the factual info," said Patrick Mente when he took the floor. "Show us the data sets, show us what these complaints are. We've heard none." Some Hague STR property owners even question the ordinance's legality. "If this board feels so strongly that there is a need for some type of regulation, that is fine," stated STR owner Tony Dawson. "However, there is a right way and a wrong way to achieve this- this proposed ordinance is the wrong way because it is nothing other than a shortcut attempt to illegally amend the existing zoning laws." Dawson said the right way to go about it is to amend the current zoning laws, which would grant people currently participating in short-term rentals protection as a prior non-conformed use, it would also require future buyers to do their due diligence and comply with whatever revised zoning laws adopted. "This would make a very fair and equitable resolution," Dawson added. "Instead of creating new ordinances, let's start with the basic of applying and enforcing the laws that we currently have- it's a very practical approach." The two major points of concern (and sources of contention) among those opposed to the ordinance are the suggested requirement of a six-day rental minimum between May 15 and Oct. 15, as well as a three-year waiting period upon purchase before the property may be used as a STR. "The majority of our tenants are middle-class families or couples," STR owner Jill Mente said in a prepared statement she read to the crowd. "By imposing an unreasonable six-day minimum, the town will be alienating those people that can only afford a two-to-three-day getaway regardless of time of year." Sandy Burns, who has rented to the people in charge of the well-known Open Water Swim, echoed Mente's sentiments. "I think as long as we are following those regulations and are not absentee landlords, I don't see there's a reason why there has to be a six-night minimum," she said. "That would impact the ability of have people like that stay." Burns also pointed out that the three-year waiting period would limit and take away buyers due to not being able to rent and supplement their income in some way for 1,095 days. "Are we saying for those houses on the lake that we only want very, very rich people to own them," she questioned rhetorically. Short-Term Rental Committee Member, Joshua Patchett, defended the three-year waiting period and six-day minimum and their intentions. "Do I think the three-year waiting period is a bad idea? Absolutely not," he said. "I think it is a very preventative measure that we are trying to do to help slow the growth and maybe give working families the first shot rather than people that just want to invest in the town. "Is six days too much? It very well might be. We are listening and comprehending and going to take a lot of thought and consideration into everything you are all saying." Tony Dawson added another layer to the puzzle for the Town Board and Short-Term Rental Committee to consider. "If we don't have the resources to apply and enforce the simple things that are on this one piece of paper, what chance do we have having some zoning enforcement officer come along and do the job he currently has and then read and interpret a pages long document," he debated. Short-Term Rental Committee member Sandra Rust conceded that the STR Ordinance is an emotional topic for everyone and assured the crowd that the committee had no ulterior motive or conflict of interest while drafting the document. "The main purpose of our work was to do something to preserve the quality of life in primarily residential neighborhoods," she said, adding that it would "behoove the Town of Hague to enforce the laws that are already there."

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Hague holds public hearing for Short-Term Rental Ordinance

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