One cannot look at the impacts of tourism in Big Sur without also looking at the impact of Short Term Rentals (STR). In one week, the Planning Commission will hold a public workshop to discuss this issue. Below you will find the announcement in a pdf format converted to jpg. In the days ahead, as necessary weather reports allow, I will post information on the issue to help those of you who wish to prepare for the meeting. On the weather front, we will finally get some rain today, thankfully.
While I don’t have enough information to form a “public opinion” on STRs in Big Sur, I’m very glad to see it being “discussed”. Compared to Venice Italy, Big Sur is a “new discovery”. Controlled tourism, necessary to preserve the beauty and uniqueness of the area, is a thousand times better than a mad onslaught of the masses.
Yes, I realize that the area has already experienced “problems” but that is only the first few pebbles compared to the troubles of Mud Creek Slide proportions of Venice.
If the time comes when there are cruise ships anchored off shore, unloading 1000s of visitors a day, I would not be surprised if she released her mountains onto the PCH, chasing the Pacific Ocean, which would also be attempting to retreat.
Take care of her… please.
Thank you, Denise. I love the visual of Big Sur releasing her mountains into the mighty Pacific. She does do that.
https://bigsurkate.blog
Short Term Rentals as contemplated by the Coastal Commission will bring in between 10,000 and 26,000 visitors per day, and over 6,000 cars;
–> It is unclear that converting a long-term rental to a short-term rental increases cars. Short-term rentals have an occupancy rate of 35% so it seems likely the overall effect is to reduce cars.
There is no water available for the 500,000 to 2.6 million gallons of water per day (over 800 million gallons annually) these Short Term Rentals may use;
–> There is no evidence that short term rentals use more or less water than a long-term rental. The occupancy rate of a short-term rental relative to the full-time use of a long-term rental suggest short-term rentals use less water.
A major Environmental Impact Statement is required before any ordinance allowing short-term rentals goes in to effect and the appropriate Lead Agency is the California Public Utilities Commission, not the Coastal Commission;
–> Might be true, but it is definitely not true if the existing ordinance related to short-term rentals in the inland area did not require an EIR.
Of the 17 areas examined in an Environmental Impact Report under CEQA, Short Term Rentals have a clearly negative impact in 15 of them;
–> No evidence. What is the “clearly negative impact”. I have seen none.
Coastal Zone roads, parking lots and parks already have more visitors than they are capable of safely and environmentally handling;
–> Maybe so.
Short Term Rentals will not increase public access, they will just replace one set of visitors with another;
–> For Gorda, or SandDollar beach which is a 2 1/2 hour drive from Salinas, it seems like a short-term rental or campsite is the best way to visit.
Short Term Rentals under these conditions are not permitted by the Carmel Area Land Use Plan, Local Coastal Program[i] and the Big Sur Local Coastal Plan;
–> False When the land use plan for Big Sur was written, a vacation rental was considered the same as a long-term-rental. It seems less likely that the writers of the plan left out reference to vacation rental in an effort to make vacation rentals illegal. The interpretation that vacation rentals is a not-permitted use came about many years after the writhing of the document.
The Coastal Commission is exceeding its authority in pre-determining that Short Term Rentals housing multiple families and large groups be allowed in the Coastal Zone;
–> False The preservemontereyneighborhoods is exceeding its authority.
Current traffic conditions are a threat to public safety and the idling, stop and go traffic conditions are the largest source of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants in Monterey except for Moss Landing power plant – the largest fossil fired plant in the United States;
–> The EPA website specifies that electricity production is the greatest generateor of greenhouse gases accross the country not just here.