Letter: VHRs in El Dorado County are out of control

Dear Editor;

In writing this letter, I am only expressing my own opinion and not that of
any organization or entity.

Vacation Home Rentals (VHRs) in the County are out of control. As is
evidenced by the number of residents complaining about noise, parking, trash,
over-occupancy, etc, it is time for our government representatives to act and
change the current ordinance to respect our rights to live in peaceful
neighborhoods.

There are many issues surrounding VHRs that need to be addressed, but I
believe public safety should be in the mix. Visitors to our area do not
understand our fire danger predicament, and are often negligent when it comes
to the use of campfires, charcoal briquet and ash disposal, propane use,
discarding of cigarettes, and illegal fireworks. In addition, the
overloading of people in homes built for significantly smaller occupancy puts
undue stress on our fire and emergency medical systems.

My suggestions for solutions are two-fold: require defensible space
inspections and compliance of every VHR, and compel them to receive annual
fire agency business inspections. Defensible space requirements are already
the law (Public Resource Code 4291). All businesses in the El Dorado County
portion of the Tahoe Basin are required to be inspected annually for safety
issues – so why not VHRs?

Until our representatives can work with the community and develop a strict
but fair ordinance, we must demand that a temporary moratorium be put in
place on all new VHR permits in the Tahoe Basin. Please call your Board of
Supervisors representative Sue Novasel at 530-573-7955 or bosfive@edcgov.us
and let her know that you support the moratorium.

Thank you.

- Leona Allen, Meyers