It’s a sad time for representative government in Clatsop County. Our board of county commissioners is poised to approve a sweeping ordinance, despite overwhelming opposition from impacted county residents, that will allow short-term rentals, which even county counsel identifies as commercial activities, in every residential zone in the county.

Amazingly, in just a couple of weeks, county planning staff was able to gather enough “data” to convince the commissioners to disregard both the 2019 Housing Strategies Report cautioning against short-term rentals in residential zones, an in-depth study comprising months of research in collaboration with county and city representatives, and the March 2022 recommendations of the county’s own planning commission, also objecting to allowing short-term rentals in residential areas not capable of sustaining this kind of commercial activity.

At least one commissioner didn’t need convincing, stating in the April 27 public hearing on the matter that she wouldn’t change her mind regardless of any data obtained. Does this reflect the open-mindedness we expect in our government representatives?

So when your neighborhood has become a resort and you’re awakened in the middle of the night by the vacationers in the house next door, you can thank the board of commissioners, who care more about the tax revenue brought in by investors’ commercial endeavors, than the quality of life of the county’s residents. If you oppose this travesty, please make your objections known to our county commissioners at commissioners@co.clatsop.or.us before the June 22 public hearing on short-term rentals.

Jeff and Denise Davis

Arch Cape