Notice to Sweetwater Hillside Homeowners
At the next Sweetwater Park Homeowners Association Meeting
(August 16th, 10:00 a.m.) there will be a motion presented by several
homeowners to allow short-term rentals in the Sweetwater Park Hillside.
Recently, an anonymous flyer was distributed to homeowners
on the hillside asking for support of the motion. This flyer, if you will, is a
rebuttal. However, rather than sending it anonymously, we want to identify
ourselves as noted below. As owners of cabins on Panorama Drive, we have been
living near a homeowner who has rented out his cabin since approximately 2008
disregarding CC&R’s and By-Laws that prohibit a commercial enterprise. (Legal action is being taken against this renter by the HOA ed)
Rentals:
Understandably, there are times when homeowners are going to be away
from their homes for significant periods of time. For instance, we have
neighbors on the Hillside who have volunteered for missions and have had to
leave their homes and cabins for one, two and three years. It has always
appeared reasonable that persons who wish to put their house up for long term
rental, i.e. 6 months or greater, should be able to do so.
However, we have a much different viewpoint regarding
short-term rentals and homeowners who have purchased their homes exclusively to
rent out. We have this difference of
opinion because of the continued problems we experience living near a home that
is rented daily/weekly, on a year-round basis, and because of the bullets noted
below, the enjoyment and safety of our homes has been adversely impacted.
Although, it would not be difficult to catalogue all the
rental issues we have faced over the last 6 years, we wish to mention only
those experienced from this one particular cabin, in just the past month. We
use this cabin to illustrate what has been happening, and although we are aware
there are other cabins being rented on the Hillside, we can only comment on our
own personal experiences.
Very loud and disruptive late night partying outdoors and in
the hot tub, which is often vulgar and inappropriate while others try to
sleep. The last occurrence on August 2nd
continued until dawn!
Boats, vehicles, motorcycles (both on, and off road,) parked
along Panorama Drive making passing difficult and potentially dangerous if
medical or fire crews need to access the area.
Riding and revving of recreational vehicles at high speeds
in the early morning hours, i.e., midnight to 2 a.m. The vehicles are at the
rented home for the use of the renters, and are extremely loud, so the noise
pollution, which is bad enough during the day, makes sleeping impossible in the
wee hours.
The speed limit of 15 mph is completely ignored. We have had
wheelies performed in our own driveways, been run off the road, and watched as
trash is tossed from the vehicles.
One homeowner reported to the Sheriff's Department live
ammunition fire on two occasions on consecutive days from the renter's cabin,
and although the actual firearms were not seen, and therefore this cannot be
proved, after speaking with numerous neighbors, no fewer than four other
homeowners on Panorama Drive heard the same shots and determined it was not
fireworks, but live ammunition.
When Roman Candle Fireworks were set off from this renter's
cabin, two members of the Hillside Board, including the President, went to the
home to discuss the fireworks. What occurred was an obscenity-filled, physical
confrontation that necessitated a visit by a Sheriff's Deputy.
Trash was then strewn up and down Panorama Drive upon the
departure of this group of families. While another homeowner picked up the
trash, this is unfortunately a frequent occurrence along Panorama Drive. They
are not homeowners, but renters, and treat the area with total disregard for
the actual homeowners.
Ability to manage and control rentals of cabins:
Currently, we have a volunteer board. As homeowners who are repeatedly being
bothered by rule-breakers, we question if the Board would be able to control
and handle the duties, responsibilities and engage the additional resources
that would be required if the Sweetwater Hillside were to become a commercial
entity. The trash, the loud vehicles,
the ignoring of common social courtesies, the danger to our homes because of
weapons, fireworks and potential fires on the hillside all in the name of
operating a short term rental commercial entity are not in the best interest of
the majority of property owners. The renting homeowner appears in our opinion
to be the only benefactor.
As we move forward, we are all aware Sweetwater Hillside is
facing difficult problems solving some long-term issues, such as our water
system, and the snow plowing of roads with infrastructures that cannot support
it. With minimal funds to fix and update these problems now, we ask, how could
we possibly support the needs of the Hillside Association which allows
short-term rentals without a huge expenditure of funds we simply don't have? We
believe based on a reading of the motion in the flyer sent to us, homeowners
who wish to rent, completely minimized the potential problems associated with
short term rentals.
If you, as a Hillside homeowner, are in agreement with our
views, it is imperative that you attend the Sweetwater Park Homeowners
Association Annual Meeting to vote. We believe the homeowners at the meeting
who will present the motion to rent, will do their best to force a vote, and an
absentee ballot would only be valid if the motion is passed as stated exactly
in the flyer.
If “any” changes are made to the
motion to amend the current amendment, (which prohibits rentals) “all” absentee
ballots are null and void.
In closing, it is our belief this motion to allow short-term
rentals would signify the death knell of the Hillside as a peaceful community
that is respectful of the rights and properties of all homeowners.
The meeting is scheduled for August 16, 2014 at 10:00 a.m.
at the Garden City Offices. Thank you for allowing us to express our opinions,
and to hopefully solicit support from other like-minded homeowners to defeat
this motion.
Sincerely,
Karen Smith
Eric and Kathie Roman
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