With the growing popularity of renting out rooms or homes to guests for short-term rentals, such as Airbnb’s, Williamsburg town officials are interested in hearing from the public regarding their concerns or praises for this practice.
On Tuesday, October 23, the Planning Board will host a community forum to discuss the issue of short-term rental operations in town and possible regulations that may be needed to update town bylaws.
“This is basically a listening session for the Planning Board to hear what people have to say,” Planning Board Chairman Robert Barker said. “Right now we don’t know if we are looking at a problem in search of a solution, of a solution in search of a problem.”
Barker said that the town has only a vague estimate of how many homes are being operated as a short-term guest rental or bed and breakfast.
“Right now, based on a very informal online search, it looks like the estimate is in excess of t10,” Barker said.
Current bylaws addressing short-term rentals only require that the home is the owner’s primary residence and that it has no more than four bedrooms.
According to Town Clerk Brenda Lessard, there have been complaints brought to her office by some concerned residents.
“I have had a few people that came in to complain about noise, traffic, swearing, and people having parties,” Lessard said.
In response to a flyer advertising the Planning Board forum on the AllThingsWilliamsburg public Facebook group, one person said that she “didn’t sign up to live next to a hotel like business,” and that she was afraid that a “sex offender or someone with a criminal record” could rent her neighbors home.
Chelynn Tetreault runs an Airbnb in town and says that renting out rooms in your home is not comparable to the hotel industry and there are ways to control for unwanted behavior.
Tetreault said that Airbnb hosts do not have to accept every potential booking, and can pick and choose the guests they want based on guest profiles and reviews from their previous hosts.
She also said that she actively weeds out potential trouble with guests by finding out why they are traveling, letting them know that the owner is on the premises, and posting clear house rules that include quiet hours and early check in requirements.
“I have been doing this for several months now and it has been a really good experience,” Tetreault said. “I also think that it is good for the economy of the town by bringing customers to local businesses.”
Vendors, abutters and all other interested residents are encouraged to attend the forum and provide their input. The event will be held at the Williamsburg Town Offices at 7 p.m.
WORTHINGTON — The Worthington Library will host New York Times Best-Selling Author, Michael Ponsor on October 22 at 7 p.m.
Ponsor, a senior US district judge in the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Western Division, will be reading from his novel, The One-Eyed Judge. This is a legal thriller that the Washington Post says “… is rarity; a story that grips the reader even as it teaches some fine points of criminal procedure.”
This is Ponsor’s second novel, the first being The Hanging Judge.
CUMMINGTON — There will be a candlelight vigil in Cummington on Tuesday, October 23, to honor and remember all those who have died as a result of domestic violence.
Gail Kielson, the former Director of the Domestic Violence Northern Hilltown Project will be the events special guest speaker, along with singer/songwriter Sarah Stockwell.
The vigil will be held on the lawn of the Cummington Community House at 6 p.m.
For more information call: 387-3120.
Ideas for this column on life in the hilltowns can be sent to Fran Ryan at Fryan.gazette@gmail.com.