I thought the Facebook comments about renting a house for a golf tournament or Super Bowl type event were also illuminating.
The reason NYC or Los Angeles are against Air B&B is because it kills hotel tax revenues. They lose millions yet even they cant actually ban short term rentals. There is no way this law holds up but it will cost some homeowner and all of us taxpayers to work it through the system.
These knee jerk reactions to public comment has to be tempered. The mess with that parking near Whole Foods is a similar situation (from the past council). It is great to listen to the public and to try to find solutions but elected officials cannot just react. They are elected to be a deliberative body that analyzes both sides of an issue and finds solutions. These mistakes are costly in time and tax payer money.
I’m against it since it cheapens Ridgewood.
People cannot simply set up a business in their private home. Sorry. It does not work that way. You want to run a hotel? Go get a hotel. You want to run a bed and breakfast? Do it legally. You want extra income? We all want extra income. You want to run an illegal hotel in a residential neighborhood in order to get off the books money? Nope, not happening.
It wasnt illegal in Ridgewood. But it is now. People who were doing it were not breaking a local law. But they are now.