• In 2012 the Mayor and City Council approved permitting commercial STVR businesses to operate in La Quinta communities zoned residential.

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• Since this rezoning La Quinta has lost approximately $880M from the local economy, 1100 family homes have been converted into commercial businesses, and 850 kids have been lost from La Quinta schools.

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•  Two years ago the problems created by STVRs had become significant enough, the Mayor and City Council decided they needed to review and consider changes to the La Quinta STVR program.

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• Rather than simply re-instituting residential zones the Mayor and City Council decided to empanel an ad hoc committee whose charter was to identify how STVRs could operate in residential zones.

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• Residents believed that during the two-year STVR program review the Mayor and City Council would come to understand the magnitude and seriousness of the impact STVRs were having on their quality of life and neighborhoods and as a result would not permit commercial STVR businesses to operate in residential zones.

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• A year ago, the political campaign rhetoric was about residents’ quality of life.

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• Unfortunately, the city government has not been focused on improving resident’s quality of life, rather its attention has been on unpermitted STVRs and increasing STVR revenue with permit and fee increases.

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• To provide the Mayor and City Council an accurate and complete picture of the problems STVRs were creating for their neighbors hundreds of residents emailed, called, and provided oral testimony.  A volunteer survey with 634 participants provided a statistical analysis of the impact STVRs are having on La Quinta communities and residents’ quality of life.

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• Despite all these facts and data the Mayor and City Council have shown little compassion for the residents and neighborhoods being impacted STVRs.

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• Despite a declaration at the Dec 15th  Council meeting to follow the facts and data, facts and data have been generally ignored.

 

• Instead of restoring residential zoning and people’s quality of life, The Mayor and City Council are attempting to shore up the failed policy that has replaced full time neighbors with a commercial business, and fundamentally changed the fabric of La Quinta.

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• The Mayor and City Council had their chance to re-establish residential zones and bring back family neighborhoods during recent deliberations. 

 

• An STVR is a commercial business as defined by the California legislator and the IRS and should be treated as such by residential zoning.

 

• Why is our city government OK with forcing La Quinta families to live next to commercial businesses owned by real estate investors?

 

• Rentals in residential zones should be by the month not by the night.  Tourist Commercial zones were created for nightly rentals. Residential and Tourist Commercial zones are not the same.

 

• La Quinta has 9 areas designated as Tourist Commercial zones, yet the ad hoc committee was not asked to consider these 9 areas as a solution to the STVR nightly rental problems created in residential zones.

 

• Adding more rules and enforcement will not fix the changes STVRs make to communities and residents’ quality of life. This approach has failed in other valley cities and across the United States.

 

• Residents are asking why the Mayor and City Council insist on forcing incompatible commercial business into residential zones.

 

• Why can’t our Mayor and City Council show the same compassion toward La Quinta residents as Palm Desert, Indian Wells, Rancho Mirage and Cathedral City, which have fewer STVRs yet have voted to require seasonal rentals in residential zones.

 

• Setting aside the impact STVRs have on neighborhoods and residents’ quality of life, when you understand the economy and demographics of La Quinta, why do the Mayor and City Council continue to support STVRs in residential neighborhoods.

 

• City council has no action plan to restore residential zoning and require rentals in residential zones to be seasonal.

 

• The only guarantee La Quinta residents have for neighbors not strangers, for family neighborhoods not tourist commercial businesses, and to enjoy peace, quiet and safety in their own home is to pass a special initiative requiring STVRs operate in Tourist Commercial zones, and rentals in residential zones be seasonal.