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Why Vote YES on Measure A?
Vote YES on A to:
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Restores quality of Life to La Quinta neighborhoods
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Protects your homeowner rights, quality of life, safety and neighborhood
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Preserves La Quinta’s iconic neighborhoods for future generations
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Stop outside investors from monetizing our residential neighborhoods.
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Vacation Rentals in TC zones & Residents in Residential zones
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Residents are no longer first responders to infractions & noise complaints
Why a Ballot Initiative?
Our City Council has taken no significant steps to restore safety and quality of life to residents in residential zoned communities leaving N4N no other option than a ballot initiative.
N4N has done our due diligence on behalf of the residents of La Quinta. We studied STVRs in La Quinta, looked at what other cities are doing, hosted a website to allow residents a forum to voice opinions. N4N conducted the most robust credible Survey ever done in La Quinta and submitted to City Council a comprehensive report, "Vision for La Quinta" recommending resident focused solutions.
Most importantly, we talked to the people. The residents are clear: they want neighbors in our neighborhoods, not unsecured, non-supervised rentals.
Despite the N4N's findings, City Council didn’t listen. It's time to act. The best solution is to let the community speak by direct vote, which means a ballot initiative.
In order to qualify for a ballot initiative, we must gather 3,000 signatures from La Quinta voters. That’s a monumental task, and we need your help!
Read more...Why a Ballot Initiative
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The Petition Signatures have been Submitted!
We have the signatures we needed, in fact far more than we need! On April 21, 2022 we submitted the petition with the La Quinta city elections official to qualify our initiative for the November election ballot. Signatures from each of the 104 La Quinta residential communities were collected by more than 60 volunteers in less than 3 months.
Signatures of 2,448 La Quinta registered voters are required to qualify the proposed initiative for the November ballot. N4N submitted 3,664 signatures. With more than 1,200 signatures above the level to qualify the initiative, N4N felt the broad base support for the initiative is effectively demonstrated.
Sign the Petition Initiative Kick Off
N4N of La Quinta kicked off a petition drive February 10th to get an Initiative Measure on the November ballot that would ask residents whether the city should phase out most short-term vacation rental properties in residential neighborhoods by Dec. 31, 2024.
“We want the ability to vote on this issue,” N4N member Edie Hylton said.
More than 40 people attended a press conference held by representatives of “Neighbors for Neighborhoods La Quinta,” or N4N. Many were holding red and white signs that read: “Save Our Neighborhoods. Save Our City. Sign the Petition.”
What is Measure A?
Measure A is a citizen ballot initiative to restore YOUR right to live in a non-commercial single family residential neighborhood PROTECTED by a zoning ordinance.
YES on A is a common-sense solution to RESTRICT short-term vacation rentals to the 11 areas already designated by La Quinta for commercial tourism.
Residential Neighborhoods for Residents
and
Tourist Commercial Areas for Nightly Renters
Vote “Yes” on A to:
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Phase-out short term vacation rentals in OUR residential neighborhoods.
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Reverse the conversion of OUR family homes into commercial businesses.
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Stop outside investors from monetizing OUR residential neighborhoods.
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Prevent OUR schools from declining attendance and our city from losing families.
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Keep OUR iconic family neighborhoods preserved for future generations.
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Restore OUR homeowner’s rights, quality of life, quiet enjoyment, and safety.
YES on A protects your neighborhoods, especially the many non-gated neighborhoods from the negative effects that follow the appearance of STVRs. It directs STVR investment into the eleven tourist commercial zones designated for tourism. It assures those owning or buying homes in La Quinta that their neighborhoods are settled and not transient hotel zones. It calls for unambiguous zoning protections that apply to everyone, while providing a phase-out period to assure orderly compliance.
The only guarantee residents have to enjoy peace quiet and safety in their homes is to pass Measure A Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Cathedral City have all banned short term vacation rentals in their residential neighborhoods. See Palm Desert 5 year Recap by Jann Buller...
La Quinta has a significantly higher percentage of STVRs than any of these cities.
Questions? Read our Frequently Asked Questions
Read the Ballot Initiative
Read the Vision for La Quinta
What do neighbors say?
“This argument that profits trump human rights and health is not a valid, humane position to take. In reality, property values diminish when you have short-term renters who destroy property, and when you have landlords who purchase these homes with the intent of making a profit out of it.”
Resident Marlene Fradis, addressing the City council, April 6, 2021
“STVRs ruin communities since you can’t be neighbors with transients. They also create more noise, cars, and trash can problems than a long-term renter would” (Survey #473)
“I have owned a rental property in La Quinta for 3 years. The long-term people were never a problem. The short-term people are not in a hotel so that they can get drunk, misbehave. They add little to the economy, they are living out of their coolers in the backyard until they pass out. (Survey #40)
"We live in a gated community and many of the homes have been sold to investors for rentals. We have 2 on either side of us. We didn’t buy here to hear pool parties. I have no problem with long term rentals. We’ve made friends with several over the years. This has got to stop!" (Steve, PGAW)
RESIDENTS DON’T WANT TO LIVE NEXT DOOR TO STVRs
“We want families as neighbors not the weekly disruption of people coming and going for a few days and the many problems that arise from these unsupervised nightly rentals.”
Neighbors for Neighborhoods (N4N) has studied STVRs in La Quinta and other cities, and we listened. The residents are clear; they want neighbors in their neighborhoods, not nightly renters, unsecured and unsupervised. N4N has been working for the past two years to improve the La Quinta STVR policy. Here are some of N4N’s key research findings.
N4N conducted a Survey to understand what La Quinta residents experience
Survey of La Quinta Residents Vision for La Quinta, January 16, 2021
AAPOR – Survey Actual Margin of sampling error = +/-3.6% at 95% confidence
Written Comments – Survey respondents gave 945 written comments
“STVRs ruin communities since you can’t be neighbors with transients. They also create more noise, cars, and trash problems than a long-term renter would” (Survey Respondent #473)
“I want to live in a neighborhood with neighbors. This constant stream of strangers is very unnerving. I feel very unsafe all the time. This has got to stop.” (Survey Respondent #535)
Read all Survey Comments from V for LQ
Read Comments from N4N Members
Survey Responses
75% of La Quinta respondents who live near STVRs say they experience problems. They tell us what they experience and what they don’t like!
Survey of LQ STVR neighbors shows 5 of top 9 STVR created problems cannot be cited by code enforcement. See FAQs..
(See Vision – Enforcement, pages 20-21, Vision for La Quinta)
Analysis of Written Comments – a measure of pent-up anxiety, frustration & anger!
LESSONS LEARNED - To understanding the root cause of resident's pent-up anxiety, frustration and anger caused by "nightly
rentals" STVRs, a key word search was performed on the 945 comments (Attachment 6-1 of the Vision of La Quinta) returned
with the survey. The results are shown in the table above. (See VISION-Comments-page 36)
In less than 90 days, Neighbors for Neighborhoods (N4N) collected 3,664 La Quinta petition signatures.
This was more than 1,200 signatures needed to qualify the initiative. There is broad base support for this initiative and that has been demonstrated.
Conclusion
The problems residents experience with STVRs is consistent and ongoing. If the current city policy is working great, why do HOA’s choose to ban STVRs? The City Council program is NOT GREAT. It leaves in place an ongoing problem for residents in La Quinta communities with STVR densities of 3.0% - 10%. We count on our city leaders to protect us, and they have done the opposite by continuing to justify these businesses. We must protect our neighborhoods. YES on Measure A will restore and preserve La Quinta neighborhoods.
Vote YES on A
CITY COUNCIL "DON’T MISLEAD THE VOTERS"
“The City Council should NOT put a price tag on our citizen’s quality of life.”
The City Council warns there may be unintended consequences from Measure A that will negatively affect city services and cost the local economy. They warn of delayed public work projects, and lack of maintenance for aging infrastructure. Measure G sales tax revenue currently operates at a 38% annual surplus. But they state if “YES on A” passes, Measure G revenue will mostly be consumed by Police & Fire within the next few years.
They acknowledge STVRs are a burden for individual residential families where they exist, especially neighborhoods without any private zoning covenants. But they use city finances to justify continuing STVRs anyway. Despite the concerns from residents, they state STVRs generate $6 million in annual TOT revenue for the city and this needs to continue no matter the effect on certain residents complaining.
City Council makes these representations when the city of La Quinta has 5-year running annual budget surpluses and a $54 million cash reserve!
Question: Why do they want you to believe these warnings?
Answer: Because it’s the only argument they have to dissuade you from asserting a permanent right to live in a settled neighborhood without STVRs.
Here are some facts to consider!
The La Quinta City council completed study, as expected, is one-sided, focusing on the loss of tax and business revenue, with no mention of the revenue that would be gained for the city, schools, and local businesses by having more full-time residents.
How can the city’s projections be off base? Easy. Underestimate the revenues, inflate the expenses and hide the surplus. For example, TOT revenue for the remaining, and future STVRs in the tourist zones is not accurately projected. Capital improvement budgets go from $2 million to $4 million to $8 million. Annual surpluses can be tucked away in various reserve accounts.
In order to overstate expenditures and understate revenues, the City Council ignores these facts:
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10-year Budget forecast include $70 million in non-approved capital spending at 2X historical. This is the single major cause for budget deficits in both scenarios. This is misleading!
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Reduction in Sales Tax revenue of ~ $1.5 million per year in outlying budget years due to Measure A by taking the TEC report at its word. This is misleading and why
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Tourism Economic Report claims visitor spending yields $1.5M sales tax revenue and will not be offset by any other use of residential housing.
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No economic benefit to La Quinta GDP or city revenue attributed to LQ resorts and hotels gaining larger share of tourism.
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No offsetting GDP or Sales Tax resulting from family homes replacing STVRs. No growth in economic activity from families securing healthcare, dentistry, pharmacy, groceries, clothing, hardware, furnishing from local businesses.
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City Council acknowledges there was NO NEGATIVE ECONOMIC EFFECT FROM LOSING 23% STVRS DURING THE LAST 18 MONTHS! But they don’t consider that fact in their budget forecast! Truth is, offsetting GDP and tax revenue will replace this business tax revenue!
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Reduction of STVR Transient Occupancy (TOT) ~ $4.2 million per year in outlying budget years due Measure A
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Loss of TOT revenue from STVR rents with no offsetting tourism activity or replacement revenue.
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There was no accounting for growth in STVRs in Tourist Commercial zones. La Quinta has designated eleven tourist commercial zones for nightly rentals. The proposed initiative will allow the city to continue to collect taxes and permitting fees from nightly rentals and STVR owners to continue to operate in La Quinta. A win-win-win for all parties involved.
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Signature at PGAW has +21 new STVR permits granted since the first of the year. As TC area home building continues, private capital moves in to commercialize these areas for tourism. A formal plan like Measure A gives private capital the right incentives!
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Signature and Talus’ Montage and Pendry Residences will add up to 297 STVRs to LQ’s STVR program. None of this were accounted for in the Measure A study session.
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Studies Show (Morgan Stanley | Research) that 98% of visitors would come to La Quinta anyway if STVRs were not available. Yet LQ City Council believes 100% would not visit La Quinta unless they could rent in our iconic neighborhoods.
Morgan Stanley | Research. 2016. Who Will Airbnb Hurt More - Hotels or OTAs?... One Year Later. In Global Insights.13 As was reported by Morgan and Stanley, in 2016, only 2% of visitors would have not taken the trip if Airbnb would not have been an option.
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No offsetting financial benefit from the children of new families attending DSUSD school.
BANNED IN OTHER DESERT CITIES
Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells, Palm Desert and Cathedral City have all banned short term vacation rentals in their residential neighborhoods and like La Quinta thus far, there has been no grim economic or city finance fallout resulting from these bans. See Palm Desert 5 year Recap by Jann Buller...
VOTE YES on A
It's About Your Neighborhood
THE PROBLEM
The City of La Quinta issued loosely restricted Business Permits that allowed Short-term Vacation Rentals (STVRs) to proliferate in low-density, single-family Residential Zones.
Permitted for large numbers of transient occupants, STVRs are mini-motels. STVRs are businesses, not family residences, and belong in the City's Tourist-Commercial zones, not Residential zones.
Vacation rentals reduce long-term housing availability and displace residents. The renters have proven to be a nuisance and a danger threatening our resident's quiet enjoyment.
THE SOLUTION
Do what the City Council has failed to do. Ban STVRs in residential zones by putting a Ballot Initiative to voters. Let the voters decide for themselves.
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Reassert the right to live in non-commercial, single-family residential neighborhoods protected by zoning.
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Restore and improve our available housing in residential zones for our working families.
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Restore and return our residential neighborhood integrity, character, and livability.
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Restrict STVRs to Tourist Commercial Zones within the City.
A Ballot Initiative is needed to put La Quinta on the right track!
Helped by Hosting Platforms such as AirB&B and VRBO, STVRs are a profitable business.
La Quinta passes ordinances to regulate and permit STVRs in residential neighborhoods.
City collects Fees & Occupancy Taxes.
City increases Code Enforcement staff to manage complaints citywide.
Outside Investor Groups bid up homes in R1 zones to acquire lucrative home rental properties.
Unconstrained growth of STVRs continues to 16% saturation within La Quinta… overwhelming many neighborhoods….Cove, North La Quinta, HOA’s without STVR restrictions…
Residents began voicing concern to City Council!
In Person...
In Writing...
STVR renters are weekly nuisance…
party noise, loud music, parking, trash, trespassing, overcrowding,…
Residents feel unsafe, & sometimes threatened… Feel a Loss of Community!...
Residents want Quality of Life Back!
What residents are doing?
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Residents are voicing concern to City Council
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Forming Citizen Groups to advocate for Quality of Life
Neighborhoods are for Neighbors
Neighbors for Neighborhoods of LQ (N4N)
Survey of La Quinta Residents
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HOA’s are changing CC&R’s to ban future STVR growth
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Other Coachella Valley Cities experience the same predatory and destructive STVR trends
Joshua Tree, Pioneer Village, Indio, Idyllwild
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Many other communities around California & the US are struggling to eliminate the impact of STVRs
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Other Coachella Valley Cities have passed ordinances banning STVRs
Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, Indian Wells
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Residents must fight Investors (VROM) who are filing law suits to preserve their lucrative businesses within Residential Zones!
What's the city doing?
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La Quinta City Council passed an Indefinite “Stay” on new STVR permits… but leaving over 1,000 STVRs
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The “Stay” is temporary while solutions can be found to coexist with STVRS in residential neighborhoods
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Mayor Evans’ (Desert Sun Sept 24,2020);
“I do not support banning STVRs in La Quinta. We need $3.5M revenue… hence the need to make changes in the program for a successful co-existence.”
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City Council launched a developmental “Noise Monitoring” surveillance pilot program
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City Council issued an RFP for an ERP software development program to manage future STVR program
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These programs & others are designed to remove the “Stay” and allow unconstrained STVR growth!
These goals are opposite of creating strong neighborhoods.
The La Quinta City Mayor & Council are going the Wrong Way.
We need to put the issue of STVRs on a referendum so voters can decide the future of their city!
The Petition Signatures have been Submitted!
We have the signatures we needed, in fact far more than we need! On April 21, 2022 we submitted the petition with the La Quinta city elections official to qualify our initiative for the November election ballot. Signatures from each of the 104 La Quinta residential communities were collected by more than 60 volunteers in less than 3 months.
Signatures of 2,448 La Quinta registered voters are required to qualify the proposed initiative for the November ballot. N4N submitted 3,664 signatures. With more than 1,200 signatures above the level to qualify the initiative, N4N felt the broad base support for the initiative is effectively demonstrated.
Recent Posts
Rancho Mirage can implement short-term rental ban before lawsuit is resolved, judge rules
San Bernardino Cty pauses STVR permits in Joshua Tree, Big Bear, un-incorporated communities
N4N Submits Petition Signatures to La Quinta City Clerk. What's Next?
Palm Springs wants tactical - not reaction changes to STVR program
Riverside County to tighten regulations on STVRs
Joshua Tree grappling with capping STVRs amid housing crisis
Let the people of La Quinta decide on short-term rentals
La Quinta Residents launch Bid to get STVRs out of residential neighborhoods
Petition Ready. Initiative approved by City Attorney: Read the Initiative Measure
Rancho Mirage approves full ban on short-term vacation rentals following lengthy public hearing
'We just need a break': Short-term rental complaints skyrocket in Joshua Tree area
What this Means
The November ballot initiative, if successful will restrict nightly rentals in residential zoned neighborhoods to a minimum of 30 days. The Initiative will continue to support and promote Short Term Vacation Rentals in the eleven (11) tourist commercial (TC) zones within La Quinta designated for nightly rentals. To minimize the economic impact, the preposed measure will allow for the transition of short-term rentals away from residential zones to commercial zones through December 31, 2024.
The initiative was designed to be revenue neutral. STVRs being converted back into family homes will inject the income of these families into the local economy and their children will generate revenue for the local school budget through the average daily attendance allowance.
N4N submitted a Vision for La Quinta on January 5, 2021. The vision provided recommendations focused on maintaining La Quinta's highest percentage of family households among all Coachella Valley cities. The vision was built on three pillars, housing inventory, tourism and resident safety and quality of life. The Vision for La Quinta is available both on the Neighbors for Neighborhoods LQ website as well as the City of La Quinta website.
Read more...Why a Ballot Initiative
History of La Quinta STVR Program
What's Happening Next?
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The Riverside County Registrar of Voters verifies the signatures
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On June 3, 2022, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters (ROV) submitted to the City Clerk/Elections Official a Certificate of Sufficiency of the Initiative, which was then in turn certified by the City Council on June 7, 2022.
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The City of La Quinta will order an economic impact analysis
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The La Quinta City Council will order a financial analysis to determine the economic impact resulting from the new ordinance.
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The City Council will place the Measure on the November ballot for the voters
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On June 7, 2022, the City Council adopted resolutions to submit to the qualified voters of the City of La Quinta the Initiative to be decided by voters on Election Day, November 8, 2022.
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Council adopted resolutions to submit to voters the Initiative the following ballot question:
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Shall the measure, proposing to phase-out and permanently ban YES
"non-hosted short-term vacation rentals" as defined, in non-exempt
areas of the City of La Quinta by December 31, 2024, be adopted? NO