Galveston’s long vacation rental debate shifts to a deeper question | Local News
Debate about the short-term rental industry has shifted in the 2022 election from how to manage nuisance-driven complaints about trash and noise to one more fundamental: how the rentals should coexist in residential neighborhoods.
kAmr@F?4:= 42?5:52E6D 92G6 D6:K65 E96 :DDF6 2?5 AC@A@D65 2 C2?86 @7 24E:@?D[ :?4=F5:?8 7@C>:?8 E2D< 7@C46D[ 6?24E:?8 9:89 2??F2= 766D 2?5 6G6? AFEE:?8 42AD @? E96 ?F>36C @7 C6?E2=D 2==@H65 E@ @A6C2E6 π v2=G6DE@?]k^Am
kAmpE EH@ D6A2C2E6 7@CF>D E9:D H66< β @?6 9@DE65 3J E96 v2=G6DE@? #68:@?2= r92>36C @7 r@>>6C46 2?5 2?@E96C 3J E96 $9@CE %6C> #6?E2= ~H?6CD pDD@4:2E:@? @7 v2=G6DE@? β 42?5:52E6D 255C6DD65 BF6DE:@?D C6=2E65 E@ D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D]k^Am
kAm%96C6 92D 366? 2 D9:7E π 4@>>F?:EJ 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ |2J@C rC2:8 qC@H? D2:5]k^Am
kAmqC@H? π CF??:?8 7@C C66=64E:@? 2?5 @AA@D65 3J #@86C βq@β “F:C@82[ 2 7@C>6C >2J@C[ 2?5 q6?;2>:? w6C?5@?]k^Am
kAm(92E C68F=2E:@?D v2=G6DE@? ?665D H@?βE 36 4=62C F?E:= C6DF=ED 4@>6 324< 7C@> 2 AC@8C2> ?6H=J :>A=6>6?E65 F?56C E96 v2=G6DE@? !2C< q@2C5 @7 %CFDE66D[ H9:49 4@==64ED G242E:@? C6?E2= 766D[ qC@H? D2:5]k^Am
kAmβx 92G6 2=H2JD 366? G@42= E92E H6 ?665 E@ 4@==64E 52E2[β qC@H? D2:5]k^Am
kAmw6C?5@? H2?ED E@ =62G6 56?D:EJ :DDF6D FA E@ E96 C6D:56?ED[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmβx E9:?< E96 36DE H2J H@F=5 36 E@ 92G6 2 C676C6?5F> @7 E96 A6@A=6 E@ D66 9@H >F49 @7 E96 9@FD:?8 DE@4< E96Jβ5 H2?E π 86?6C2= E@ 36 2==@42E65 E@ D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D[β w6C?5@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm”F:C@82 D66<D 9:896C 2??F2= 766D 7@C D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D 3FE H2?ED E@ AC6D6CG6 E96 :?5FDECJ 7@C =@42= @H?6CD[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmβ(6 D9@F=5 ECJ E@ 4@>6 FA H:E9 2? :C@?4=25 @C5:?2?46 E92E H:== C62==J 92G6 D@>6 E66E9 π :E[β “F:C@82 D2:5]k^Am
k9cm%wt #t}%p $x%&p%x~k^9cm
kAm%96 5632E6 23@FE G242E:@? C6?E2=D 92D 6G@=G65 A6C92AD 3642FD6 E96 4:EJ 92D 2 36EE6C F?56CDE2?5:?8 E92? 6G6C @7 9@H >2?J F?:ED 2C6 π v2=G6DE@?]k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ y2?] ` :>A=6>6?E65 ?6H CF=6D C6BF:C:?8 @H?6CD E@ C68:DE6C E96:C C6?E2= AC@A6CE:6D 2??F2==J 2?5 AC@9:3:E65 =:DE:?8D @? A@AF=2C D:E6D =:<6 p:C3?3 2?5 ‘C3@ H:E9@FE 2 C68:DEC2E:@? ?F>36C]k^Am
kAm%96 4:EJ 92D ?@H :56?E:7:65 23@FE c[___ D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 v2=G6DE@? !2C< q@2C5 @7 %CFDE66D[ H9:49 4@==64ED G242E:@? C6?E2= 766D]k^Am
kAmp3@FE 92=7 @7 E96 :D=2?5βD G242E:@? C6?E2=D 2C6 π s:DEC:4E e 2?5 ?62C=J 2?@E96C BF2CE6C 2C6 π s:DEC:4E a[ H9:49 CF?D ;FDE ?@CE9 @7 E96 D62H2== 7C@> 23@FE u@FCE9 $EC66E E@ 23@FE c_E9 $EC66E[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 A2C< 3@2C5]k^Am
kAm$9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D 92G6 364@>6 2 >2;@C A=2J6C π E96 :D=2?5βD =@58:?8 >2C<6E D:?46 E96 A2?56>:4]k^Am
kAmx? a_`g[ D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D 244@F?E65 7@C @?=J ag A6C46?E @7 9@E6= @44FA2?4J E2I C6G6?F6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ A2C< 3@2C5 52E2] 2DE J62C[ G242E:@? C6?E2= C6G6?F6D 244@F?E65 7@C cd A6C46?E @7 E@E2= 4@==64E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 @44FA2?4J E2I @? @G6C?:89E DE2JD A2JD 7@C 36249 4=62?:?8[ v2=G6DE@? xD=2?5 q6249 !2EC@= 2?5 9:DE@C:4 AC6D6CG2E:@?[ 2>@?8 @E96C FD6D]k^Am
k9cmuxsx}v qpprtk^9cm
kAmxEβD E@F89 E@ 7:?5 E92E 32=2?46 36EH66? C6D:56?ED 2?5 E@FC:D>[ y@D6A9 #@3:?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAm#@3:?D@?[ 2? :D=2?5 C6D:56?E[ @H?D E9C66 G242E:@? C6?E2=D 2?5 ;FDE AFC492D65 2 7@FCE9 E9:D H66<]k^Am
kAmβ(6βC6 3C:?8:?8 E96 AC@A6CEJ G2=F6 FA π E96 ?6:893@C9@@5[β #@3:?D@? D2:5] βxE 4@F=5 36 2 8@@5 E9:?8 @C 2 325 E9:?8]βk^Am
kAm#@3:?D@? π 2>2K65 3J E96 ?F>36C @7 D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D E92E 92G6 4C@AA65 FA π E96 A2DE 4@FA=6 @7 J62CD 2?5 96 F?56CDE2?5D C6D:56?EDβ 4@?46C?D 23@FE E96 D966C ?F>36C @7 C6?E2=D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmβxEβD 2 r2E49\aa[β #@3:?D@? D2:5]k^Am
k9cm(wp% %wt* %wx}zk^9cm
kAm|2?J 4@F?4:= 42?5:52E6D D66 G2=F6 π E96 D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2= :?5FDECJ 2?5 H2?E E@ H2:E 7@C >@C6 52E2 7C@> E96 A2C< 3@2C5 367@C6 E2<:?8 2 A@D:E:@? 23@FE H96E96C 2?5 9@H E@ C68F=2E6 E96>]k^Am
kAm’242E:@? C6?E2=D 2C6 2? :>A@CE2?E A2CE @7 E96 :D=2?5 64@?@>J 2?5 C68F=2E:?8 E96> C6BF:C6D 8@@5 52E2[ D2:5 s2G:5 r@==:?D[ :?4F>36?E E@ s:DEC:4E b]k^Am
kAmy@9? !2F= :DE@HD<:[ H9@ π CF??:?8 7@C C66=64E:@? π s:DEC:4E d[ D66D D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D 2D 2 G:E2= A2CE @7 :D=2?5 C6G:E2=:K2E:@?[ E9@F89 E96 4:EJ ?665D E@ 7:?5 2 32=2?46 36EH66? C68F=2E:@? 2?5 3FD:?6DD[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? s:DEC:4E e[ :?4F>36?E 6=D@?[ H9@ 2=D@ π CF??:?8 7@C s:DEC:4E c[ H2?ED E@ >2<6 DFC6 E96C6 2C6 766D 2?5 C68F=2E:@?D @? D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D]k^Am
kAm$@>6 42?5:52E6D H2?E E@ D66 >@C6 766D A=2465 @? E96 :?5FDECJ]k^Am
kAmuC2?< |246@[ H9@ π CF??:?8 π s:DEC:4E b[ π π 72G@C @7 9:89 766D 7@C D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D E92E 4@F=5 36 C65:C64E65 E@ ?6:893@C9@@5 AC@;64ED]k^Am
kAm|:4926= }:63F9C[ 2 s:DEC:4E d 42?5:52E6[ 4@F=5 D66 2 42A @? D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmβxE D66>D E@ 92G6 H@C<65 π @E96C 4:E:6D[β }:63F9C D2:5] β6EβD =@@< 2E H92E H@C<D]βk^Am
k9cm%wt xs&$%#*k^9cm
kAm%96 5632E6 23@FE G242E:@? C6?E2=D @?46 H2D 23@FE =:EE6C[ A2C<:?8 2?5 ?@:D6[ 3FE E9@D6 :DDF6D 92G6 D9:7E65[ D2:5 #2?52== z@A76C[ AC6D:56?E @7 E96 D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2= @H?6CD 2DD@4:2E:@?]k^Am
kAmβ(6βC6 DEC@?8 AC@A@?6?ED @7 >@56C2E6 766D[β z@A76C D2:5] β(6 E9:?< H6 D9@F=5 92G6 DEC@?8[ DF3DE2?E:2= 7:?6D 7@C A6@A=6 H9@ 5@?βE 4@>A=J H:E9 E96 CF=6D]βk^Am
kAm{:>:ED @? E96 ?F>36C @7 D9@CE\E6C> C6?E2=D π 2 4:EJ 4@F=5 36 EC:4<J[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmβxβ> 2 3:8 AC@A6CEJ C:89ED AC@A@?6?E[β z@A76C D2:5] β%96J 92G6 F?:?E6?565 4@?D6BF6?46D]βk^Am