I will agree, many of the vacation rental occupants are quiet and come and go without incident. But where before we had families, children, bicycles, dogs and cats, a doctor, a police officer, and two retired school teachers. We now have vacant stark houses, with no flowers, (too much maintenance). These houses sit empty until they are occasionally occupied by strangers. The sense of community is gone, along with the friendships we once enjoyed.”

Ron Steege, Scottsdale resident

Guest Commentary

Beauvais: Vacation rentals boost Scottsdale & Arizona tourism

Mr. Beauvais:

I read your opinion article in the Independent, and felt compelled to respond to you on several of your statements.

Let’s begin with your assumption that “just over 1,500 complaints were logged by Scottsdale PD,” “a tiny percentage.”

This statistic does not include those of us who are faced with this invasion of our neighborhoods that never call the police.

My wife and I purchased a mid-century modern home in Old Scottsdale in the late 1980s. Through years of extensive renovation we made it into our dream home. Over the next two-plus decades we enjoyed a quiet life with our delightful neighbors, many who were here before us.

Then the “vacation rentals” came on the scene. One house after another were taken over due to our proximity to the downtown and bar district, which did not exist during most of our tenure.

This was the beginning of our periodic nightmares with people we do not know, who do not know or care that this is still a private single family community.

Following is a short list (a sample) of the issues we now live with.

Groups of six or eight out on the pool patio next door drinking, talking and laughing till two or three in the morning, 20 feet from our master bedroom slider.

People climbing on the party house roof, beer in hand to get a better view.

Music three houses away, so loud that we can hear every note inside our reading room through dual pane glass.

Booze fueled arguments, cursing and car doors slamming at all hours.

One home regularly produces 10 to 15 bags of large bags of trash full of beer cans, food containers, and pizza boxes, left out days before trash pickup day.

Drink cans, cups, and food wrappers tossed in our yard by bands of young men on their way to the bar district.

Four or five cars parked in front of homes adjacent to the party house.

Party wagons full of screaming guys and girls going by our homes after a night in Old Town.

Renovation work completed without permits, by unlicensed subcontractors.

Investors tore down one home and built a short-term rental with five bedrooms and five baths, with large sliding doors out to the party patio and pool.

They literally dropped a small hotel into our neighborhood. This home backs up to a long time resident, a Vietnam vet.

On weekends when the party house is in full swing, he will not go outside due to the noise.

This is a sampling. Now to address your “tiny percentage.” We have NEVER called the SPD for any of these offenses. What are they going to do about excessive trash, or cars legally parked in front of our homes, or cans in our yard, or drive by party wagons long gone.

I have gone to these houses and confronted them face to face, but this is stressful, both before, during and after the confrontation.

It’s also stressful to be calling the police, plus we do not want some angry out-of-state stranger keying our cars.

Your “tiny percentage” does not include these neighborhood issues, that may realistically number in the thousands.

I also noted that your opinion piece, like others I have read, justify and view any and all of these vacation rental laws through the lens of “tax revenue” or “tourist dollars.” It seems to be about money. Rarely if ever is the quality of life for the neighbors, whose homes are supposed to be a safe peaceful haven even mentioned.

Scottsdale homeowners relied on long standing zoning protection that the retail, art and bar districts would be surrounded by hotels buffered from tourists and strangers. Instead, these reprehensible laws were forced on us.

So what if some of us, the “tiny” minority, who had no say in this greed-driven law have to suffer.

I will agree, many of the vacation rental occupants are quiet and come and go without incident. But where before we had families, children, bicycles, dogs and cats, a doctor, a police officer, and two retired school teachers. We now have vacant stark houses, with no flowers, (too much maintenance). These houses sit empty until they are occasionally occupied by strangers. The sense of community is gone, along with the friendships we once enjoyed.

Each of us must determine in our professions, and our personal lives, if what we choose to do, or support within our community helps or harms others. Then we must decide if our actions truly reflect the best we have to offer to others, as well as to ourselves.

Editor’s Note: Ron Steege is a resident of Scottsdale.