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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Should Ashland homeowners be able to rent rooms short-term? Beetles taking toll on Ashland pines Forum to explores data gathered in National Monument Northwest Pizza to raise money for Ashland Schools Foundation Education Northwest Pizza to raise money for Ashland Schools Foundation Prisoners in their own home Louie's to donate sales to Helman Hug Fund Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Ashland Kiwanis recognizes Samara Diab Environment Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area Wild Side: Selfish and other reasons for saving endangered species Mt. Ashland Ski Area: Low snow closes 'bunny hill' chairlift for beginning skiers With pre-season conditions worst in 25 years, catastrophic wildfires expected in region this summer Legislature might be divided on clean fuels bill, but these Ashlanders weren't Business Breaking ground on organic vineyard practices Southern Oregon University: Recent and pending projects at SOU total about $132 million Test Drive: 2015 Subaru Outback Limited Silvio Calabi: 2015 Cherokee is a modern Jeep Ride & Drive: 2015 Hyundai Genesis Politics and elections Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Short-term rental restrictions kept in some areas, loosened in others Arthur I. Cyr: South Korea represents long-term triumph – for them and for US Mark L. Hopkins: Looking for a political straight shooter Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state State News Oregon's governor appoints new secretary of state Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Nation - World Leonard Nimoy, famous as Mr. Spock on 'Star Trek,' dies Obituaries James Ellis York Death Notices Death Notices Shiela R. Ettlich Karen June Shaw Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society Sports Latest Stories Weber, Smith earn All-American honors Oregon's Altman used to rebuilding, reloading Wade scores 32, Heat rally to beat Blazers AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor High school Ashland boys capture another Sato Cup snowboard title at Mt. Bachelor Fredrickson leads Grizzlies to season-opening romp Grizz alpine skiers finish strong at state Ashland High's Honsinger tops field in final nordic ski meet Grizz snowboard team heads to state with repeat potential Southern Oregon University Weber, Smith earn All-American honors Oregon's Altman used to rebuilding, reloading AHS grad Bailey claims national wrestling title Thompson, Weber to play in all-star game Beavers get No. 3 seed, host NCAA games Voices Latest Stories Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Antionette Kerr: Some items shouldn’t fly with TSA Our View: Tuition trauma Letters to the Editor, March 19 Editorial Our View: Tuition trauma Our View: SOU's economic clout Our view: Keep it simple in developing marijuana rules Our View: Ashland is at risk as a bad fire season looms Our View: Ashland backs residents over visitors in lodging decision Letters Letters to the Editor, March 19 Letters to the Editor, March 18 Letters to the Editor, March 17 Letters to the Editor, March 14 Letters to the Editor, March 12 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose Jordan Cove Guest Opinion: It's Groundwater Awareness Week; test your well Guest Opinion: Ashland schools failed to protect my son from bullying Guest Opinion: There is nothing uniform about the Uniform Crime Report Columns Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet Arthur I. Cyr: Iran – a crisis without end Guest Opinion: Ashland is asking for trouble with new room rental rules Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy Herb Rothschild Jr.: Demonizing Putin makes case for war Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center Best bets for entertainment around Ashland, March 19 Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Community blog: Herzog scholarship for young writers Movie listings: March 13-18 Theater Ticket Availability Ticket Availability Andrew Lloyd Webber's lush musical 'Sunset Boulevard' opens at Camelot Theatre in Talent Oregon Shakespeare Festival designer for a half-century says he's still learning Ashland High School Drama Club to host Showcase Night on Thursday Music Album reviews: Recent and recommended for March The Farr Side: New format for ‘American Idol’ as show continues a strong run Improv rock and folk band hosts a dance party at the Ashland Community Center The Farr Side: Madonna — ever the trendsetter Nitty Gritty Dirt Band co-founder John McEuen performs at the Unitarian Fellowship in Ashland Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhiits by regional artists Movies Movie listings: March 20-26 More wonderful wrinkles at 'The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel' 8 must-see spring films Movie review: ‘Wrecking Crew’ is a look at the people who really put the bomp Movie review: ‘Cinderella’ is an instant classic Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories A better bedtime Studying stress Eat this, not that Peanut allergy breakthrough Stargazing is a fun, free family activity Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Ticket Availability ... Bert Etling: A homegrown news diet ... Mt. Ashland hopes coming storm will reopen ski area ... Ticket Availability ... COUNCIL CORNER Council Corner: City considers the sharing economy By Pam Marsh DailyTidings.com By Pam Marsh Posted Mar. 15, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Mar 15, 2015 at 1:55 PM By Pam Marsh Posted Mar. 15, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Mar 15, 2015 at 1:55 PM » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Even people who love Ashland leave it once in a while. Think back to your last trip away. Where did you stay? A hotel with room service and wake-up calls? Or maybe (especially if you’re younger and a little adventurous) you rented an extra bedroom you found on Airbnb or a similar website? On Tuesday, the Ashland City Council will consider legalizing that last option. If approved, residents in designated city neighborhoods who obtain a conditional use permit would be allowed to rent one or two bedrooms to travelers visiting or passing through town. The proposal challenges a deep-rooted, traditional view of neighborhoods. For the most part, we have kept single-family neighborhoods free from business activity. As a community, are we ready to jump into the sharing economy? In 1970, my parents moved into a home on a cul-de-sac. Our house was surrounded by a labyrinth of streets including many more cul-de-sacs, a maze of homogeneous suburban development a mile square. Forget walking. The nearest store was separated from our neighborhood by intimidating four-lane arterials. It was development predicated on car travel and spurred by the notion that good planning segregates differing uses. Many of our ideas about great neighborhoods have shifted since then. We no longer promote cul-de-sacs, returning instead to the traditional grid pattern still prevalent in our historic areas. Our most popular neighborhoods are ones where residents can walk or bike to shopping or work. Several years ago Ashland began permitting home-based businesses, allowing some workers to fully integrate home and employment in a single-family residential neighborhood. The traveler’s accommodation proposal would legitimize a new type of home-based business in R-1 neighborhoods within 200 feet of a major street, and in all historic districts. A homeowner (no renters) residing in his/her primary residence would be allowed to rent as many as two bedrooms to a single party traveling in one car. No kitchen facilities and/or prepared food could be provided. The homeowner must be present, obtain a conditional use permit and pay a city tax on overnight stays. As we consider the proposal, the council and the community should ask these questions: Would the introduction of traveler’s accommodations undermine the character of our neighborhoods? Proponents argue that the impact of a paid guest on neighbors is no different than having your cousins spend the night. Many state that the income they derive from renting a spare bedroom allows them to keep their homes. But critics believe that the systematic influx of strangers undermines neighborhood cohesion and upends a reasonable expectation that neighbors should know the folks asleep next door. Some wonder if short term visitors will take rooms that otherwise would be occupied by long term residents. Do our visitors want home-based options? Airbnb claims that 95 percent of users give their hosts a 4.5-5 star rating. That data is likely skewed, but it does appear that users are happy. Since these accommodations are often much less expensive than conventional lodging, guests no doubt consider the impact on their pocketbooks a plus when assessing the quality of the experience. The tremendous growth of Airbnb in other communities suggests that the model could easily gain a following here. Is it possible to construct an ordinance that permits home based accommodations without giving them an unfair competitive advantage? Traditionally, the sharing economy has tried to bypass government regulation and taxes. Other proprietors, especially bed-and-breakfast operators, are rightfully requesting a “level playing field” that allows all vendors to compete fairly for visitors. The requirement for a conditional use permit, as well as collection of taxes, would be a step in that direction. The proposal for tourist rentals definitely pushes the R-1 envelope. But too far — or just right? Is Ashland ready to cross the Airbnb frontier? Email your comments to the council, or come to our meeting to join the conversation. Pam Marsh is a member of the Ashland City Council.           By Pam Marsh DailyTidings.com By Pam Marsh Posted Mar. 15, 2015 @ 2:00 am Updated Mar 15, 2015 at 1:55 PM » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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