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HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter #04 Sue & Robert MacGill Shestak, Joe From:Sue MacGill <suemacgill@gmail.com> Sent:Friday, April 25, 2025 5:12 PM To:Shestak, Joe; Rob D. MacGill Subject:Docket No. PZ-2025-00050SE Dear Joe, Thank you for taking time yesterday to send me the packet on the Special Exception (“Exception”) request that the Petitioners at 11100 Queens Way Circle have filed. We have lived in the Queens Manor neighborhood since 1989 when we built our home. We would like to formalize our objection to the granting of this Exception that would allow Petitioners to use their house/guesthouse for short-term rentals through commercial websites such as Airbnb or VRBO. Our objections, which we would like for you to share with the BZA Hearing Officer will be presented at the meeting in three days are as follows: 1. UDO Section 9.08 states that the original application for an Exception shall not generally be entitled to favorable consideration. In this case, the property in question and the surrounding properties are zoned S1/Residential. To our knowledge, there are no short-term rentals or other commercial uses in Queens Manor. Only single family homes surround the property and considering the surrounding zoning and residential land use, an enterprise such as VRBO short-term rentals is incompatible with long-existing, single family residential use and should not be allowed. 2. The Queens Manor covenants and protective easements that were established in 1981 when this residential neighborhood was developed allow for single family occupancy with additional structures allowed only to support the use of the home. No additional structures are allowed and no businesses are to be located in the neighborhood. Clearly the Petitioner’s proposed use of part of their home “…as a short-term rental” to allow customers from out of town to rent their home instead of a hotel room is a commercial enterprise. 3. When evaluating all factors while considering this Exception, there are no benefits to the surrounding neighbors such a tourism, only potential liability and costs associated with diminished property values as the neighborhood supports a rental property. 4. Granting this Exception will introduce an incompatible rental business such as VRBO into a neighborhood of almost all owner-occupied single family residences. 5. Increased traffic from out-to-town motorists who are unfamiliar with the area will have an adverse effect on pedestrians as there are no sidewalks and walkers, bikers, dog-walkers, and children use the street extensively. 6. The Petitioner’s Findings of Fact are inadequate in that they provide no evidence to support the required findings for approval of the requested Exception. For these reason, we respectfully oppose the approval of a Special Exception for the property located at 11100 Queens Way Circle. 1 Sincerely, Sue Tuohy MacGill Robert D. MacGill 2