Editor,
I’m new here and have noticed how the Planning Commission meetings have turned into public speaking marathons. Seems like everybody in a neighborhood shows up to speak against folks trying to set up a home-based business. It’s the American way to speak your mind and it’s the American way to start a business. A well-run B&B ought not be a negative. There’s supposed to be a manager on site to watch over things and that is something a lot of neighborhoods could use. The town needs the tax revenue from the businesses and it needs the good will it could get from responsible B&B owners. Those are positives.
Some of the naysayers claim there are B&Bs without a manager on site. For one thing, that does not say anything about the new applicants. It just means the city ought to find the lawbreakers and revoke their CUPs. Some of the protesters claim the recent applications were on narrow streets and therefore the wrong place for a B&B. If we rule out US 62 and Highway 23, where in this town is a street not narrow and short on parking? That logic means no B&Bs in town, and visitors who keep our lights on need beds for their tourist heads.
Those visitors tell their friends back home about Eureka Springs, and they might tell them about what a fun town it is for a weekend visit or they might tell them about the squabbling at the Planning meetings. After all, squabbling is the American way.
Other opponents of the new B&Bs cite the 200-foot rule. Seems like a good idea to spread out the B&Bs, but there are other tourist lodgings with less oversight that might be more of a nuisance than a well-run B&B.
One of the speakers at the Planning meeting said the city could not grant a CUP to the applicant just because she was a nice person with a good reputation. Instead, the decision must abide by the rules. How about changing the rules so that only respectful, law-abiding, positive-minded people can get or keep a CUP? Is that the American way?
Ben Norton