Editor,
The Planning Commission will soon be considering whether to end or continue one of several moratoriums on new Bed and Breakfast businesses in neighborhoods.
For years Eureka Springs has been dealing with the problems and proliferations of Bed and Breakfast establishments in residential neighborhoods. When they started in the 1980s the reasoning was for a homeowner to raise a little money to keep up their historic property (conversation with a planning commissioner at the time).
Contrary to code that no new commercial be built in residential, three five-unit B&Bs were built on Hillside and other non C-3 homes were converted to commercial. I say converted because only rarely does a B&B go back to being a family home.
In the 1990s a group of citizens encouraged the Planning Commission to no longer allow tourist lodgings, and to space B&Bs at least 200 feet apart along a street front rather than a 200 ft. circumference, which was requested.
As a result, I have a B&B next door, a grandfathered lodging kitty corner across the street and the possibility of another directly behind my home on Hillside.
In the 2000s the owner on-site requirement changed to manager on site. The owner/ manager then drifted to be allowed to live next door. The “weekly loophole” resulted in a new batch of grandfathered rentals until they sunset by being sold.
There was the “is it a breakfast if it’s a cold Danish?” controversy begging the question if there is no hot breakfast is it a B&B? Now Kyle, our planning and preservation officer, is following leads that some breakfasts are not even being served.
Times have changed. We have a serious housing/rental shortage, and second home ownership is increasing. The Planning Commission should be protecting neighborhoods and seeking ways to increase homes, not trying to regulate how more businesses can be put in neighborhoods.
We as residents deserve a backstage to tourism’s front stage. Homeowners already have the right to rent two units per home by the month.
I recommend that the moratorium on new businesses in residential be made permanent. This would be healthier for neighborhoods, existing B&Bs and for Kyle who has to patrol the rule breakers. We stopped allowing new lodgings and weekly rentals in residential, it’s time we did the same for Bed and Breakfast establishments.
The Planning Commission needs to hear from you now, a single sentence will do but you need to let them know how you think as they consider their decision.
Send emails to: Kyle.Palmer@eurekaspringsar.gov, letters to: Planning Commission 44 S. Main St. Eureka Springs, AR 72632, (479) 253-9703 ask for Kyle.
Gwen Bennett