By Dave Gebhard
Where does planning and common sense coincide? Motels that house low income people have existed here for decades. There are always shortages of housing for people living near the poverty line, as landlords want to maximize their return on investment real estate.
Many tourists come to Lake County and count on continuity. The environment and familiar sites are all a part of their vacation experience. Even as Konocti Harbor Resort is closing it”s doors, we cite zoning laws that have never been enforced, as reasons to eliminate low income housing, and thus curbing the income of honest landlords.
Perhaps, the county could assist the landlords in converting to apartment housing, or could make exceptions for grandfathered motels converted to housing. Actually, they could be taken on a case-by-case basis; looks, safety, cleanliness and clientele. Naturally, NIMBY (not in my backyard) might be the driving reason the county is trying to stop the motels from long term rentals. Naturally, if drug dealers or prostitution was on the premises, there would be valid reasons for shutting them down. But those are activities more suited for transient accommodations, ones where the perpetrators can be gone in an instant and their identities falsified more easily.
Dave Gebhard
Lakeport
