To The Editor:
After reading the article about Fayston’s research about short-term rentals, I am shocked to read that Karen Souther claims that any benefits of these properties is debatable and possibly nonexistent.
I will tell you as a former employer of a good-size business in Waitsfield that the renters of short-term rentals, especially since the start of the COVID pandemic, have been instrumental in helping many businesses survive and, in fact, thrive in many cases.
I see constant activity at the two Airbnb properties near where I live in Waitsfield. I see many of those same cars renting tubes at Clearwater, buying groceries at Mehuron’s, creemees at the Canteen and takeout at the Mad Taco. How can these visitors have no perceived value? Maybe not for Fayston because they have no commercial district. But I thought the housing issue was supposed to be being looked at as a Valley wide issue as a whole.
The fact that these people have been spending money may in fact be putting more stress on the labor shortage in The Valley. They may indeed be putting more stress on infrastructure but to claim there is possibly no benefit from these rentals is in my opinion inexcusably irresponsible if you want any of us to take these studies seriously. These renters have been fundamental to many businesses’ financial health and that includes the employees of these businesses as well as their owners.
Tom Mehuron
Waitsfield
