To the Editor,

Lake Placid Residents for a Sustainable Community (RSC) is comprised of Town and Village residents united in a concern that our community is being seriously and irreparably damaged by the conversion of residential housing into commercial enterprises. These for-profit businesses are destroying the essence of our neighborhoods, making them unaffordable to working people and eroding Lake Placid’s economic sustainability.

Our goal is to restrict transient short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods through effective, consistent enforcement of the joint Lake Placid/North Elba Land Use Code. (Section 1.7.5 Classification of Uses; Section 2.2 – 2.5 Base Districts/Standards for Residential Districts; Section 10.2 Definitions)

While RSC members hold differing opinions on many aspects of the challenges brought upon by the unfettered growth of short-term rentals and businesses profiting from them in Lake Placid/North Elba residential districts, we are united in our love of our community and desire to preserve the residential neighborhoods where we are raising our families and to ensure the livability, affordability and sustainability of our home.

The Land Use Code intended to protect residential neighborhoods. Transient (short term) rentals are not stated as a permitted use or a conditional use in residential districts in the current land use code. We advocate for a transparent, public process through which the existing code can be examined, strengthened if necessary, and enforced appropriately.

We welcome participation from members of our community at lakeplacidrsc@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Sheila and Bill Tavares, Heidi and Peter Roland, Zay and Salli Curtis, Cathy and Wayne Johnston, Jamie Rogers, Bob and Jan Maswick, Karen Huttlinger, Andrew Weibrecht, Caitlin Wargo, Jennifer Newhart, Steve Doxzon, Bob and Kerry Rafferty, Bill Billerman, Sandy and Chip Bissell, Tom and Adele Connors, Reed A. Miller, Ann Stillman O’Leary, Ruth Hart, Jim and Keela Rogers, Sarah and Marc Galvin, Horst and Edith Weber, Sonia and Fredy Fluhmann, Petra Weber and Stuart Hemsley, Arlene Petty, Vincent Martucci, Katie and Eugene Byrne, Margot Sorley, Carol Nevulis, Sage and Stu Ruttan, Denise Calvert, Nancy Sweet Master, JoAnn and Nick Cancro, Mary Liz Alexander, Jen and Patrick Ledger, Lee Slocum Lamparski, Judy Rand Scammell, Don Scammell, Christopher and Audrey Hyson, Jonathan and Meghan Gravett, Carmine Salvo, Bernadette Clarke, Jenni Knapp McGrew, Steve Sama, Gwyn Bissonette, Hannah Collins, David and Linda Jones, John Matt Morrell, Amanda Birchenough, Cheryl and Bill Morris, Michael “Twig” McGlynn, Connie Rascoe, C. MacDonald Grout, Gary Kaltenbach, Shayn and Karen Armstrong, Nina Armstrong, Gabby Armstrong, Kathryn Billerman, Linda and Rik Cassidy, Trish Friedlander, Robert and Kim Douglas, Ed Lis, Dorine Peregrim, Mary Jane Colby, Greg Borzilleri

Lake Placid