Please Sign Our Petition to Limit
Short-Term Rentals in Residential Neighborhoods
We are still collecting signed petitions for the May 18, 2021 Election.
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Passing the “Altering Short Term Rental Dwelling Licensing in Unincorporated Lincoln County” Initiative will:
1. Prohibit new Short Term Rental licenses and license transfers upon sale in low-density, single-family RESIDENTIAL ZONES (R-1-A, R-1, and R-2) in Unincorporated Lincoln County,
2. Phase-out existing Short Term Rental licenses in Residential Zones over five years.
3. Reduce the maximum occupancy of Short Term Rentals in RESIDENTIAL ZONES to two persons per bedroom, excluding children under two years of age. Current licensing is three persons per bedroom plus two persons "for the house," excluding children under two years of age.
4. Limit ownership to only one STR within the RESIDENTIAL ZONES the R-1-A, R-1 and R-2.
1. Prohibit new Short Term Rental licenses and license transfers upon sale in low-density, single-family RESIDENTIAL ZONES (R-1-A, R-1, and R-2) in Unincorporated Lincoln County,
2. Phase-out existing Short Term Rental licenses in Residential Zones over five years.
3. Reduce the maximum occupancy of Short Term Rentals in RESIDENTIAL ZONES to two persons per bedroom, excluding children under two years of age. Current licensing is three persons per bedroom plus two persons "for the house," excluding children under two years of age.
4. Limit ownership to only one STR within the RESIDENTIAL ZONES the R-1-A, R-1 and R-2.
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ALL REGISTERED LINCOLN COUNTY VOTERS can sign the Petition. How to submit your STR Petition signature: 1. CLICK on the black button that says “Download Signature Sheet (PDF)” on this webpage 2. PRINT the signature sheet PDF (no photocopies) 3. SIGN your name in the two required places 4. DATE both lines, with the same date 5. PRINT your name and address exactly as it is on your voter registration 6. MAIL the signed signature sheet by regular USPS mail to: 15neighborhoods
P.O. Box 390 Depoe Bay, OR 97341
**The Signatures must be original.
NO SCANS, NO COPIES, NO EMAILS.** 
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15neighborhoods
MAIL TO: P.O. Box 390 Depoe Bay, OR 97341 
The more signatures, the stronger message to Realtors, Out-of-Town Investors, and Property Managers. |
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What is 15neighborhoods?
15neighborhoods is a grassroots Coalition working to preserve our Residential neighborhoods.
The County mistakenly issued Business Licenses that allowed Short-term vacation rentals (STRs, or VRDs) to locate in Lincoln County's low-density, single-family Residential Zones. Licensed for large numbers of transient occupants, STRs are mini-motels but without on-site management. STRs are businesses, not family residences. STRs belong in the County's Tourist-Commercial, not Residential zones. Current Lincoln County zoning prohibits B&Bs in some Residential Zones. Think about it. Why are STRs operating in the R-1-A zone when B&Bs cannot?
Most STR revenue does not even stay here or get spent here. It goes to investors outside the County. Less than 6% of STRs are owned by people living in the Lincoln County. According to the County records, 35% (209) of the STRs are owned by Investors from outside of Oregon.
Lincoln County has sacrificed the zoning protections and property rights of the people living in our Residential Zones. All 1,494 square miles of Lincoln County are functionally a Tourist-Commercial (C-T) Zone. Nowhere in Unincorporated Lincoln County can you live with the guarantee that an STR can't get a business license next door (or all around!) your home. Unlike in the cities, there are no zoning restrictions for these businesses. Unlike the cities, we have no cap on the number of STRs in the County or in neighborhoods.
One Realtor said her brokerage calls Unincorporated Lincoln County the "wild west" for STRs. Brokers report multiple offers by Out-of-Town Investors on existing homes in Residential Zones. Realtors encourage investors to buy here because there are no zoning restrictions. This is a selling point for speculators. More business licenses for STRs are issued in Lincoln County than permits for new construction.
Residents moved to quiet Residential-Zoned neighborhoods in Unincorporated Lincoln County expecting a pleasant place to live and raise their family, away from the traffic, noise, risks, and hassles of the Tourist-Commercial Zones. We chose homes in residential neighborhoods of full-time owners and long-term renters. You know, people who have an investment in a clean and safe community, who can get to know their neighbors, and have kids around to play with other kids. Instead, the County has licensed away the "quiet enjoyment" property rights of the people who actually live in these neighborhoods, and many of us now find ourselves sandwiched between short-term vacation rentals that can be licensed for 14 people and unlimited children under two.
The short-term renters are unknown to us. They cycle through our neighborhoods every few days, seven days a week, 12 months a year.
Let's preserve our Residentially-Zoned neighborhoods.
Download, print, sign (2 places), and mail a Petition sheet right now.
The County mistakenly issued Business Licenses that allowed Short-term vacation rentals (STRs, or VRDs) to locate in Lincoln County's low-density, single-family Residential Zones. Licensed for large numbers of transient occupants, STRs are mini-motels but without on-site management. STRs are businesses, not family residences. STRs belong in the County's Tourist-Commercial, not Residential zones. Current Lincoln County zoning prohibits B&Bs in some Residential Zones. Think about it. Why are STRs operating in the R-1-A zone when B&Bs cannot?
Most STR revenue does not even stay here or get spent here. It goes to investors outside the County. Less than 6% of STRs are owned by people living in the Lincoln County. According to the County records, 35% (209) of the STRs are owned by Investors from outside of Oregon.
Lincoln County has sacrificed the zoning protections and property rights of the people living in our Residential Zones. All 1,494 square miles of Lincoln County are functionally a Tourist-Commercial (C-T) Zone. Nowhere in Unincorporated Lincoln County can you live with the guarantee that an STR can't get a business license next door (or all around!) your home. Unlike in the cities, there are no zoning restrictions for these businesses. Unlike the cities, we have no cap on the number of STRs in the County or in neighborhoods.
One Realtor said her brokerage calls Unincorporated Lincoln County the "wild west" for STRs. Brokers report multiple offers by Out-of-Town Investors on existing homes in Residential Zones. Realtors encourage investors to buy here because there are no zoning restrictions. This is a selling point for speculators. More business licenses for STRs are issued in Lincoln County than permits for new construction.
Residents moved to quiet Residential-Zoned neighborhoods in Unincorporated Lincoln County expecting a pleasant place to live and raise their family, away from the traffic, noise, risks, and hassles of the Tourist-Commercial Zones. We chose homes in residential neighborhoods of full-time owners and long-term renters. You know, people who have an investment in a clean and safe community, who can get to know their neighbors, and have kids around to play with other kids. Instead, the County has licensed away the "quiet enjoyment" property rights of the people who actually live in these neighborhoods, and many of us now find ourselves sandwiched between short-term vacation rentals that can be licensed for 14 people and unlimited children under two.
The short-term renters are unknown to us. They cycle through our neighborhoods every few days, seven days a week, 12 months a year.
Let's preserve our Residentially-Zoned neighborhoods.
Download, print, sign (2 places), and mail a Petition sheet right now.
"In many communities in my County, between thirty and forty percent of the residences are VRDs. In some coastal communities, that number reaches seventy percent. Without accessible, affordable [workforce] housing, many places on the coast, in the Gorge and Central Oregon, will become retreats for the wealthy, with service workers being bussed in from distant locations." Testimony of Lincoln County Commissioner Claire Hall, March 2019.
Are You Registered to Vote?
We know that you are a supporter of our petition and that you want your neighborhood back from the mini-motels of Short Term Rentals. 15neighborhoods appreciates your support.
Now, the big question: Are you registered to vote in Lincoln County, Oregon?
If not, please get registered BEFORE YOU SIGN AND DATE our Petition to get this measure on the May ballot.
To get registered click on the button below and follow the prompts:
Together we Voters can make a difference and reclaim our neighborhoods.
Residential Zones are not Resorts.
Beverly Beach: Unsecured garbage leads to rats and raccoon infestation which is a public health problem.
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Miroco: An undetected septic break at an STR caused a significant public health problem for neighbors down gradient. In 2019, the County began to require an Existing Septic Evaluation Report (ESER) for STRs with incomplete septic permits. The mandatory ESER at this STR detected the broken pipe. How long has raw sewage been seeping into the groundwater and down gradient onto the neighbors' property?
15neighborhoods recommends an ESER for all STRs on septic systems, not just those with incomplete County records. An ESER costs about $400. This is about the the same cost for the initial STR License. For a three bedroom STR, it is about the nightly rental rate, higher in season. Why do the Owners and Property Managers object? |
April 17, 2020
June 26, 2020
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May 20, 2020
This garbage bin in these three photos are at the same STR after three different bookings. Recurring violations are not enforced by County's STR Code, not even public health violations like garbage. 15neighborhoods recommends each violation of the "unsecured garbage" requirement counts as a "strike" for the STR.
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April 17, 2020
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Miroco: Over-occupancy, one too many vehicles, and illegal parking at a two bedroom STR. 15neighborhoods recommends two people (over two years of age) and one car per bedroom.
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Beverly Beach: RVs should not be considered "vehicles" at an STR.
15neighborhoods recommends no RVs, no boats, and no trailers.
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January 3, 2019
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