I am a full-time Newport resident with great concern for our housing crisis. I want to applaud the effort to curb the growth of new short-term rentals by Councilor Mark Aramli, as these units continue to consume our residential housing. Short term rentals are now poised to gobble up the buildings of our small shops and restaurants, with new laws from the State of RI enabling conversion of their buildings into high density AirBnB’s. A Council majority passed a measure on first reading to halt this, yet I watched horrified as three Council members took advantage of one Councilor’s absence to get the proposal shot down with a tie on second reading.
These three Councilors, Lynn Ceglie, Jean-Marie Napolitano, and Charlie Holder, prioritized growing tourism over our housing crisis in Newport. Are they on Council to serve residents or tourists?
Councilors Lynn Ceglie and Charlie Holder sit on Discover Newport tourism boards and Lynne Ceglie has taken travel funds from her tourism board. Councilor Jean-Marie Napolitano’s family has financial interests in AirBnB’s that seem to be in direct conflict with her voting this down. It’s disturbing Councilor Napolitano didn’t recuse herself from this vote. The proposed measure would save 20 to 30 housing units a year from being eaten by AirBnb’s, and protect our mom and pop shops from also being pushed out of Newport. Newport needs to protect what housing it has left. It’s disappointing our longest serving Councilor’s put personal interests and tourism ahead of community.
Kate Jessup, Newport
I wonder if the author of this opinion has stopped to think that the people owning and running these short term rentals are also Newport residents and should be allowed to do with their business’ what they like. If Newport did not have the strong tourism industry and the business that it supports then we would just be another Fall River with beautiful water views, some old houses and crime and poverty. The only reason Newport is such a great place for locals is because there is enough tourism money here to make the great restaurants and shops want to be here and the tax dollars from the tourism pay for our beaches, cliff walk and all the other amazing attributes we benefit from by being residents in The City by the Sea. Things can be done to regulate business to limit their impact but an all out ban greatly affects business owners that pay so much into the cost of running this beautiful city.
I absolutely agree with the article. As far as if I had a choice to go into Newport or head over to Fall River or New Bedford…I would absolutely go to Fall River or New Bedford. They are revitalizing their cities beautifully. Parking, prices and crowds ( yes, there is even crime in Newport) makes Newport a destination for people of a certain economic bracket. I applaud any individually owned store or restaurant in Newport for surviving…not being bought out by huge restaurant groups or chain stores you can find anywhere. I think if the property is truly owned by a local then yes, they should be able to do as they please. However, I wonder how many of these properties are owned by out of state residents. People who have no real vested interest in the community except to profit from their rentals.