Response to short term rentals spark prolonged debates

To the editor:

I grew up in Hudson for three quarters of my life. I remember the mom and pop shops, the diner, the toy store that I couldn’t wait to go in on Saturday mornings when mom shopped in town. Hudson was a great place to live in back in the late ‘50s and ‘60s as I remember it. As time went on things slowly changed. Malls opened and local mom and pop stores on Warren began to close. Stores became empty and streets were silent. You could buy a store front at a fairly decent price on Warren. Slowly merchants from the city took advantage of the deal. Antique shops began to open followed by retail shops, galleries, cafes and restaurants and activities extended to the waterfront. The landscape of the city changed — it revived! As the City of Hudson began to grow visitors came from all over to experience a small town on the Hudson River with its rich culture. Ask anyone who travels on Amtrak.

My parents bought a small 110 acre farm and for 30 years farmed it till they retired and passed away. Just recently I turned their ranch into an Airbnb and I have been a host for about a year. It helps pay my existing nine acre property taxes. As an Airbnb host I enjoy hosting and meeting the diverse population it brings. But now I am hearing there’s been some concerns about regulations for Airbnb’s. Let me tell you, from my life-long resident experience that they help the economy here. The visitors come and stay for more than a day — eat at restaurants, buy products from local farmers and farmers markets, shop, visit galleries, buy gas, etc. etc. They attend weddings, concerts, workshops and visit historic sites. They come for a purpose. Sure it’s a growing business and brings substantial revenue to the county. Airbnb hosts support that. If someone has a bad experience and dislikes because it brought on a party house — well it should be brought up with the host. Airbnb stands by their reputation but it is only good as the host makes it. Our guests constantly review their experience and vice versa. We are very much in control of our sites. Responsible Airbnb owners take care of their properties and should not be penalized for absent owners who may have a different agenda. Don’t over regulate them to the possibility of extinction.

Let’s embrace what is built here from years of toil — are there lessons learned? Merchants and Airbnb’s want to stay and be part of a bustling community that is highlighted in many Magazines across the country. They are in essence a partnership in the big picture. I would hate to have to sell and move out of state because I couldn’t afford to live here or anywhere in NYS. Careful of over regulations that could hurt and end Hudson with empty shops and homes that foreclose.

Airbnb has enabled homeowners to use their private assets to meet a public need and earn income. This does not make homes a public good. We must take care to not confuse homeowners’ option to open their homes to strangers of their choosing with an obligation to open it to strangers of the government’s choosing.

Maria Kolodziej-Zincio

Hudson