Friends & Neighbors… I just want everyone to understand that a 2-day minimum rental period is the equivalent of a 2-DAY WEEKEND PARTY PASS!
My concerns, regarding this new proposed RESOLUTION 14-2023, governing STRs… to be introduced & voted on, at the October 18th Brigantine City Council Meeting, are as follows:
2-DAY MINIMUM does ZERO to curtail the weekend gatherings of party folks… it incentivizes!
2-DAY MINIMUM will spawn an explosion of property owners to rent their homes on weekends… or on those mid-week “ORPHAN DAYS.”
2-DAY MINIMUM will incentivize normal rental property owners to convert their annual rentals into STRs… thus eliminating availability of annual rental properties… for families, seniors, single parent households, etc.
2-DAY MINIMUM will saturate the desirable rental areas, like the beach block & bay front properties, with partying crowds… bringing noise, nuisance, havoc & parking congestion to the residential neighborhoods in which they are nestled!
2-DAY MINIMUM will overload our police force & code enforcement officials with the deluge of complaints & trouble created by these large celebratory crowd gatherings.
2-DAY MINIMUM will be next to impossible to regulate, for Brigantine will become saturated with STRs & the city certainly does not have the required number of personnel or resources to regulate the tsunami of STRs about to engulf our island community.
2-DAY MINIMUM is the antithesis of what the original Brigantine Island Development Company envisioned for our island… residential homes for folks to flock to the island of Brigantine for summers of fun… enjoying the sand, the surf & the camaraderie … a.k.a. “HAPPY NOISE!”
2-DAY MINIMUM will chase away peace loving full-time residents… for most will not tolerate the partying craziness that comes with the weekend gatherings of celebratory crowds.
2-DAY MINIMUM will require “neighbor snitching on neighbor”… for outing those STR property owners, who are booking boisterous crowds of folks on weekends, etc. How is this to be policed, if not reported by the neighbors living nearby such STRs?
2 BY 2… we will witness the destruction of this beautiful island community of Brigantine… 2 DAYS by 2 DAYS!
The City of Brigantine’s Mayor & Council Members somehow think that this new ordinance will have the necessary ingredients to strictly manage STRs… BUT… I think that STR property owners will certainly comply with all the necessary paperwork needed to obtain their STR licenses… BUT several, perhaps most, will accept bookings from large groups of 18… & usually it’s more than that.
Some STR property owners will say they these gatherings are actually friends or that they are loaning their property to a friend for a wedding, bachelor party, women’s retreat day, etc… BUT in reality, deals will be made behind closed doors & the true details of such rentals will be kept from the city’s governing bodies & from the public square.
There are plenty of “Black Market” internet platforms on which these STR property owners can broker their rentals, shielding their properties from being identified, as they would ordinarily be disclosed on platforms like AirBnb, Vrbo, local real estate management companies, etc.
There will be dozens, if not hundreds, of STR properties operating on such platforms, if for nothing else but not wanting the income generated from their rentals to be disclosed, etc.
There are a lot of clandestine STR rentals… operating undetected & unreported for years.
So, the conundrum is… how to keep the explosion of STRs in check… while maintaining the peace, safety & enjoyment of our island community. Not sure this balancing act, that the city has to perform, will be possible!… it will be more like MISSION IMPOSSIBLE.
Feel free to reach out to speak with me on this. I’d love to share my thoughts & concerns, for what I communicated in the body of this email just scratches the surface.
Please, do everything you can to attend the upcoming Council Meeting on October 18th @ 5 PM.
Your presence & support is crucial… especially now, with Council about to vote this new STR ordinance into law.
Take good care, stay well & be safe!
All the BEST!…. Andrea Sullivan.
Subscribe BrigantineNOW
To City Council: It is imperative that ZOOM be working on the 18th and that people who can’t be there in person, have an opportunity to share comments and ask questions via ZOOM.
As you are aware, the municipal court uses ZOOM for people who can’t appear in person with the judge and it works beautifully. Please extend this courtesy to residents of brigantine for the meeting on the 18th.
Many of us agree with Ms. Sullivan and for reasons beyond our control, cannot attend in person.
If you care about how your citizens feel, step up and do the right thing regarding the ZOOM. Thank you.
Kathleen
Kathleen, Responsible STR owners with no complaint issues have been leaving work early and rearranging their schedules to attend these meetings in person. If this is so important to you perhaps you do the same. No Zoom has been made available to us, nor did the city move the meeting to a larger venue when it was clear attendance would be large.
That isn’t possible for some people. Your comment is is ridiculous in this day and age. We are in the age of Remote. It is an important meeting hence the reason Brigantine consider all options for people who are not able to attend to have zoom available to them. By not doing so you are discriminating or perhaps it’s purposeful. I have to believe Mayor Sera would disagree with your response.
Kathleen
This might be the worst take on STRs that I’ve ever seen. As a RE investor and rental owner/operator for years, I can say with certainty that there is zero data to corroborate the opinions listed above. In fact, most them don’t even make any logical sense. 2 day minimums eliminate kids partying bc they can’t afford to pay for two nights just to drink and get crazy. It stops them from renting for one night to throw a wild party…that’s progress. If you ask any seasoned operator, they don’t allow 1 night rentals for this reason. I’d be happy to line out why none of the points in this article make any sense at all, but I get the impression that many of the old guard residents have a flawed concept of “STR bad” and “LTR good”, which just isn’t true. Everyone wants the higher property values and more activity in town, but none of the headaches. Unfortunately, you can’t have it both ways and STRs are here to stay.
Thank you, I agree and said something very similar below. The takes some of these people are leaving are down right comical
Hi JM
Hence the reason this meeting should be on zoom for those who can’t possibly attend. It would be great to hear first hand your rebuttal to Ms Sullivan along with downside for a 7 day minimum in high season. Would love to learn more from you. We agree STR are here to stay and that has never been the issue. Calling Andrea or other shorter term full and part time residents as ” old guard” is disrespectful, in my opinion.
I do not rent my home in Brigantine but my wife and I are down for four days a week from May to October. I have never once had an issue with the “party crowd” nice never once been woken up from loud noise or issues. And I have never once had a problem with parking. I have how ever had issues with full time residents bad mouthing me and being rude when I am down, I have had the cops called on me by a full time resident for drying towels in the porch and I have had full time resident talk poorly and purposefully mess with La scalas
I would ask any resident of brigantine to explain their definition of “community” the township does nothing for any major holiday, they do zero events outside of a farmers market, and anytime something new comes up or to town it is drug through the mud.
The “locals” of brigantine need to realize that the new larger homes coming in are generating MILLIONS in tax revenue for the township, they aren’t going to do anything to kill that revenue stream. They also need to realize that this is a tourist town, with out rentals you wouldn’t get anything new like La scala, santucies or any other business. The days when of a “sleepy beach town” are gone, either get on board or don’t but it’s happening.
Brigantine is a crown jewel of the Jersey shore, embrace the change and let it shine!$
Your opinion reflects on your poor grammar and spelling. It takes a small person to think that these mega mansions generate millions in revenue. In fact, they take all their money to dine and gamble in Atlantic City. Brigantine is the only town at the Jersey shore that allows 2 day rentals. This has brought all the developers here since they can’t turn over their rentals in other towns as quickly as they can here. Brigantine did not know how to handle the casinos when they came in the late 70s and they have no foresight to handle what is going to destroy them now. The city council here is a joke and 6n out of 7 of them are profiting from STRs. Please Democrats, run against these out for themselves clowns.
Mayor & council are making an honest effort to deal with problem rental issues, BUT if there was a MORATORIUM ON ALL CONSTRUCTION OF 3 STORY HOUSES, if only 4 bedroom, 2.5 bathroom homes could be built as of 1/1/24, Brigantine would revert back to being a shore community.
The reason this problem exists is because Brigantine has, in the last 3 years, NOT put a stop or controlled MEGA MANSION CONSTRUCTION.
Brigantine got rid of motels and similar units and created the community everyone wants back.
STOP MEGA MANSIONS. STOP 7 BEDROOM HOUSES.
STOP REALTORS from convincing owners of original Brigantine beach houses “they can make a financial killing”.
THIS IS THE ROOT OF PROBLEM.
YOUR BUILDING RULES CAUSED YOUR PROBLEM. CHANGE THEM.
Marion the value is in the land. No one is building a 4 br 2 1/2 bath house on a lot worth more than the building. Every shore town allows 3 story, and after Sandy those heights were raised. This is the new norm. There are no sleepy beach towns anymore. It is important to note that there are MANY “McMansions” that are second homes and never rented, sit empty half the summer BUT pay a lot of taxes. You don’t have to like or agree with it, but this again IS the new norm.
So glad I moved away. Towns gone downhill fast
This writing from Andrea Sullivan is quite disturbing. I
Although there was an issue in her area at one time, the Owner of the STRs in her area have been handled above and beyond.
The Fact of This Matter is STR Owners are not ‘greedy Investors” renting million dollar homes to crazy party people. Owners have a huge amount of money tied up in the purchase of 2nd homes that also are used as Vacation Rentals for people that love the Island of Brigantine and wish to spend a few days in the beautiful off-season months OR a week with family and friends in the summer.
The continual ranting about STRs being marketed as a place for drunken loud irresponsible party people is simply not true.
Enforcement is the main part of the proposed Ordinance. Mayor Sera has worked hard to get to the bottom of problem property issues while working to have the Island available to people that are not as fortunate to live in Brigantine Full Time.
I have been an STR owner of multiple properties for 15 years.
I have never had a complaint against my properties and maintain good relations with our neighbors.
This is the Fact for 99% of STR Owners.
We all have rights to peace on this issue.
Hello. I am a Brigantine “local” and have been since 1961. I live in the A-Zone on 27th Street South. There is currently an empty lot next to me which was bought last year. The owners have not built anything yet on the lot. I AM VERY CONCERNED, AND HOPE AND PRAY, THAT A HUGE RENTAL PROPERTY WILL NOT BE MY NEW NIGHTMARE! Please count me in as a local to support whatever it takes to stop this madness with respect to the 10+ bedroom rental houses. Thanks.
Chris
Hello. I am a Brigantine “local” and have been since 1961. I live in the A-Zone on 27th Street South. There is currently an empty lot next to me which was bought last year. The owners have not built anything yet on the lot. I AM VERY CONCERNED, AND HOPE AND PRAY, THAT A HUGE RENTAL PROPERTY WILL NOT BE MY NEW NIGHTMARE! Please count me in as a local to support whatever it takes to stop this madness with respect to the 10+ bedroom rental houses. Thanks.
Chris
P.S. …”Brigantine…an island you’ll love for life!”