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NEW REVIEWS: This is a familiar piece, particularly in today's society. The lack of respect and
neighborly care for the property of others is all too common nationwide. So what happens is that
those who otherwise might welcome the influx of new and interesting friends turn aside and
become protectionists. It is never cute nor smart too trample upon the property of others. Good
premise and a well written piece. ****__Jean Ann Morgan.

I liked this story too. If I lived in such a beautiful community as Belmont Bay, I too would be very
careful about providing even the simplest opportunity for others to carelessly abuse it. What is
the matter with people today? Good story and very thought provoking. ****__Su Chang-Wu

I don't understand any of this city council meeting stuff. There are other more memorable ways
to deal with such problems, so that they do not occur again. If it were my town or my city or my
street, I would take the money and then break the knees of any offender of community property.
Fines just don't work. But knee casualties, now that's something memorable. Anyway, sounds like
another great debate over self-destructive "individual rights" taken to the "Nth" power. Things
like that just don't happen in my part of Brooklyn, which, by the way, is enjoying a resurgence of
strong property values. Good story, though. Makes us all think. ****__Anthony M. Gullatta.

Right, Tony. Sounds like a quick, sure solution to me. Every neighborhood needs a "deal maker"
like yours. You are welcome to visit with us anytime. Just don't bring too many of your friends.
Where we live, most of our neighbors are already walking around on knee replacements. A
thought provoking point of view though. ****__Captain Apple Jack. [Cash? Hello? Is anyone
there?]
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“BELMONT BAY”
By Barbara A. Sabo
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Rated G by the author
Even the Osprey love it here.
Designed in the distinctive style of a classic American harbor town, Belmont Bay is a marvelously
planned neo-traditional community situated between the Occoquan and Potomac rivers.
Surrounded by the natural beauty of these rivers, and the neighboring 400-acre wildlife refugee,
it’s not uncommon for residents to see American Bald Eagles and Ospreys soaring overhead.

Once home to Native Americans, it is now a thriving waterfront community featuring picturesque
scenery that mesmerizes everyone. Even the Osprey. Today, many of these magnificent birds
willingly call this spectacular place home. It was once believed that the Osprey were so
captivating, fish surrendered themselves without a fight.

Belmont Bay is an intimate community with neighborly surroundings that offers something for
everyone year round and makes every day feel like a weekend. So it was no surprise that the
great debate whether to allow homeowners to rent out their homes or condominiums on a weekly
basis during the summer took on such a supercharged complexion last week.

Such rentals produce high incomes for the owners and the city, which would get part of this
income through a 15-percent surcharge to the owner. “This can be a boon to our coffers,” said
George Johnson, City Manager. “In the summer, homeowners can bring in $2,000 a week or
more.” However, these rentals can also be a can of worms. Belmont Bay stopped allowing weekly
rentals 10 years ago because of the problems they were generating. Two, three, or even four
families would pile into a two-or-three-bedroom condo. Then they would park their cars on the
lawn and produce large amounts of trash. Sometimes trash even wound up on the streets and
boardwalks.

Noise was another problem. Some people would party late and loud every night. The noise
created a lot of friction with neighbors and resulted in extra work for city maintenance crews and
for police, who had to respond almost hourly to residents’ complaints about noise, music, trash,
and parking problems. But today economic concerns are touching all peoples almost everywhere.

So last week, city officials held a community meeting to listen once again to the pros and cons of
re instituting the right of homeowners to rent out their properties. One official suggested that a
fine might work. If the city had to respond to complaints, the homeowner would be charged
$200 per response. Such a fine would cause the homeowner to be careful to rent only to people
that he/she is sure will be considerate of their neighbors. The city would still get 15 percent of
the rental fee, even if the homeowner’s rent were totally offset by fines. The city would then
post inconsiderate renters’ names on the city Website so that other homeowners would know
about them.

With greater wisdom, other officials thought the ban simply should be continued because visitors
to the community had already proven that they have no consideration for others. “Their money
isn’t worth the headaches they cause,” Councilman Robbins suggested rather forcefully at one
point during the meeting. And most of the homeowners, including me, agreed.


                                     ©2009 Barbara A. Sabo [All Rights Reserved]