A challenge Lake Placid and other towns and villages face is residential housing in the community center being turned into short-term rentals, which takes out critical housing needed for year-round residents. I am appalled that there are three- to five-bedroom STRs and even more so that there are any nine or more bedroom STRs, especially if they are located in residential neighborhoods.

They never should have been approved in the first place.

I appreciate Mark Sertl’s frustration that buying a home one can only rent out 90 days a year doesn’t make economic sense, nor should it. Time and time again I hear people’s frustrations of not being able to find a plumber or electrician, slow service at a restaurant, and the lack of people with the time to serve as coaches and officials for local sports teams, or volunteers to help put on all manner of events, much less attend them.

The reality is turning housing stock into STRs is destroying the character and quality of these communities many love to visit. Is it inconvenient to rent multiple rooms in a hotel or motel? Not really. Most have game or meeting rooms where people can gather. If some visitors walk with their feet, that’s probably not a bad thing in terms of the long-term health of the community.

The town and village boards are struggling to right a wrong, and there is no fix that will satisfy everybody. Critical to keep in mind is that we need places for doctors, nurses, teachers and others to live, and we need young people and families living in the community, some of whom will stay and become valued leaders and business people. Without them, Lake Placid will no longer be a desirable place to visit much less live.

Naj Wikoff

Keene Valley