Weaverville – The Tribune asked its Facebook followers, “Are you concerned about the number of whole house short-term rentals in the town?” Here’s what they said:
Howard Dusenbery – We are becoming a town of Airbnbs no actual neighborhoods. Need a reg that requires the owner to live on the premises.
Michele Clevenger Robinson – Born and raised here. Weaverville has drastically changed in my almost 52 years. I have no problem with Air Bnb or VRBOs. Great way of extra income and for short term tourist visits. What I do have issue with are the number of apartment complexes and fast food restaurants going up, ruining our landscape and small town community feel.
Danielle Harrigan – Yes, I wish our town wasn’t full of Airbnbs and hope limitations come soon. I live in a single family home in Weaverville and my neighbor is an Airbnb. We have a shared driveway, and we are constantly being blocked in by their guests and almost having accidents when coming and going. The owner of the Airbnb has almost 200 other Airbnb listings in our area.
Shelley Ramsey responded to Danielle Harrigan – You nailed it. AirBnBs are great, in theory, but they can ruin communities real quick when they are set up this way.”
Colin Van Etten – I’m more concerned with the $400k square boxes that are being ok’d by the town over and over and over again…guess the tax base is more important than having decent-looking structures filled with engaged owners who live AND work here.
Logan Deitz – Nope. Not one bit. What does concern me is the amount of useless tacky apartments and townhouses that are being allowed. Developers like D.R. Horton build horrible “homes” and rip people off left and right. THAT is what needs to be regulated.
Jon David – What concerns me is how hardworking residents that have lived in this county all their lives can’t find affordable homes yet people who move here from other states that don’t appear to work but have an endless budget keep buying up every decent home there is. This county is absolutely disgusting to shop for rental houses or houses to buy. What you would pay 500k for here would be 250k anywhere else. And some of us are not able to leave because of jobs or schools.
Terry Malone responding to Jon David – It’s awful that the number of native residents is so low….that no one can say how many there is… I admit my family moved here in 1972, when I was ripe old age of 8… I only lived inside the town limits 2000 to 2004…the rest of the time in the NB fire district until I remarried in 2014…. So a lot called me a native even though I wasn’t… I retired from the town in 2016…
Denise Griffin Hollifield – My next door house just became a[n] AirBnB. Very concerned.
Cecilia Penley Rhymer – I have no problem with airbnbs, that brings in money for our small town. But I have a big problem with all the apartments/ houses being built when our roads can’t handle the traffic!!! We have lost our small town feel!!
Kay Parker Rector– Weaverville can’t support all the apartments, condos, new house developments.. Traffic is absolutely ridiculous. Way too many Airbnb’s.
Mich Bee – Have a huge problem with the influx of people into the small hollers. Where our windows stay open and our doors unlocked. Now continuous noise as visitors, with no respect for neighbors use our community as their party stop. When someone who has never lived in the community buys then rents as a business it is me and my neighbors who are the hosts. Our children and animals required to change our lives to accommodate the tourist.