The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 55

AIRBNB, WHICH IS IN ITS 10TH YEAR, FEATURES
ROOMS IN 34,000 CITIES IN 191 COUNTRIES. IN
VIRGINIA, CHARLOTTESVILLE, WITH 35,100 GUEST
ARRIVALS IN 2016, IS THE TOP DESTINATION.
ROANOKE IS 11TH AT 6,600, JUST BEHIND
BLACKSBURG AT 6,800. COLLEGE TOWNS ARE GOOD
SPOTS FOR AIRBNB. TOTAL INCOME FOR THOSE
ROANOKE STAYS IS ESTIMATED (BY AIRBNB) AT
$617,000. IN VIRGINIA, AIRBNB EARNED $41.4
MILLION IN 2016 FROM 280,000 GUESTS.
RIVER LAKER (TOP LEFT)
"I was kinda happy" when the
ordinances were passed.
CORBIN PRYDWEN (RIGHT)
Escaped to the beach house.
CHRIS CHITTUM (ABOVE)
"We find them, give notice and are
not heavy-handed about it."

started [enforcing] the zoning ordinance
and the homestay permit."
Laker's experience has been quite a
bit different. "I was kinda happy" when
the ordinances were passed, he says, "but
then people started ignoring them. The
city wasn't sincerely enforcing them."
There are steps that need to be taken to
become a homestay location, meaning a
wait of two or three months and fees of
about $350. Laker guesses that "about
95 percent of the Airbnbs [in Roanoke]
haven't bothered to do that, and they're
doing just fine."
C H R I S C H I T T U M , R o a n o k e 's
planning director, says Laker's estimated
percentage is wildly wrong and that
there are "more like 50 (Airbnbs)
than 250 in the city," which is Laker's
estimate. He says many have complied
with the new ordinance and Roanoke
TheRoanoker.com

officials are encouraging others to do
so without being oppressive. The city's
policy, he insists, has "been pretty
forgiving" and is "evolving. The impact
is important because it is a new use. ...
Oversight is important." He says the city
is looking for those not in compliance
and "we find them, give notice and are
not heavy-handed about it. Still, if they
continue out of compliance, we will seek
legal action."
The general assembl y passed
legislation in 2017 giving localities
authority to require them to register,
"but we have not yet decided to go
in that direction," says Chittum.
"Substantively, we have not changed
much since our initial model, which is
to require a special exception for the
homestay use in residential districts.
"We're [adjusting to] a new shortterm rental use in the mixed use district.

This version is where an entire dwelling
unit is rented for less than 30 days."
The problematic homestay businesses
are in residential neighborhoods,
generally in the city, though surrounding
localities also have some. Those in
commercial areas-like downtown
Roanoke-don't need the special
exception permit. By late 2017, Chittum
says, there had been 16 applications for
homestay permits, nine approved, three
denied and three withdrawn. One was
awaiting a decision. There are other
homestay locations throughout the
Valley, but the city's remain the highest
profile and the most contentious.
Prydwen moved to North Carolina
in October, saying, "I gave City of
Roanoke 12 years of hard work and
dedication through revitalization efforts
throughout the Old Southwest and
West End. I believe through the amount
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2018

55


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The Roanoker - September / October 2018

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Roanoker - September / October 2018

The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - Intro
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - Cover1
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - Cover2
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 3
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 4
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 5
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 6
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 7
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 8
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 9
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 10
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 11
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 12
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 14
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 15
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 16
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 17
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 18
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 19
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 20
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 21
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 22
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 23
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 24
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 25
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 28
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 29
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 30
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 31
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 33
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 34
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 35
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 36
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 37
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 38
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 48
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 49
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 50
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 55
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 56
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 62
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 63
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 64
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 65
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 66
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 67
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 68
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 70
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 73
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 74
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 75
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 76
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 77
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 78
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 79
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The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 88
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 89
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 90
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 91
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 92
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 93
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 94
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 95
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 96
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 97
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - 98
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - Cover3
The Roanoker - September / October 2018 - Cover4
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