SLO County cuts off ranch owner's special events

[JBloggs]

[FONT= 'Times New Roman']SLO County cuts off ranch owner's special events[/FONT]
San Luis Obispo Tribune
Supervisors on Tuesday pooh-poohed the effect on Bennett's business, noting that she can still have her bed and breakfast, which they allowed her to expand ...

 

[Morticia]

Wow, not only take away her livelihood but then also state you know better than she does what will happen to her business.
Another one for aspirings to read about...don't take anyone's 'word' about anything. Get everything in writing before you even lift a shovel to renovate.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

Wow, not only take away her livelihood but then also state you know better than she does what will happen to her business.
Another one for aspirings to read about...don't take anyone's 'word' about anything. Get everything in writing before you even lift a shovel to renovate..

Well, of course, in SLO County only an idiot would go ahead and do work without permits. It looks like she was hoping that by plowing forward they'd have no choice.
But here's the thing. SLO County has been overtaken by too many B&Bs in the last few years and too many of those are not complying with their existing permits. Or just using common sense.
Did you see the occupancy she's advertising for her B&B? More than double the number of beds she has! She's doing amplified outdoor events, a big no-no in California farming communities in general.
This is not a case of a responsible B&B owner being deprived of the ability to run her business. This is a case of the County taking back its rights, which were being trampled on by a disrespecful neighbor.
It does no one in the B&B industry any good to defend bad practices that are not only not the norm for the industry but out of step in the agricultural community in which an inn exists.
You'll have to look far and wide to find a stronger defender of B&Bs than me. In this case, I support the county. One hundred percent.

 

[user 26]

what a mess! it's hard to know from one article and all the commentary that follows who is right.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

what a mess! it's hard to know from one article and all the commentary that follows who is right..

Here's the thing. I don't think most people on this site would consider this place to be a B&B. To begin with, there's no breakfast!
It's vacation rental that is going beyond what the County ever agreed could be done. She has a total of beds (and sleeper sofas) for 10 guests in the main house. Advertised occupancy in that building? 20
In the cottage, bed/futon for 4. Advertised occupancy: 6
Total occupancy? 34
That's not a B&B. That's a party house and it's an insult to the many lovely B&Bs in San Luis Obispo who actually do provide intimate (and legal) lodging.
There are, sadly, a lot of folks who don't think that the folks issuing permits will ever bother to look at the inn's website to get details. In this case, a cursory glance would tell anyone that the neighbor's complaints are legitimate and this so-called-B&B is not operating as permited.
It was foolish to try to expand beyond the already-stretched use of the land. But it was that last stretch that got her caught in her own web.
Good for the County for cracking down on that. Next step should be, IMHO, to revoke their permit as a B&B since that is not what is being operated at that site.

 

[EmptyNest]

what a mess! it's hard to know from one article and all the commentary that follows who is right..

Here's the thing. I don't think most people on this site would consider this place to be a B&B. To begin with, there's no breakfast!
It's vacation rental that is going beyond what the County ever agreed could be done. She has a total of beds (and sleeper sofas) for 10 guests in the main house. Advertised occupancy in that building? 20
In the cottage, bed/futon for 4. Advertised occupancy: 6
Total occupancy? 34
That's not a B&B. That's a party house and it's an insult to the many lovely B&Bs in San Luis Obispo who actually do provide intimate (and legal) lodging.
There are, sadly, a lot of folks who don't think that the folks issuing permits will ever bother to look at the inn's website to get details. In this case, a cursory glance would tell anyone that the neighbor's complaints are legitimate and this so-called-B&B is not operating as permited.
It was foolish to try to expand beyond the already-stretched use of the land. But it was that last stretch that got her caught in her own web.
Good for the County for cracking down on that. Next step should be, IMHO, to revoke their permit as a B&B since that is not what is being operated at that site.
.

I take it you know these people personally. Just a quick glance out their "out of date" web site shows me they are trying to make $$ any way they can. Hard to find information, but did see that a continental breakfast is provided and that all guests are REQUIRED to attend a 10 min. orientation

 

[JBloggs]

For a state that is bankrupt for rewarding illegal behavior, I think a gal holding licensed weddings on 41 acres is just a slap in the face. She tried to meet the requirements they set forth originally.
Yeah good for the county cracking down on wedding venues...yeah revoke her B&B permit. This is hilarious.

 

[Innkeeper To Go]

For a state that is bankrupt for rewarding illegal behavior, I think a gal holding licensed weddings on 41 acres is just a slap in the face. She tried to meet the requirements they set forth originally.
Yeah good for the county cracking down on wedding venues...yeah revoke her B&B permit. This is hilarious..

It may seem hilarious to you. As for me, I don't see anything to gain in encouraging folks to say they're operating a B&B when they are not.
As for trying to meet the requirements, can't agree with that. Talking to folks in zoning is not approval. Moving forward without permits in hand is not only unwise, it's expensive when it backfires.
Your B&B looks like it complies with laws in your state and county so I'd assume you take those seriously. When someone comes in and does something that is in direct violation of those laws, that's not hilarious. And it certainly has nothing to do with California politics, which I believe are prohibited discussion on this site.

 

[user 26]

deep breaths, everyone.
i think we are all agreed that we try to obey the laws and follow the rules.
i also think that more than one of us has been given the go-ahead for something, obtained what we were told were the necessary permits, done the required modifications or renovations, and then been told that was a mistake, another government agency or board prohibits it, and we can't do what we planned afterall ~ which is an extremely frustrating (and potentially financially devasting) position to be in.