To the editor:
Now that the Yachats City Council has solved the problem with noisy neighbors with its vacation rental policy, I request that they take up another serious problem. I have heard rumors that many cars are running the stop signs on Aqua Vista Loop!
Simple minds might think that a few traffic tickets would put a stop to the practice. But the problem is much larger than that. Those same cars are causing congestion in the downtown district. Their occupants are clogging the aisles at the market and taking the best seats at the local restaurants. Just last week someone who looked like an Aqua Vistian honked at me as I was running the stop sign at Third Street. Those people seem to think that just because they pay taxes like the rest of us, they have some kind of property rights!
Fortunately the City Council has a proven method for dealing with complex problems such as these. Firstly, they can require all property owners on Aqua Vista to register for special city licenses for their cars. Because many people in town think there are too many cars on Aqua Vista, only 20 percent of them should receive licenses – a total of approximately five licenses shall be issued.
To be fair and balanced, these licenses must be renewed annually or they will be voided. They cannot be transferred. If a property owner buys a new car, he must apply for a new license. Owners will only be allowed a single license – there is no reason an owner should want more than one car. If the owner sells his property including the car, the new owner must apply for a new license, whether for the purchased car or his own. If the owner dies and his kids inherit the property and the car, they must apply for a new license. Applications for new licenses will only be accepted when existing licenses expire.
Because the issuing and managing these licenses might put an additional strain on city staff and resources, there should be a substantial fee to obtain a license. This fee may be raised every few years. An annual mileage tax may be necessary as well.
This policy may seem draconian to a few. But remember that the city has already provided a trail between Aqua Vista and Marine Drive for those who choose not to obtain a license.
The policy will be easy to implement — the majority of registered voters in the city do not live on Aqua Vista. None of them need to worry that their “Ox is being gored.” Finally, here is a snappy campaign phrase for selling the policy to the voters: “Hasta la Vista, Baby!”
Douglas Cochrane, Yachats
