Tybee Alliance

01/12/2023

Tybee Island is always the perfect place to kick !

After all, one of the best benefits of visiting the South is enjoying beaches year-round.

Summertime on Tybee is sunny, lively, and full of energy. It is also a key period for the livelihoods of many residents who rely on guests to bring business to the island. Visitors stimulate the local while bringing good fun and diversity to the community!

As summer cools down, residents enjoy newfound calmness, and guests see a new side of . No matter the season, Tybee Island is a beautiful place to relax, unwind, and have a great time.

Learn more about what you can experience on here:
https://visittybee.com/article/reasons-to-visit-tybee-island-the-winter

A perk to visiting the South is enjoying the beach year-round. While the rest of the country is bundling up, Tybee Island’s mild winter temperatures and low humidity are perfect for those looking to trade their snow for some sand.

01/11/2023

As our Tybee Alliance continues to advocate for the rights of residents, businesses, and property owners across our island, it’s important to recognize the many ways in which the imposed ordinances lack basic logic.

One of the requirements of the 90-day rental rule, where property owners must successfully rent their homes for a minimum of 90 days to retain their vacation rental permit or have it permanently revoked, is that the listing must also be at “full market value.”

This is a strange and inconsistent rule because there is no clear definition for what is considered “full market value”. This tricky wording is just one of the many examples of city governments doing anything they can – sensical or not – to take away the rights of owners.

As a , we need to band together against these increasingly strict ordinances. Confusing language and harsh statutes create a minefield amid these regulations where residents can unwittingly step on and see their retirement hopes go up in smoke.

01/05/2023

A lot about this new ordinance against STRs doesn’t make sense.

One big issue that will hurt all parties involved is the 90-day rule that says owners have to rent out their homes for a minimum of 90 days to keep their STR permits. The original proposal was 9 months. One main argument against vacation rentals is that you don’t know your neighbor. How does it help to force people to rent out for more than 90 days? Many just want to rent out during the , or for a couple of months to supplement income while away.

Members of TA have been to Council meetings and have been able to push this suggested limit from 9 - 6 months and finally down to 90 days, but that still forces people to rent more than they might want.

And what if despite their efforts, the house doesn’t rent for 90 days?

For many on a fixed , renting out their home for a couple of months in Summer is crucial to their ability to afford to live on . And once the STR permit is revoked, it can never be regained.

01/04/2023

As a historic resort town, usually slows down (a lot) after the holidays. However, in recent years, it no longer becomes a ghost town during – which is excellent news for local business owners and residents alike.

Vacation rental capacity falls to around 10% to 15% during the off-season. This is nothing compared to the summer months but just enough to help keep open year-round. This is great for us locals too as we get access to more restaurants, boutiques, and attractions even in the low season, which also makes it easier to attract long-term residents.

Local businesses can breathe a little easier not having their entire livelihood based on a few months of income during the summer.

01/03/2023

Vacation rentals are a significant source of revenue for the local economy on . With the city of Tybee continuing to restrict operations with increasingly unjust legislation, who will foot the bill when the annual $4 million in generated by disappears?

Providing fewer accommodation options limits access to the island, meaning less foot traffic and spending at local shops and businesses. Who will cover the losses that local business owners face that mainly cater to tourists? Or, when those shops are forced to close, who will cover the city’s lost tax revenue?

Tybee residents want to know the city’s plan for recovering millions of dollars in lost revenue in an attempt to turn our welcoming vacation island into a private one. Will the locals be left to foot the bill, or will the services and infrastructure be left to crumble?

Although no plan has been presented, residents and business owners deserve an answer and clear insight into our future.

12/30/2022

Goodbye 2022, hello 2023!

We’re getting excited to ring in the with the annual fireworks display and one of our favorite local traditions: the Tybee Island Polar Plunge on New Year’s Day. Brrrrrrr!

How will you start #2023?

Visit here to learn more about the Polar Plunge: https://lnkd.in/dF2Ek4HJ

12/23/2022

Wishing happy holidays to all of our friends, family, and industry advocates around the world! We always enjoy the quiet time on the island during the colder months, but we hope that as things start to heat up in the new year we will be able to welcome new visitors to our beautiful home.

12/20/2022

The holidays on Tybee Island are truly something special! 🎄

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wi3IjNSOzYQ

Ever wonder what Christmas is like on an island? Visit to Tybee Island, GA to explore an adorable beach community that knows how to celebrate! You'll find ev...

12/19/2022

Georgia’s oldest and tallest lighthouse, Tybee Island Light Station, has been safely guiding mariners into the River for over 285 years. Although the iconic structure has been rebuilt several times, with the latest reconstruction in 1916, once you climb those 178 steps to the top, you will witness the same waterfront views as generations of Tybee residents before you.

Operations for the Lighthouse were originally ordered in 1732 by General James Oglethorpe, Governor of the 13th colony, and the structure has since become one of America's most intact light stations.

As residents of , we are proud of this local and national monument, one of the best-preserved lighthouses in the country. Along with donations, visitor entry funds are integral in preserving this piece of history – which is just another way that guests help preserve our culture and economy on the island.

Follow along to learn more about Tybee Alliance's efforts to preserve our cultural heritage and economy.

12/15/2022

Tybee Alliance is composed of so many incredible businesses and vacation rental industry advocates, but we would like to take a moment to recognize one organization that we feel especially fortunate to have – Lucky Savannah Vacation Rentals!

The company was founded by lifelong Corey and Emily Jones who were eager to share their passion for the area with others. While they originally focused on the Savanah market, they have since expanded to , which is dubbed “Savannah’s Beach.”

The couple didn’t think of entering into until they noticed a long-term renter of one of their homes started renting rooms to visitors. They weren’t angry, they realized what a great opportunity it was. Now the pair shares the beauty of the area and provides lovely alternative rental options with the community’s best interests in mind.

You can call it kismet or luck, but Lucky Savannah Vacation Rentals has a space for you whether you are looking for a large home or a small retreat.

Learn more about Lucky Savannah Vacation Rentals here: https://www.luckysavannah.com/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=local&utm_medium=organic

12/08/2022

The hospitality industry is a way of life on . It provides income to our community and, when paired with conservation efforts, can make an even greater positive impact on our world.

Tybee Island Marine Science Center is an incredible educational, transformative, and fun place to visit – and its funding for conservation projects is largely possible due to the guests that visit.

The center started 30 years ago when local teachers grabbed a seine net and headed to the surf with a group of visitors to help preserve the island, and this concept has kept it running since.

From tours to demonstrations, exhibits, films, nature-based play sites, and more, the money generated from these activities – mostly from visitors – has allowed the center to maintain its mission to save ocean life.

Without our oceans, there would be no life on the planet, which is why it is imperative that we do everything we can to save them. On Tybee Island, is the perfect medium to achieve for precious marine life.

Learn more here: https://www.tybeemarinescience.org/

12/07/2022

We would like to thank Jenny Rutherford and everyone who has shown financial and moral support to our cause. Follow along on Tybee Alliance's efforts and help us spread the word about what's happening on Tybee.

City of Tybee is being sued AGAIN over the STVR ordinances put into place!! Here is the latest update!! Last Tuesday, the Tybee Alliance filed a second lawsuit challenging the legality and enforceability of the two Short-Term Rental (“STR”) ordinances adopted last month by the Island Mayor and City Council.

In a lawsuit filed in the Superior Court of Chatham County, the Tybee Alliance asked the court for declaratory judgment that the two STR ordinances approved by the Tybee Council on October 13, 2022, are invalid and unenforceable because they were not enacted in accordance with the Constitution, the Georgia Code, and the City’s Charter.

As you will recall from the October Council meeting and from other Tybee Council meetings, neither ordinance was presented in final form in writing prior to adoption. Both ordinances were orally amended at the same time as the motion for approval and then revised following the meeting. This is in direct conflict with the City Charter, which requires every ordinance be introduced in writing and in the final form required for adoption.

For over a month, City officials distributed to citizens multiple versions of both ordinances – signed and unsigned, revised and unrevised. When the City finally provided the Tybee Alliance a copy of the signed ordinances on November 15th, the document contained errors and omitted the oral revisions to the ordinances that were made by the City Council during the October 13th meeting.

In the name of transparency and open government, this farce cannot be allowed to masquerade as sound public policy. Government should not be by sleight of hand. If the Council wants to adopt ordinances that hurt people, they should at least follow their own rules, so the public has a right to see what the City is doing to them.

When local ordinances are passed, there should be zero questions about the language included, particularly an ordinance that goes into effect immediately upon passage. It should not take the city over a month to disseminate a copy of an as-passed ordinance that has already gone into effect. This is bad public policy in action. And it’s just wrong.

This is the second lawsuit filed this Fall by the Tybee Alliance against the City of Tybee Island challenging anti-property rights ordinances targeting Short Term Rentals.

The Tybee Alliance greatly appreciates your financial support, including membership and extra contributions directed toward these legal challenges. Lawsuits are expensive, but they are necessary to hold the City Council accountable for their actions that target and penalize Short-Term Rental owners and operators on Tybee. To make a contribution, please visit www.tybeealliance.org. Also, please share this update with like-minded individuals interested in supporting our efforts.