Bar Harbor bans vacation rentals, nonessential stays through April
File photo / Laurie Schreiber
Bar Harbor is seeing an influx of out-of-state license plates in recent weeks. Seen here is the downtown in May 2019.
During a special meeting Monday afternoon, the Bar Harbor Town Council voted 4-3 to ban occupancy of transient accommodations, vacation rentals and campgrounds for nonessential travel effective April 8-30.
The council noted that Bar Harbor has been experiencing an influx of out-of-state license plates in recent weeks. Whether the cars belong to summer residents or to visitors is difficult to tell, council members said.
The council vote also took into account the region's limited local health care capacity, as spelled out by Mount Desert Island Hospital CEO Art Blank in a presentation to the council.
“We’re a small rural community with a small rural health care system,” Blank told the council.
“My motion is in direct response to what we heard from Art Blank,” said Councilor Gary Friedmann, who made the motion. “It’s not a motion to shut down the island. It’s not a motion to discriminate against out-of-state residents who have homes here or are already here. It’s a public health measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
He added, “Do you really want to invite people from coronavirus central in New York and Boston to be shopping with us at Hannaford, to be putting our takeout restaurant people at risk, putting our health care people at risk?”
Alf Anderson, executive director of the Bar Harbor Chamber of Commerce, said he’s heard from business owners that they’re prepared for short-term pain in the interest of preserving public health and eventually salvaging the tourist season.
Councilors who opposed the motion said they were concerned about how it could be enforced, about the potential for the ban to simply push transient occupants to other towns, and about how “essential” could be distinguished from “non-essential.”
Councilor Erin Cough said an out-of-state renter might be in the area to assist a family member. Other councilors noted that medical and lab personnel are essential.
“We’re oversimplifying the situation by saying we suspend lodging for 30 days to all but essential people,” said Councilor Stephen Coston. “There’s so much gray in there.”
It's estimated that Bar Harbor has at least 500 vacation rental units.
Limited health care capacity
In his presentation, Blank said the hospital has three intensive care unit beds and adequate testing capacity for COVID-19. The hospital maintains shared resources and agreements with regional health care systems that provide for the transport of patients even in typical times, he said.
“If we get to the unfortunate event where our health care system is inundated with sick patients, we would be overwhelmed just like any other hospital in the country,” he said.
“What would happen if an outbreak happened here and we had more cases than there are ICU beds?” Friedmann asked Blank.
Blank responded, “If that occurs, it becomes a regional crisis."
Even in a typical scenario, he explained, maintaining a patient on a ventilator for multiple days is beyond the hospital’s capability.
“We will do whatever we have the facilities and the equipment for,” he said. “But if we get to a place where the volume exceeds our capacity, we will do what we always would do, and that’s turn to our regional partners to minimize any gaps.”
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments