Where’s the beach?
Uh-oh.
The Oceanside City Council recently revised its own downtown guidelines to allow the proposed 336 room Westin resort situated near the Oceanside Pier to offer fractional time-shares among its hotel rooms.
Similar but different
Fractional time shares are similar to conventional time shares in many respects - the major difference is that fractional timeshares are generally sold for fourth to thirteenth interests in the accomodation. A particular point of concern to many critics is that these fractionals will not generate the Transient Occupancy Taxes that will guarantee Oceanside continuous income that will be generated from conventional hotel rooms.
Scheduled to open in early 2010, the Westin Resort has also been approved to receive a $27 million subsidy from Oceanside coffers. Backers of the project feel that this construction will help revitalize Oceanside and transform it into a more upscale and appealing vacation destination, while critics worry that it will further erode Oceanside’s character and make the much loved public beaches psychologically inaccessible to locals.
Here’s the rub
Almost simultaneous to the Council’s approval, a bill (Ab1459) is making its way through the State Assembly. Designed to prohibit timeshares and condo hotels from being sold for individual ownership if located within the coastal zone.
Read more about the issue here
How will the Westin development affect Oceanside? Register your comments and opinions below.
Should the Westin be allowed to host fractional timeshares?
- No - a bad move on the Council’s part (42%)
- Sure - its great for the city. (37%)
- I don’t know. (21%)
Total Votes: 90
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April 12th, 2007 at 5:42 pm
So not only is Oceanside subsidizing the new resort but now the city isn’t even going to reap the occupancy tax from the timeshares? What a sweetheart deal for Westin! I certainly wish I had a bridge to sell the council, it sounds like they’ll bend any rules they can to get their wish of replacing all us locals with deep pocket travelers from just about anywhere else!
April 12th, 2007 at 6:52 pm
Oceanside has been struggling for years to pull itself out of the dump and the Westin is exactly the kind of thing we need here - a couple of my friends were visiting in February and the only hotel I wasn’t ashamed to recommend was the Marina at the Harbor. A resort and a generally more upscale atmosphere brings cash into the city and benefits local businesses, the city, and by extension the community at large. Property values will increase, community services will be better funded, and local events can really take off with the increase in tourism. While I understand your concerns I really think you need to take a ‘big’ picture view of this development.