The following comment was posted on Facebook in response to “Highland debates short-term rentals for long-term plans,” River Reporter, May 16-22. The comment has been slightly edited.

Why isn’t it self-evident that hospitality should be left to hospitality professionals? The incursion of disruptive ad hoc “hotels” into many corners of the town has resulted in the town’s appropriate exercise in assessing opinions. 

IMHO the solution is for the region to be more friendly toward hospitality professionals, to enact zoning that creates defined hospitality zones and to encourage an economy of scale that could lead to viable business opportunities. 

I understand many of the concerns about FIMFO’s plans to improve a campground that has been operating for decades. But the hospitality alternative that has pockmarked the town with “mini-hotels” is not the solution, as people are recognizing. 

Maybe it’s time for a compromise that acknowledges that, like it or not, tourism is the region’s economic engine. Hospitality professionals should be allowed to design appropriately sized vacation communities in several districts. While it may seem restrictive, that’s precisely what zoning is for. 

Yes, some immediate neighbors could feel that their peaceful life is threatened, and that’s unfortunate. But the alternatives seem to be: 1) An anti-business environment. 2) The unchecked growth of Airbnbs and their ilk. 3) A region where only people of means can enjoy country life.

Find a middle ground that acknowledges that there is no other major job-generator on the horizon other than tourism.

Christopher Frey, on Facebook