Latest news with #CraigSpencer
San Francisco Chronicle
3 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
One of California coast's most spectacular destinations could see vacation rental ban
A proposed ban on vacation rentals in Big Sur and a limit on the rentals in other parts of Monterey County moved closer to passage this week. On Wednesday, the California Coastal Commission approved Monterey County's plan to remove unhosted vacation rentals – when the guest rents out the entire home without a host present – from Big Sur and the Carmel Highlands, and to limit such rentals along other parts of the coast to 4% of the number of single family homes in the area. The plan includes an exception for homeowners that rent out their houses no more than three times a year, and it does not apply to hosted stays, such as when someone rents out a room or guest house. The plan will next go to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, which approved an earlier version of the proposal last year. There are currently 37 unhosted vacation rentals in Big Sur. None would able to operate under the regulations. In the Del Monte Forest area of the coast, which includes Pebble Beach, 26 of the current 83 unhosted vacation rentals would have to be phased out, and in Carmel, 100 out of the current 218 unhosted vacation rentals would no longer be allowed, according to a staff report by the Coastal Commission. The proposed ban and limit on vacation rentals comes at a time when Big Sur businesses have been struggling due to multiple closures of Highway 1 following massive landslides. But it also is part of a larger effort to curtail overcrowding on the mostly undeveloped, and spectacular, stretch of California's coast. Last year the conservation group Keep Big Sur Wild last year even called for a halt on all types of new lodging in the area. Monterey County does not currently have regulations for vacation rentals along its coast, and the new rules primarily focus on unhosted rentals because those have the biggest impact on housing and are the most controversial among residents, said Craig Spencer, director of housing and community development for the county. 'Many of the complaints we receive as the local government have to do with these types of vacation rentals,' Spencer said at the meeting, such as about noise, trash and parking. Spencer said planning for the new rules has been going on for at least 15 years, ever since the rise of Airbnb and other vacation rental services, and the county has hosted multiple community meetings over the years. 'Our constituents have been mixed, there's no doubt about it,' he said, as many residents say they rely on vacation rentals for income. The new rules are a proposed amendment to Monterey County's local coastal program, which California requires all municipalities on the coast to have to regulate development. Frank Angel, an attorney representing the Monterey County Vacation Rental Alliance, said at the Coastal Commission meeting that the limits would go against the the commission's mandate to maximise public access to the coast. (In November, the Alliance sued the county and board of supervisors over the proposed limits.) Angel said limiting availability to hosted vacation rentals won't work for many guests. 'Families and larger groups are less likely to stay at hosted (short term rentals),' Angel said. 'The conclusion is clear. The housed requirement is a de facto ban.'
New York Times
22-07-2025
- Health
- New York Times
Empathy and Justice in Global Health
To the Editor: Re 'Why We Risk Ourselves to Care for Others,' by Craig Spencer (Opinion guest essay, July 11): Perhaps I'm not the only one who cried at the end of Dr. Spencer's eloquent portrayal in support of the moral argument for global health. As a nurse, I recognize the congruence of his tenderness in treating a person with Ebola — as well as his own experience of a similar humane touch when he, too, suffered — with nursing's own Code of Ethics. His example epitomized the first provision of that code: 'The nurse practices with compassion and respect for the inherent dignity, worth and unique attributes of every person.' I stand with him and so many others who plead for recognizing and restoring the fundamental value: our mutual obligation to the humanity of us all. Lynn HamiltonAnn Arbor, Mich. To the Editor: Dr. Craig Spencer makes the point that global health activities depend on moral arguments, and he emphasizes the role of empathy. This moral argument may be appropriate for Dr. Spencer's personal decision to provide medical care for Ebola patients in Guinea in 2014. But it is not adequate for reconstructing U.S. global health policy, which has been destroyed by the Trump administration's approach of 'America First.' The Trump approach to global health ethics could be summed up as 'not our problem' and 'not our interest.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Yahoo
Bellingham man, 57, dies after being struck by car while crossing North Main Street
BELLINGHAM — A 57-year-old local man died after he was struck by a car Tuesday night while crossing North Main Street, police said. Craig Spencer was transported by ambulance to an area hospital immediately after the 9:42 p.m. crash. He was later transported by medical rescue helicopter to another hospital, where he died, police said in a press release. According to the release, Officer Nick Dulchinos came upon the accident near 40 North Main St. and immediately began performing "life-saving measures" on Spencer, before paramedics arrived. Police say a preliminary investigation revealed that Spencer was attempting to cross North Main Street when he stepped into oncoming traffic. Creating a destination: New Bellingham new police chief explains his goals for department Spencer was struck by a car driven by a 21-year-old Bellingham woman. Police did not identify her, and she has not been cited. "There is no indication that the operator was under the influence, and it is not believed that their speed was excessive," police said. The crash is being investigated by the Bellingham Police Department and the Central Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council's Crash Reconstruction Team. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or nmiller@ For up-to-date public safety news, follow him on X @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at This article originally appeared on The Milford Daily News: Bellingham man, 57, dies after struck by car; police investigating
