Re “How adding an Airbnb is akin to a demolition” (Dec. 11): Having an apartment turned into a vacation rental is completely different from demolishing it. It is the same thing as turning that apartment into a hotel or factory. It brings outside money into San Diego. People who earned their money in New York or Atlanta come here to spend it on that rental and other services. In an economic sense, it is like a factory making a product and selling it in some other state or country. It brings in money like an export.
Yes, there are more vacation rentals in OB, PB and IB than in Poway or Chula Vista. The beach and ocean are the big draws for locals and tourists, too. Maybe someone can’t afford to live by the beach full time, but they might be able to put up the money to live there for a week. And that income helps our community as a whole.
— James Wilterdink, Chula Vista