TRURO — The board of health is all too familiar with complaints about the Sandbars Inn at 570 Shore Road. Many of them stem from lack of oversight of the guests and difficulty reaching management when problems arise at the tightly packed Beach Point complex. The board hopes to see that change with its unanimous decision to keep a tighter rein on the property.
Beachtree Property Holdings of Maryland has owned the Sandbars Inn since 2003. Beachtree is one of several real estate holding companies established by Maryland businessman Bradley Callahan and offering vacation rentals.
Vacasa Inc., a property management company hired by Beachtree Holdings, oversees the Sandbars. The company has experienced high turnover in on-site managers since at least 2022. Health officials say they have not been kept abreast of who was in charge of the complex, making responding to complaints more difficult.
This year has proved to be no different. So, after discussing another change of on-site manager at the Sandbars on June 3, health board members decided to keep a closer watch on goings-on there this season.
The Manager Is Not In
The latest request for approval of a new on-site manager was made after the health dept. had received a handful of complaints in May about noise and rowdiness, smoking, roaming dogs, and neighbors’ inability to find anyone in charge at the complex who could respond to their concerns.
Local health regulations require that establishments with more than 10 units have an on-site manager who is available around the clock. Sandbars has 17 units, with 16 for guests and one for the manager.
In a written report to the board, Courtney Warren, the assistant health and conservation agent, said she attempted without success to contact the on-site manager listed for the inn in May after getting complaints from neighbors. The on- and off-site managers the health dept. had on file were no longer in those positions, Warren learned.
Warren was then referred to Chad Smith, a regional manager for Vacasa, who at that point belatedly filed the change of manager request that was considered at the June 3 meeting.
Smith introduced Rob Beaulieu as the new on-site manager and pledged that past problems at the inn would be rectified.
30 Days at a Time
The Independent reported in March 2023 that an attorney for Beachtree asked health officials for a variance from the on-site manager requirement for that summer. The reason, said the attorney, was the difficulty Vacasa had finding someone to live on the property for the season.
Several nearby property owners pleaded with the board not to grant the variance. Sandbars had been without an on-site manager for part of the 2022 season, and neighbors said guests at the inn trespassed on private property, allowed their unleashed pets to roam the area, and left beach fires unattended.
Health officials denied the 2023 variance request, and Vacasa then appointed an on-site manager for the season.
In December 2024, there was more management turnover and new on-site and off-site managers were approved. “Both stated they understood the previous issues and promised to be more available,” Warren wrote in her report.
Just five months later in May, Warren found there were again no managers, triggering the belated June 3 request to the board of health.
Tracey Rose, who chairs the board, said that she was familiar with the history of issues at the Sandbars.
“To be honest with you, the conversation that I’m hearing right now is the same conversation that we’ve had for the last several years,” Rose said. “I’m a little less accepting of the promises that are being made.”
Rose moved that the board initially grant approval for the change of manager only in 30-day increments. Vacasa would be required to come in after 30 days and seek approval for the next 30 days.
“At that point, we can at least review any incoming inquiries or complaints from any abutters,” Rose said.
Her motion included a requirement that any change in management be reported to health officials within 24 hours. Rose added a $100 fine to the Sandbars trustees for failing to run the property effectively last year.
Vice chair Brian Koll added a further requirement: that Vacasa post a sign at the property by June 4 with contact information for both the on-site and off-site managers.
The motion was approved unanimously. The board noted that Vacasa must return on July 1 to ask for approval of the next 30-day approval.
The Independent contacted Chad Smith, the Vacasa regional manager, and asked how long Vacasa has managed the property. He said he was not authorized to answer any questions from the media. An email sent to Vacasa’s media relations manager on June 9 got no response by the newspaper’s deadline this week.
