Some owners of vacation accommodations seem to have found an accommodation within city ordinances. The city agreed with the Kokua Coalition, an owners association, that legal 30-day rental contracts can be signed with people who actually use the place for less time. The stipulation: Owners can’t rent it again until after the full month. And they can’t base the rate on a shorter term.

This means neighbors will have an oversight role to play. Otherwise, it’s hard to see how the city can keep track.

A plan to save bowling alley

The grassroots brainstorming that produced “Pali Lanes Re-Imagined” should be applauded for its fresh take on concepts for balancing renovation with preservation at the aging bowling building — now designated by a state board as a historic place. What’s more, the proposal — pieced together by community advocacy-focused The Hamakua Group — weaves in sustainability ideas, such as a permeable (rather than paved) surface for parking.

The Kailua Neighborhood Board, which wants to maintain the bowling alley’s presence amid redevelopment, should continue the conversation with landowner Alexander & Baldwin and area residents.