I haven’t heard much discussion in this election season about what might be done to regulate short-term rentals in Stonington.

I know that developing some means to control the rampant commercialization of residential neighborhoods has been a priority among many residents, and I’m surprised I haven’t heard more from the candidates about it, given the town’s recent failure at attempting regulation.

I was reminded of the issue again recently, when I came across a listing for Salt Acres, the iconic 19th Century mansion on a peninsula adjacent to Stonington Borough, renting for as much as $15,000 a night.

Indeed, Salt Acres is listed for rent on multiple sites all over the internet, and, with its six bedrooms, many with panoramic water views, wine cellar and cinema and exercise facilities, it looks in all the pictures much more like a small boutique hotel than someone’s personal home.

“A 30′ by 60′ salt water pool, secret garden and tennis court complete the array of amenities,” reads one gushing description, on the rental web site Villas of Distinction.

I contacted the Salt Acres owners by way of the Vacation Rentals By Owner web site, and they wrote back promptly to say that they live there, don’t really rent it, except to friends, and they don’t need the advertising from a column in The Day, thanks.

My further attempts by email and phone to reach the owners, for a chat about what surely must be eastern Connecticut’s most expensive short-term rental, were unsuccessful.

The owners are also listed as proprietors of a vacation rental company in Santa Barbara, Calif.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with renting Salt Acres by the day, week or month. It is entirely permissible, according to town officials’ interpretation of zoning laws.

And it may be that creating short-term rental businesses in big mansions is a fortuitous solution to the problems of properly maintaining these big signature properties.

Or is there an endless supply of rich people who will keep investing many millions of dollars in sprawling storied properties like Salt Acres in special places like the Stonington waterfront.

It would certainly be hard to argue that the use of Salt Acres by short-term rentals has much negative impact on the neighbors. I’m not sure anyone in Stonington Borough would have any idea it is being rented, except for the many internet listings.

Still, it would seem to be an issue that Stonington should finally address, as have so many communities in Connecticut, the rest of the country and the world.

It is a pretty simple question. Should the commercialization of single-family neighborhoods, for the business of vacation and tourist housing, be allowed?

And if the answer to that is yes, should there be rules to regulate them?

It’s election season in Stonington, with almost as many candidates on the ballot as Mystic has hotel rooms, and it seems like the perfect time for some ideas or solutions.

Candidates?

This is the opinion of David Collins.

d.collins@theday.com

Editor’s note: This corrects an earlier version of the story that indicated an owner of Salt Acres is currently a director of the Stonington Historical Society. She has resigned that position.