The Peninsula Township Planning Commission will hold a special meeting on Monday, Oct. 30, 7 p.m. at the Township Hall to discuss the current status of short-term rentals on the Old Mission Peninsula.
The meeting will include a roundtable discussion about the issue, and all township residents are welcome to attend and offer comments. Note that there will be no ordinance changes proposed or deliberated on at the meeting.
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Short-term tentals have been a hotly debated issue on the Old Mission Peninsula in recent years, with residents offering comments on both sides of the issue. In an op-ed for Old Mission Gazette on Sept. 15, 2017, Michelle Steffen writes this about an unlawful short-term rental next to her home:
“This summer we’ve had to call the police on defiant trespassers. I’ve been sworn at by an angry traveler as I sat in my house with my 12-year-old daughter. Travelers come and go all hours of the day and night. I have to pick up their trash and alcohol containers. Wine tour buses occasionally barrel down the driveway to pick up a bus full of revelers.”
Whereas some township residents like Lou Santucci are in favor of short-term rentals, writing this on May 25, 2017:
“If Peninsula Township officials allowed residents the ability to offer a room in their house, residents could earn extra income, as well as provide alternatives to visitors wishing to stay in our beautiful area. This would also offer residents the opportunity to put up their friends and family when they come to visit, especially in the busy summer season.”
The Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance addresses rentals in at least two areas:
Section 6.2.2(e): Rental of Non-Owner Occupied Dwelling. This stipulates that a property owner may rent a non-owner occupied dwelling, provided that the minimum length of time that the dwelling may be rented is 30 days.
Section 8.7.3(6): Bed and Breakfast Establishments. This section includes specific requirements for transient lodging facilities.
Read more about these sections in the Peninsula Township Zoning Ordinance (view and download a copy here). And be sure and attend this upcoming meeting to learn more and offer your thoughts about the current rules and regulations on short-term rentals in Peninsula Township.
Yes, the rest of us should compromise our daily lives, hard earned tax dollars and peace of mind so someone else can earn extra money and offer a cool place to stay for someone vacationing and wanting a different option. I’m just going to say no thanks. If I wanted to live by a hotel I would move next to a hotel.