Moratorium on short-term rentals extended in Laketown community following resident concerns скачать в хорошем качестве

Moratorium on short-term rentals extended in Laketown community following resident concerns

Laketown Township leaders have decided to extend a temporary suspension on new short-term rental permits following months of complaints from residents who say the growing number of vacation rentals is affecting safety, affordability, and even local school funding. The township board met Tuesday night to discuss whether the current moratorium, which halts new permits, should continue while officials review zoning rules and enforcement options. Many of the concerns center on rentals operating in quiet residential neighborhoods. Residents say properties are being purchased, renovated, and converted into Airbnbs or weekend rentals without community input, changing the character of long-established streets. Following Tuesday night's decision, new permits are halted until June 30 -- giving leaders more time to review zoning rules and enforcement options. Board members said they plan to use the coming months to study how short-term rentals should be regulated in the long-term and where they should be allowed under zoning. “We never thought anything like this would happen,” Randall Kiekintvel, a resident, said. “We were completely blindsidedit’s had quite an effect on us.” Neighbors describe noise issues, increased traffic, and what they call a lack of accountability when groups cycle in and out of houses every weekend. Township Supervisor Steven Ringelberg said safety is one of the biggest concerns driving the moratorium. “There’s two safety issues,” Ringelberg said. “One is the safety of the guests; the other is the people that live around that home. When you have someone who comes in on Friday and leaves on Sunday, they don’t care what the neighbors think. So, we need to protect both sides.” Beyond safety, township leaders and residents say short-term rentals may also be affecting the cost of living. As more homes are converted into high-profit rentals, property values rise, putting pressure on families looking to buy and increasing the number of vacant houses for much of the year. One resident described their street turning into “a racetrack,” saying the noise and turnover are pushing families with children away. “People with small kids don’t want a hotel at the end of the block,” they said. Fewer full-time households also mean fewer children in the district, which can reduce the amount of state-matched funding schools receive. “If these homes sit empty except for weekends, schools lose out,” Ringelberg said. The township plans to use the coming months to study how short-term rentals should be regulated long-term, including safety requirements, density limits, and where they should be allowed under zoning. Ringelberg says the goal is to strike a balance between property rights and protecting the stability of Laketown Township’s neighborhoods. Read: https://wwmt.com/news/local/laketown-... _______________ Stay up to date with our social media: WWMT on Facebook:   / wwmtnews   WWMT on Twitter:   / wwmtnews   Subscribe to WWMT on YouTube:    / @wwmtnews   WWMT Daily News Digest:    • WWMT-TV Daily Digest   For more information, visit https://www.wwmt.com/ Have a news tip? Send it directly to us: Email us: [email protected] Call the Newsroom: 800.875.3333 WWMT is a MI based station and a CBS Television affiliate owned and operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group. Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. is one of the largest and most diversified television broadcasting companies in the country today. #WWMT #NEWSCHANNEL3 #Kalamazoo #Michigan #Rentals #Shortterm #airbnb #Lake #Laketown #Residentsspeakout #AvaRay #Schoolfunding #Safety