Park Township NeighborsFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Local non-profit Park Township Neighbors (PTN) has published a sampling of emails supporting the assertions in their legal case against Park Township over its short-term rental ban.
These documents, which Park Township was required to release, strongly support the experiences of short term rental owners and PTN’s lawsuit.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Park Township, Michigan, July 10, 2024 – According to a recent economic impact study conducted by The Frost Center for Data and Research, a ban on short term rentals (STRs) in Park Township would negatively impact local businesses. It also shed light on some common misconceptions about the effects of STRs on housing availability and prices.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Park Township, Michigan – Local nonprofit Park Township Neighbors (PTN) has engaged the Frost Center for Data and Research to conduct an economic impact study regarding short term rentals in the Holland area.
The Frost Center is a social science research center at Hope College that has conducted other local studies, including studies on the economic impact of Tulip Time.
An economic impact study generally attempts to determine the amount of income generated in an area due to the activity being studied. This income can affect area jobs and businesses.
PTN was formed in response to Park Township’s surprising ban of vacation rentals, which have long been a part of the fabric of the community.
Because as the Planning Commission chair said in the June 2022 meeting, “There have always been rentals in Park Township. Cottage rentals, family rentals. That’s been going on for more than a century.”
PTN would like to keep it that way. Our primary goal is and always has been working together to improve everyone’s experience in Park Township.
We deeply appreciate the natural beauty, wide range of recreational opportunities, and high quality of life that Park Township offers residents and visitors alike, and want to see that continue.
That means allowing a limited number of well-integrated vacation rentals to continue to exist.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On December 1st, 2023, Ottawa County Circuit Court Judge Jon Hulsing heard and granted Park Township Neighbors’ (PTN’s) motion for a preliminary injunction.
The judge ruled in favor of PTN. As a result, Park Township cannot enforce its ban on short term rentals until the case goes to trial and is settled.
PTN believes the township’s ban on short-term rentals, including its subsequent attempts at amendment, is unlawful and should be declared void.
As a part of meeting Michigan’s preliminary injunction standard, PTN had to show that they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claims in their lawsuit against Park Township.
This preliminary injunction is good news for the more than 120 members of the non-profit (a number of whom are Park Township residents) who stood to otherwise suffer irreparable harm.
While not a final ruling in the case, being granted the preliminary injunction is significant.
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Interested parties can view a copy of the injunction here.
Media contact:
Jeremy Allen, neighbors@parktownshipneighbors.com
About PTN:
Park Township Neighbors (PTN) is a 501(c)(4) non-profit social welfare organization established by families, individuals, business owners, and community leaders working together to improve everyone’s experiences in Park Township. For more information, visit ParkTownshipNeighbors.com.
If the issue of short term rentals was on a ballot, then overwhelmingly, the residents of Park Township would vote it down.
While there’s no way to know for sure without actually putting short term rentals on the ballot, this claim seems unlikely.
It’s simple. The input from residents township-wide strongly suggests otherwise. Multiple recent surveys show that the majority of Park Township residents do not want a short term rental ban.
88 of the comments listed in Park Township’s Master Plan survey results related to the short term rental ban, with at least 80 responses directly mentioning short term rentals. 55% were in favor of short term rentals, 19% were neutral or unclear, and only 26% against.
In an independent, township-wide survey conducted this past summer, 58% of respondents opposed the Board’s decision to ban residential property owners from renting out their property as vacation rentals for short-term stays.