Category: News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Yesterday, Park Township Neighbors (PTN) learned that the lawsuit filed against Park Township will not be resolved by an early settlement, thus requiring taxpayer money to defend the lawsuit.

PTN would like to see the long history of visitors staying in our beautiful lakeshore community continue. The previous, small number of vacation rental homes made up around 3% of available housing.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Park Township Neighbors (PTN) has filed a lawsuit against Park Township to ask the court for relief on the township’s short term rental ban.

PTN spent many months trying to avoid a lawsuit, working to find a win-win solution instead. After the Park Township Board of Trustees proved unwilling to compromise or to allow PTN to present at a board meeting, PTN turned to the court for help.

For nearly 50 years, Park Township had repeatedly and expressly permitted the use of single-family dwellings for short-term rentals throughout the township, which has long been a tourist destination. PTN would like that use to continue, in a respectful manner.

Despite the fact that nearly 2/3 of Park Township voters favor short term rentals, a ban is still scheduled to go into effect this October:

Nearly 60% of voters do not support the current short-term rental ban in Park Township scheduled to go into effect this October. And, nearly a supermajority of voters favor a reasonable alternative policy allowing a limited number of owners to short-term rent their home.

“Many are focused on this important issue,” said Jeremy Allen, President of the Park Township Neighbors (PTN), a nonprofit representing over 100 property owners in Park Township that support the regulation, rather than the prohibition, of short-term rentals. “We are excited to engage the Township and find a solution here through a local legislative process.”

PTN has continued to engage the Township and community members this year, including the Realtors Association at the local and State levels with important input from the National Association. Polling was recently completed to inform a better local solution to this important Township issue.

On August 22nd, 2023, Park Township sent out a press release regarding a survey on short term rentals. Park Township Neighbors (PTN) was not contacted prior to publication of the release.

Park Township’s press release stated that:

The citizen public action committee (PAC) Park Township Neighbors, a group favoring regulations rather than prohibition of short-term rentals in Park Township, circulated a survey to gauge residents views on this topic.

We have asked Park Township to clarify their press release, but have not yet received a response.