A motion unanimously approved by the Rock River Township Board has started the clock on certain restrictions for short term rentals in the municipality.
Trustee Trevor Case made a motion at the regular township meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 20 that would force the township’s planning commission to issue an opinion on completely restricting short term rentals from the RR 10 district, which is primarily farms and forest lands. According to Case, recommendations from township attorneys, the Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Township Association said that putting arbitrary caps on short term rentals could cause problems, but allowing or preventing based on different zones could be a solution.
“What we’re asking for as the board to send this to the planning commission for the January meeting and have them respond in time,” Case said. “If we cap, it will open up a can of worms and problems we don’t need. If we can take a look at the zoning map and figure out where the best places are to put (short term rentals), maybe we can find a better solution.”
Defined as “Tourist Cabin/ Vacation Rental” in the zoning ordinance, the potential restriction is the latest push to limit short term rentals in the township. Often described by brand names such as Airbnb or VRBO, Case expressed the lack of long term rental capabilities in the township and people outside the area buying up potential family homes as vacation properties. The idea to restrict short term rentals in RR 10 would allow the township to potentially avoid a cap in other districts along major highways and snowmobile trails and closer to the Village of Chatham limits.
“We’re looking for consistency across the township. We want visitors to not disrupt the locals, so having them come in and out of (zones) RR 1 and RR 5 will keep them along the major thoroughfares,” Case said. “If they stay there, we could have a higher cap or not even a cap at all while still giving people a chance to live some place quieter.”
Members of the public spoke against government regulation in a zone that is not currently seeing an influx of short term rental applications and further questioned the need for a cap at all.
The motion now heads to the planning commission. By state law, the motion forces the planning commission to respond within 30 days. With only four meetings a year, the planning commission must issue an opinion at its next meeting on Monday, Jan. 9 at 7 p.m. at the township hall.
The township took no new action on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policy. A point of controversy during the Fall over the implications of “equity”, proposed language presented by members of the community have appeared to reach a middle ground, but needs final review by the planning commission before coming back to the township board.
A number of appointments were made as well, filling up Rock River’s administrative committees for the first time in decades. Former Chatham Pub owner Tammy Shega was appointed to the planning commission and will serve on the zoning board of appeals (ZBA) as the planning commission representative. She joins Kathy LaRock and Ray Pitkamaki on the ZBA. Mary Kramer-Rabine and Jenny LaJuene were reappointed to the Board of Review and Cindy Kallio and Dawn Rondeau were appointed as alternates to the ZBA.
