The Traverse City Commission AND Traverse City Planning Commission talked short-term rentals last week and are looking to Aspire North REALTORS® for short-term rental data. Grand Traverse County Commission hosts a public hearing this Wednesday on proposed point-of-transfer septic regulations. House Bill 4081 passes the Michigan House looking to provide additional land splits to allow greater density of housing development in Michigan.
1. Traverse City Continues Discussion of Short-Term Rental Regulations at City Commission and Planning Commission
This past week, both the Traverse City Commission (on April 14th) and the Traverse City Planning Commission (on April 15th) at their study sessions held discussions on about potential further regulation of short-term rentals in Traverse City. At the Traverse City Commission meeting, Commissioner Jackie Anderson gave a presentation on short-term rental data obtained from Traverse City staff and request to form an Ad Hoc Committee to evaluate approaches to further regulate short term rentals within our community (you can view the presentation here from minute 2:35 to minute 13:40). There was much discussion by Traverse City Commissioners with support expressed for incentivizing property owners to consider converting short-term rental properties to long-term rentals and taking the opportunity in the near term to review Traverse City’s current short-term rental policies (discussion from minute 13:40 to minute 39:25). Aspire North REALTORS® provided public comment (which you can read here or view here from minute 39:25 to minute 41:39) asking Traverse City Commissioner to support our association’s efforts to conduct a short-term rental study on the economic and workforce housing impacts of short-term rentals before the consideration of any short-term rental policy changes. These public comments were well received and Traverse City Commissioner, Jackie Anderson will be connecting with Aspire North REALTORS® to inform the Traverse City Commission and Planning Commission’s short-term rental policy decisions.
At the Traverse City Planning Commission Meeting on April 15th, Planning Commissioners discussed the tentative adjustments placing more restrictive caps/limits on new short-term rentals going forward. These tentative adjustments can be viewed here, on page 1, and data that had been requested by City Commissioner Jackie Anderson are listed on page 2, in addition to a draft of the revised vacation home rental regulations as proposed by the Traverse City Planning Commission (pages 3 and 4). A public hearing on this increased limits will be held on Tuesday, May 6th at the Governmental Center (400 Boardman Avenue, Traverse City) at 6 pm. You can view the full Traverse City Planning Commission short-term rental discussion here.
2. Grand Traverse County Commission Holds Public Hearing this Wednesday on Proposed Point-of-Transfer Septic Inspection Regulations
This coming Wednesday, April 23rd 9 am at the Governmental Center (400 Boardman Avenue, Traverse City) the Grand Traverse County Commission will be holding a public hearing to consider the the adoption of the Grand Traverse County Regulation for the Evaluation of Onsite Water and Sewage Disposal Systems at the Time of Property Transfer. Aspire North REALTORS® has offered extensive feedback on this proposed regulation which you can view here or in the February 24th GAD Top 3. The public notice, Grand Traverse County Health Department presentation for the public hearing, and the current draft of the Grand Traverse County Regulation for the Evaluation of Onsite Water and Sewage Disposal Systems at the Time of Property Transfer can all be viewed here.
To lend your voice to the consideration of these proposed septic regulations, please attend the Wednesday, April 23rd Grand Traverse County Commission meeting at the Governmental Center (400 Boardman Avenue, Traverse City) at 9 am, and/or email Grand Traverse County Commissioners at commissioners@gtcountymi.gov.
3. Michigan REALTORS® Policy Matters Update: HB 4081 Land Division Act Amendment Pass by Michigan House
This past Thursday, April 17th Brad Ward, Esq. Michigan REALTORS® Vice-President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs shared in the Michigan REALTORS® E-News that the Michigan House of Representatives passed Michigan House Bill (HB) 4081 on Wednesday, April 16th. HB 4081 would provide for additional land splits under Michigan’s Land Division Act and allow local governments to grant additional splits by local ordinance. The bill passed with overwhelming support in the Michigan House (96 to 6). This bill would increase the number of splits for the first 10 acres of a parent parcel from 4 to 10, with the ability for local government to grant additional splits beyond the Land Division Act through local ordinance. This can support the work of developers to create quicker and cheaper density for housing development in communities throughout Michigan. This bill will now be moving to the Michigan Senate for approval.
