Aspire North Members' Participation in Call To Action, Some of the Highest in the State; Village of Lake Ann Adopts a Short-Term Rental Ordinance; Public Hearing Held by Peninsula Township on Building Heights Zoning Ordinance Amendment
We start this week with a big THANK YOU to all Aspire North REALTORS® members who participated in the Call to Action to say no to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s (MSHDA) proposed transfer tax increase! Your participation was among the highest of any association in the state of Michigan. You made a difference and we thank you! Second, we cover some of the main points of the newly adopted Village of Lake Ann Short Term Rental Ordinance. And last, Peninsula Township appears to be increasing its maximum building height allowance.
1. Aspire North Members Participation in Call to Action, Some of the Highest in the State!
Thank you, THANK YOU to all who participated in the Call to Action to say no to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority’s (MSHDA) proposed transfer tax increase. Thanks to your participation, legislators in our region were some of the most contacted of any legislators in the state! Here’s a breakdown:
- Representative Betsy Coffia, who serves Michigan’s 103rd House District received 109 contacts the MOST of any legislator in the Michigan State House!
- State Senator John Damoose, who serves Michigan’s 37th State Senate District received 200 contacts the SECOND MOST of any legislator in the Michigan State Senate
- Representative John Roth, who serves Michigan’s 104th House District received 46 contacts
THANK YOU for lending your voices to prevent the introduction of this legislation that could put this proposed transfer tax increase in place. Rumor has it that MSHDA is taking a pause on pursuing this legislation given the strong, united opposition our industry voiced. You made the difference, thank you for taking action!
2. Village of Lake Ann Adopts a Short-Term Rental Ordinance
At the Lake Ann Village Council Meeting held on Tuesday, February 13th the Lake Ann Village Council passed a Short Term Rental Ordinance. As of this writing, it is not clear when implementation of this Short-Term Rental Ordinance will go into effect. However, here are some highlights from the ordinance to be aware of when it goes into effect in the near future:
- The Lake Ann Short-Term Rental Ordinance defines short-term rentals as “a dwelling unit in which guests (transient) are provided lodging for a period less than 30 days in return for payment and which the dwelling is not occupied by the owner/caretaker in any way.”
- Separately, Lake Ann defines a Tourist Home/Bed & Breakfast as “a residential dwelling unit lawfully established under the Village of Lake Ann Zoning Ordinance and meeting all requirements of the Zoning Ordinance, which is owner occupied and used or designed as a home business in such a manner that certain rooms, in excess of those used by the owner, are rented to the transient public for compensation for a period of less than thirty (30) days.” Contact Lake Ann Zoning Administrator Gary Florip for more information.
- An accessory building, as defined in the Village of Lake Ann Zoning Ordinance (page 9 of the Zoning Ordinance) shall not be eligible for a short-term rental license under this ordinance.
- A short-term rental license shall be valid for a period of 1 year or until a change in ownership, whichever comes first. This license is non-transferable and is renewed annually. Licenses will expire on December 31st of each calendar year. Applicants may apply for a license anytime for a license to be effective in the same calendar year. Applicants may apply for a license beginning no sooner than October 1st for the upcoming calendar year.
- The annual Village of Lake Ann Short-Term Rental license fee is $500.
- The license holder or local contact person representing the property owner must always be available by telephone and must be physically located within a 60-minute travel distance of the property in the event of an emergency or an issue that requires immediate attention.
- A Village of Lake Ann Good Neighbor Guide is defined as “a specific document containing guidelines developed by the Village of Lake Ann” created to ensure a “resident’s quiet and peaceful enjoyment of their neighborhood.” The Good Neighbor Guide is to be posted in the short-term rental and a copy given to the renter.
View the full Village of Lake Ann Short Term Rental Ordinance here and view the Village of Lake Ann Guest Rental Property Application here. For more information on short-term rental policies in Northwest Lower Michigan visit the Aspire North REALTORS Short-Term Rental Guide.
3. Public Hearing Held by Peninsula Township on Building Heights Zoning Ordinance Amendment
At the March 12th Peninsula Township Board Meeting, a Public Hearing was held on Zoning Ordinance Amendment #204 that would increase the maximum height of structures in Peninsula Township from 2.5 stories and 35 feet to just a maximum height of 38 feet. Zoning Ordinance Amendment #204 also amends the measuring of building height to “the vertical distance measured from the mean elevation of the Average Natural Grade to the highest point of the roof.” The Average Natural Grade is defined as “the average between the lowest and highest elevations of the Natural Grade where the foundation or exterior walls of a structure meet the ground.” As of this writing, the minutes from the March 12th Peninsula Township Board Meeting have not yet been published. However, Zoning Ordinance Amendment #204 is posted under the list of Peninsula Township Ordinances on the Peninsula Township website, which seems to imply this Zoning Ordinance Amendment was enacted. For additional context on Zoning Ordinance Amendment #204, check out the Peninsula Township Planning Commission Meeting held on Thurs., Feb. 22nd (pages 2 and 3).
