Park Twp. residents pen petition to end 'bait-and-switch' rental ban

PARK TWP. — Hundreds of residents are calling on Park Township officials to end a protracted and costly legal battle over short-term rentals, presenting a petition that alleges local leadership has engaged in a decades-long "bait-and-switch" regarding property rights.

The petition, signed by 372 residents and presented to the board of trustees on Thursday, May 14, urges the township to allow homeowners who operated rentals prior to a March 2024 ban to continue doing so. 

The move follows years of escalating tension in this Ottawa County vacation destination, where property owners are now preparing to take their challenge to federal court.

“For decades prior to the new zoning ordinance, multiple township zoning administrators, code enforcement officers, and officials had consistently and repeatedly told property owners that no permit was required for short-term rentals, and that there were no regulations or restrictions regarding short or long-term rentals at all,” the Park Township Neighbors said in a May 15 news release.

The lawsuits are being brought by existing property owners who relied on the township’s own interpretation for decades.

“We are fighting for the right to be treated with integrity. To be able to trust that the word of the township is genuine. To be able to continue doing the thing we were told we could do,” said Jackie Beck, a Park Township resident and Park Township Neighbors member.

The petition pointed out that residents “trusted the word of the township and built their lives around what township officials consistently told or emailed property owners for decades. Then the township changed the rules in the middle of the game, eroding the trustworthiness that good governance depends on.”

Community speaks out

During public comment at the Thursday meeting, members of Park Township Neighbors presented the petition, calling for a "common-sense resolution."

Residents, including Beck and Tom McGau, told the board that the retroactive ban is a "bait-and-switch" method that undermines public trust and cited decades of documentation from previous officials that indicated short-term rentals were permitted. 

The board later entered a closed-door session to discuss legal strategy regarding the ongoing federal and state litigation, though no formal decision on a settlement has been announced.

The conflict stems from a 2024 ordinance that effectively banned short-term rentals in residential zones. While township officials have argued the ban is necessary to preserve neighborhood character, property owners point to a prolific trail of internal communications and official correspondence spanning nearly 25 years.

The background

According to documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests, previous zoning administrators consistently confirmed the legality of short-term rentals. 

In 2014, former Zoning Administrator Ed de Vries told a resident in writing that the township did not "license, regulate or inspect rental housing." 

The legal escalation comes at a high price for taxpayers. Records show the township paid more than $338,000 in legal fees through October 2025 alone to defend the ban and litigate against approximately 80 remaining rental owners.

Township Manager Bill Cousins has previously defended the enforcement, stating the move was a response to a changing vacation culture that pushed neighborhoods to a "breaking point" with noise and traffic complaints. 

However, data compiled by the property owners’ group shows only 14 complaints regarding short-term rentals were filed between 2019 and 2021.

According to 2023 census data, short-term rentals account for less than 1.5 percent of the township's 8,270 housing units.

Park Township Neighbors is appealing a previous circuit court ruling to the Michigan Court of Appeals while finalizing its federal civil rights lawsuit. The board of trustees took no action on the petition presented on Thursday. The board is expected to review the request as litigation continues.

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at hvandyke@ottawanewsnetwork.org.