SHORT TERM RENTALCOMMUNITY WORKSHOP
This Wednesday
January 21, 2026
7:00 pm to 8:30 pm
Mill Creek Academy
9039 Old State Hwy. 72 (Old M72)
Zoom attendance will be professionally facilitated for this meeting. Link to be posted on the Township website.
SHORT TERM RENTAL
COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
This Wednesday the 21st the Whitewater Township Planning Commission and ROWG (Resident Outreach Work Group), will be hosting a public round table outreach event. This will be an informational and input event formally facilitated by Michigan State University (MSU).
This is your chance to speak up and be heard on the topic of STR. Do you love them? Hate them? Indifferent? Should our township place additional rules on visitors to our community or should everyone be held to the same standards? This is your opportunity to weigh in. ​
PLEASE JOIN US.
WHITEWATER NEEDS YOUR VOICE.
ROWG Resident Outreach Work Group
The Whitewater PC deliberated appointments to the ROS which will act as some form of advisory group for the PC. As of the August 14th meeting, there is still some confusion about the exact scope of this group. Membership has been established as follows.
Goals for this group included, representative, and balanced. Were they successful?
ROS Selection 8/14/2025
2 PC Members
Rene Stratton ROS Chair - PC Vice-Chair - Elk Lake Trail
David Boesler - Elk Lake Trail
5 Citizen Members
William Clark - Elk Lake Trail
Debbie McKeon - Elk Lake Trail
Rod Rebrandt - Island View
Barb Dean - Elk Lake Road
Heidi Volmuth - Winnie Lane
5 - on the lake, 4 of which are next door neighbors
1 - vocally supportive of responsible STR
1 - Vocally opposing STR (PC member)
0 - under 60
We hope this book cannot be judged by its cover.
Reference Information
Draft STR Ordinance
This is a copy of the citizen proposed Short Term Rental Ordinance amendment that was offered to the Township Planning Commission for consideration in the summer of 2025.
A public hearing was held, the PC and Township Board decided to develop a new ordinance from scratch.
STR Ordinance Goals
This draft ordinance was provided to the township by a group of concerned citizens who want to see STR done right. A good rental does not have a negative impact on neighbors or the community. The text was drafted referencing similar ordinances in our area to address the various issues presented by concerned residents. We have presented this draft in an effort to streamline the process of addressing these issues and make sure there is room for everyone. Here are the highlights:
This draft provides for licensing so that problem properties can be addressed without a costly legal battle.
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This draft would be in effect for the 2026 rental season allowing immediate relief at least a year sooner than other options.
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This draft provides occupancy limits for both safety and to reduce impact on neighboring properties.
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This draft provides guidelines for parking of tenant vehicles and standards for responsible trash maintenance.
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Most problems are simple to address by requiring a LOCAL
managers on call 24/7 to address any issues that arise.
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Printed visitors guide so that everyone knows what is expected. As we all know, common sense isn't all that common.
Whitewater Township
Short Term Rental Guide
This is a proposed sample of a Visitors Guide that would be provided to every Short-Term Renter in our Township.
It includes pertinent emergency services information, courtesy guidelines, relevant township ordinance, and contact information for the property manager.
After careful review of comments submitted in preparation for the August 6th Public Hearing, we will be recommending changes to the final version. We agree that inclusion of information about water protection, invasive species, water safety, and waterfront etiquette would all be good additions to a final draft.
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Update: It is our sincere hope that the WWTS Planning Commission will consider inclusion of this material in any eventual version of a township ordinance.
August 26th Public Hearing
These links will take you directly to this information on the township website. Please note, there are 9 separate uploads of correspondence. Only the first is linked.
​Thank you to everyone who took time out of their day to attend the August 6th PC Public Hearings. As expected, attendance again exceeded capacity (60), and the meeting was rescheduled for this Tuesday, the 26th at a new venue, The Woodland School with a capacity of 260.
Attendance was excellent with an in person count in excess of 90. There were 146 pieces of correspondence posted, and 32 public comments at the meeting. Letters were not read as indicated on the agenda but were posted on the Township Website. Remote participation was accommodated with several individuals utilizing this option from both local and remote locations. Professional facilitation of Zoom did appear to remain functional; however, there were problems with microphone reception throughout the evening.
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Overall, folks were polite and respectful of other's views. The most obvious distinction in perspective was demographic and geographic. Respondents who opposed STR were predominately older waterfront property owners while younger participants and non-waterfront residents were overwhelmingly in favor of STR. A rough breakdown of response has been provided below. ​​​
This is a critical issue and will have a substantial impact on our community. Follow-up discussion will continue at this month's September 3rd PC meeting and potentially again in in the coming months. Due to the enormous volume of correspondence, the PC has indicated that they will not be able to fully review the material prior to the September meeting. We hope that each member will take the time to carefully review and consider, all of the material provided on this matter.
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STR are part of our community. That is a simple fact. The question now, is can our community find a way to address issues while respecting properties that are not posing a problem for their neighbors. Many current STR were told that this was a permitted use prior to beginning operations. No one wants a problem neighbor, long or short term. We need to get an ordinance in place so that problem properties can be address and everyone can enjoy their own little slice of Pure Michigan.
Power Point Presentations
Public Input
This breakdown of responses is not official; it was provided by a citizen reviewing the correspondence posted prior to the meeting and public comments made at the meeting.
STR Opposed Map
The topic of STR is a very personal one for many in our community. Some have an irresponsible owner in their neighborhood, others have had an isolated bad experience, and others are simply opposed to the idea all together.
The objective of this draft STR ordinance is to address as many of these problems as possible. One way we can do this is by reviewing letters of opposition and any reported complaints. The map to the right shows the very general location of opposition to this ordinance within our community.
If you are one of these individuals who have been negatively affected, would encourage you to reach out with any suggestions or recommendations you may have.
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A good rental is an asset to our entire community.
