To the editor:

This council at Eagle Harbor Township are about to pass a short-term rental (STR) ordinance that is highly restrictive and will hurt Keweenaw taxpayers. STRs are an integral part of our tourism economy, which is critical. Also limiting the use of homes and the option to rent them is asking for lower resale values and higher taxes for all resident properties.

Is there a problem with short term rentals in Eagle Harbor? Maybe in the tiny 2 sq. mile Village of Eagle Harbor, where there are more than 16 of them, as compared to 14 in the remaining 57 sq. miles of Eagle Harbor Township in Keweenaw County); that’s a difference in density of 32-fold. In fact 30% of the STRs in the entire Eagle Harbor Township are on three tiny lots in the village proper. So it sounds very fishy and that the problem is in Eagle Harbor village itself.  

Many of the rentals in the Village of Eagle Harbor are aging structures, and they’ve occasionally been the subject of complaints, but rather than police their own problem rentals, Eagle Harbor has grandfathered them in, while making it impossible for new, attractive short term rentals to go into business. Nothing like the nine STR owners in the Village of Eagle Harbor protecting their own turf while hobbling the competition.

It’s interesting that two members of the Eagle Harbor Planning Commission are STR owners in the village and the township supervisor owns two STRs himself. Eagle Harbor is trying to keep this as quiet as possible, furthermore, they really did not notify rate payers of this proposed change.

I find that the way this council operates really a problem and as I have said to them we never get anything back from them on Lake Medora. They just take our tax money. They make changes when it suits them and I wonder why a little township like theirs should exist as it is.

Surely isn’t it time for Eagle Harbor to be amalgamated into and with grant township it would be cheaper for us regarding tax and the Michigan legislature would probably be pleased with this.