BIRMINGHAM, Mich. – A large pool party at a Birmingham home has renewed questions about short-term residential rentals after neighbors raised concerns about noise, traffic congestion, and whether the gathering should have been shut down sooner.
The Birmingham Police Department said officers responded Saturday, June 13, to reports of a party in the 300 block of Westchester Way, where a private residential pool had been rented to a third party.
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The city said renting a private residential pool to a third party violates zoning regulations for single-family residential properties.
Police Chief Scott A. Grewe said officers first arrived around 4 p.m. and found an estimated 50 to 60 people at the home.
Neighbors later reported the crowd grew throughout the evening, with complaints of public intoxication, traffic backups, and vehicles blocking driveways.
Police said officers returned to the home multiple times as the gathering grew, eventually estimating the crowd had reached several hundred people.
The party was shut down around 8 p.m., and police said the crowd had dispersed by about 9:30 p.m.
The department acknowledged that the response should have resulted in earlier action.
“While officers shut the party down and issued multiple citations, the department acknowledges the party should have been shut down earlier,” the Birmingham Police Department said in a Facebook statement.
Police said citations were issued for parking violations and noise violations involving both the homeowner and the event host.
One person from outside Birmingham was arrested on suspicion of driving with a suspended license. Investigators are also reviewing a reported hit-and-run involving a parked vehicle.
The incident has added to an ongoing discussion in Birmingham about short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.
City officials have been considering additional regulations, including a possible ban on short-term rentals in certain residential areas.
Residents raised concerns during a joint Birmingham City Commission and Planning Board meeting on June 15, saying they felt there was confusion between city departments over how to handle complaints involving rental activity.
A homeowner told Local 4 he allowed a friend to host the gathering and was unaware of any illegal activity.
They also said he believes some complaints involved perceived racial bias and alleged his family had been targeted online.
Mayor Clinton Baller said the city is reviewing the police response.
The Birmingham Police Department said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident and reviewing procedures to help prevent similar situations in the future.
More information about Birmingham’s pool rental ordinance is available through the city’s website.