Park Township

Park Township’s Zoning Ordinance does not define or regulate “short-term rentals” as a standalone use. The ordinance was last amended through Ordinance No. 17-03 on December 13, 2017 ^[3], and treats transient lodging only under three named categories: “Bed and Breakfast Facility” (Section 202.18, allowed by Special Land Use in R-3 only, subject to Section 505.1L standards), “Lodging House” (Section 202.68, including tourist homes), and “Motel/Hotel/Commercial Lodging” (Section 202.85, permitted in the Commercial district).

Practical reading for a single-family STR in a residential district:

• AR (Agricultural Residential): No short-term rental use is listed by right or by Special Land Use.
• RR (Rural Residential): No short-term rental use is listed.
• R-1 (High Density Residential): No short-term rental use is listed.
• R-3 (Rural Estate): Bed & Breakfast is permitted by Special Land Use Permit (Section 309.3F), subject to 505.1L standards (2-acre minimum, 10-day maximum stay, 200 ft of road frontage) ^[3]. R-3 is the only residential district that contemplates any paid lodging.
• R-4 (Waterfront Residential): Single-family residential only; no lodging category listed by right or by SLUP.
• Commercial (C) and Combined Commercial/Limited Industrial (C-LI): Motels, hotels, and motor hotels are permitted (Section 405 use list) ^[3].

Because the ordinance is silent on “short-term rental” specifically, treatment depends on how the Zoning Administrator reads a particular use against the existing definitions. For any specific parcel, verify the zoning district on the FetchGIS map below, then confirm in writing with the Zoning Administrator before listing a property as an STR.

There is no STR registration or permit process in Park Township. No application form, no annual fee, no inspection requirement, and no public STR portal exist ^[4]. The township handles STR-related issues through general code enforcement rather than a licensing program.

If you intend to operate something the ordinance recognizes as a B&B in the R-3 district, the path is a Special Land Use Permit application reviewed by the Planning Commission (which meets the 4th Monday of January, April, July, and October at 7 PM) ^[2]. That is not a rental registration; it is a site-specific zoning approval governed by Article V of the Zoning Ordinance ^[3].

No STR-specific fees exist because Park Township has no STR program ^[4]. Where fees come up at all in the STR context, they are zoning-approval fees rather than rental-license fees:

Fee schedules for Special Land Use Permits are set by Planning Commission resolution and are not published on the township website. Confirm the current fee with the Township Clerk before submitting any SLUP application.

Because B&B is the only paid-lodging use contemplated in any residential district, anyone considering an STR-like operation in R-3 should plan against the Section 505.1L standards ^[3]:

• Minimum lot size: 2 acres.
• Minimum road frontage: 200 feet on a public road.
• Minimum rental room size: 120 sq ft per room.
• Owner/manager living quarters: Minimum 450 sq ft on premises.
• Bathrooms: At least one bathroom per two rental rooms.
• Smoke alarm: Required in every guestroom.
• Carbon monoxide detector: Required in every guestroom heated by a CO-producing appliance.
• Maximum stay: 10 continuous days.
• Health Agency approval: Required from the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency if anything more than a continental breakfast is served ^[6].
• Signage: One advertising sign, not exceeding 6 sq ft (corner lots included).

Day-to-day enforcement runs through the township’s general Complaint Form and the Code Enforcement Officer, not through a rental-program inspector ^[5]. The township also maintains a dedicated Short Term Rental Complaints menu item in its site navigation ^[4], signaling that STR-related grievances are tracked separately from general code complaints.

• STR-specific complaint: use the township’s Short Term Rental Complaints page ^[4].
• General code/zoning complaint: use the Complaint Form, which collects address, property owner, and complainant identity ^[5].
• Code Enforcement Officer: Mike Haydon, 269-435-8505 ^[2].
• Zoning Administrator (per Township Contacts page): Matt Jorgensen, P.O. Box 30, Colon, MI 49040 ^[2].
• St. Joseph County Sheriff (non-emergency): for noise/nuisance issues outside township office hours.

Other township ordinances that touch rental operations — Burn, Construction, Eviction, Litter, Noxious Weeds, and Vehicle — are referenced in the township site navigation under Ordinances. Hard copies must be requested from the Township Clerk; they are not posted as standalone PDFs on the township website ^[2].

The Zoning Ordinance has been quiet on lodging since the 2017 round of amendments ^[3]. The 2023 public hearing notice on file covers utility solar and animal-keeping text amendments, not rentals ^[8]. As of May 2026, there is no public proposal to add an STR registration or permit program.

If the township ever moves to regulate STRs, it will go through the Planning Commission first (4th Monday of Jan/Apr/Jul/Oct) before reaching the Township Board (2nd Wednesday monthly) ^[2]. Investors planning to underwrite STR income should watch the Planning Commission agenda for any zoning text amendment introducing a “Short-Term Rental” definition.