This year, residents in the 900 block of Lathrop began regularly speaking during public comment at village council meetings, airing complaints about a short-term rental property on their block. As they attempt to get village-wide restrictions for short-term rentals, other Forest Park residents have spoken in support of such properties.
Forest Park resident Samantha Treadman Blaga has shared repeated concerns about the guests who stay at the rental property at 905 Lathrop Ave. She said village staff and commissioners have told her that, if she reports bothersome activity at the house to the Forest Park Police Department six times in six months, it could be considered a nuisance property. Now she’s done that, but to no avail.
“Six 911 calls have been placed in six months, but nothing has been done. You have provided a solution that does nothing,” Blaga said in an emailed public comment at a July 13 village council meeting. She provided the Review with a log of six 911 calls since February from herself and her neighbor reporting 905 Lathrop to police. They reported public urination, four calls for excessive noise — one which also included littering and another that included multiple vehicles parked on the street — a report of a loud argument in front of the property, and the property owner placing garbage into neighboring residents’ trash cans.
According to Forest Park’s chronic nuisance property abatement, a residence is considered a nuisance if three nuisance activities are reported to police within a six-month period. But Police Chief Ken Gross told the Review that, at this time, he doesn’t see 905 Lathrop fitting into the nuisance ordinance.
“If all of a sudden there’s a spike in instances that constitute that being a nuisance, then absolutely the process could start,” said Gross, adding that he pulls up stats for 905 Lathrop monthly. “I’m not downplaying that the residents on that block are disheartened by that property and some of the occupants that do short stays there. If there was enough there for us to start that process of nuisance, I definitely would either do it personally — because right now I don’t have a crime free housing officer — or I’d assign it to someone.”
According to the ordinance, nuisance activities include: unlawful use of weapons, mob action, discharge of a firearm, gambling, possession or delivery of controlled substances, public indecency, assault or battery, sexual abuse, prostitution, criminal damage to property, illegal possession or delivery of cannabis, illegal consumption or possession of alcohol, disorderly conduct like false 911 calls or bomb threats, plus various violations of the village building code.
“When we use that ordinance, we want to make the neighbors happy. But I also have an obligation to protect the homeowner, too, and not violate any of their rights or mischarge them,” Gross said.
If police receive reports of nuisance activity for a property, according to the ordinance, Gross would need to notify the owner in writing and meet with them to implement a plan to prevent future nuisance activity. If police receive another report of nuisance activity within 60 days of the meeting, the property can be declared a chronic nuisance property. This can be done through a village administrative hearing, where a property owner can be fined up to $750, or in the Cook County circuit court, which can order a property to close between 30 and 180 days, or until nuisance activities stop.
“I respectfully ask the village council to continue evaluating stronger oversight and enforcement for short-term rentals so that neighboring homeowners are not left bearing the consequences,” Blaga said in her emailed public comment. “Residents should not have to sacrifice their privacy, peace or property because of a business operating in a residential neighborhood.”
Short-term rental restrictions
At the July 8 budget meeting, Mayor Rory Hoskins said he’s suggesting the village pursue restrictions for short-term rental properties and require owners of such properties to register with the village.
“The village will be coming out with some proposals very soon. We’re talking to our law firm about this, but we want to look at how we can improve revenue from short-term rentals,” Hoskins said.
While short-term rental restrictions could place limits on rental properties, they won’t necessarily be a money-maker for the village.
“The short-term rentals we’ve talked about are not going to go directly to the general fund. That money, and please correct me if I’m wrong, is only going to be used for tourism and conventions and stuff like that,” Commissioner Maria Maxham said during the budget meeting. “It will in a trickle down way help the general fund, but it’s not directly coming to offset anything that we have going on here.”
“I think we’re all in agreement that regulation is the way to go,” Village Administrator Rachell Entler said at the meeting. “This isn’t really a revenue generating portion for the regulation, but the fees that we charge for that will allow us a couple things. It’ll cover the costs that staff has to put into registration and any inspections.”