Owner, Township Dispute Over Michigan Island Vacation Rental

ANN ARBOR (AP) - The owner of a private island in southeastern Michigan continues to rent out the property despite a dispute with local officials.

The AshKay Island is zoned as a rural agriculture property, the Ann Arbor News reported.

Vacation rentals aren't one of the permitted uses for the property, said Jesse O'Jack, an attorney for Manchester Township.

The 8-acre island is owned by Andy Bobo. It features a 1,700-square-foot, solar-powered cabin that can accommodate up to 12 people. Bobo began renting out the property in May 2016. Guests rented the property for a total of 10 weeks last year, Bobo said.

The board voted in October to take legal action against Bobo. The township hasn't yet filed a lawsuit and is still reviewing the zoning ordinance, O'Jack said.

The vacation rental violates the ordinance because those renting the property may not fit into the ordinance's definition of a family and use the land for vacation purposes instead of "living as a single nonprofit housekeeping unit," O'Jack said.

The island complies with the ordinance's definition of a single-family dwelling, said Bobo's attorneys from Keusch, Flintoft and Fink of Chelsea.

Charles Kumnick has lived on Iron Mill Pond near AshKay Island for 12 years. He said he's concerned the vacation rental will disrupt the lake's quiet atmosphere.

"The ones who live here year-round really respect the privacy. It's a very quiet lake. It's not often used by outsiders. ... It's definitely not a party lake," Kumnick said. "What he's doing is he wants to disrupt that."

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