TRENTON, Maine — A particular short-term rental located at 855 Oak Point Road drew the ire and frustration of a Trenton resident during public comment at the October 28, Trenton Select Board meeting.
Diana Heckman who lives next door to the “Ace of Spade” vacation rental said it used to be a rundown piece of property and now it is a duplex structure that promotes a sleeping capacity of 24 people.
It is not your quiet rural residential type of rental, according to Heckman, who said that she used to like to sit out on her deck and she cannot do that anymore because of the noise.
Heckman also said that she frequently has to wear noise-cancelling headphones, and sometimes she can hear the music from next door very well while she is in her bedroom.
The Saturday before the Select Board meeting, Heckman said that she walked over to the house because they were being so loud. Her neighbors have also spoken with the guests about the noise in the past.
“I am looking to find a recourse to somehow put some sort of limitations possibly, something I can do so that my neighbors and all Trenton people will not end up with the same situation I am in,” Heckman said.
She isn’t sure what can be done because a group comes in, “blasts their music,” and then they are gone in a week.
One night she called the police, who went to the rental property. When the officer came back to update Heckman, he told her that the property manager was at the residence, apparently attending the gathering, she said. Heckman said the people at the house turned down the music, but shortly after the police were gone, the volume went back up.
Heckman said the listing on a vacation rental website says no events and no parties are to be held at the property. Despite that, she said, the rental appears to be geared for large groups and possibly parties because it can sleep 24 people — 12 in each of the duplex units, with each unit being advertised as having a bar.
According to Heckman, the listing also indicates that the property has no smoke detectors.
Recently, she has started recording the music and other noise.
Another attendee at the Select Board meeting spoke up to support Heckman in this because where she lives they have weddings and other events at a different short-term rental and they sometimes have music until 1 a.m.
The Select Board started discussing possible ordinances and ways to curtail such activity, Select Board Chair Fred Ehrlenbach said the code enforcement officer ultimately has to enforce the rules, and you have to issue a violation and go to court and it is all through the Rule 80 process, which he said “takes forever.”
He suggested simply using Maine criminal statutes regarding disorderly conduct that fall under Title 17-A (Maine Criminal Code) saying that a warning and subsequent arrest process would be the most efficient manner to prevent this type of behavior.
Heckman then asked about possible inspection requirements for future rental properties.
Member John Bennett said the issue will have to be put on the agenda so the Select Board can speak about it properly. The Planning Board would then have to craft an ordinance to reflect the desires of the Select Board and public.
The VRBO listing for Ace of Spade confirms that the property is a duplex that sleeps 24, along with other details mentioned by Heckman, including, “onsite parties or group events are strictly prohibited” and “host has indicated there is no smoke detector on the property.”
Maine statute does require smoke detectors in any single-family dwelling constructed after January 1, 1982, and in each unit of a multifamily occupancy building.
According to the Trenton tax commitment book, the property located at 855 Oak Point Road is owned by Ceban Investments, LLC.
This story was originally published by The Bar Harbor Story. To receive regular coverage from the Bar Harbor Story, sign up for a free subscription here.
