Resident urges city action after house on Cromartie Beach Drive turned into repeated large events

Tommy Gregors, an East Albany resident, told the Commission on June 3 that a house on Cromartie Beach Drive purchased in March 2022 has been operating as a commercial event venue after alternating between short‑term rental listings and private promoter bookings.

‘‘In the last 2 years, there’s been 8 events,’’ Gregors said, and he described amplified music, ticket sales, alcohol and drugs, vendors, double‑parked cars and shuttle buses that left neighbors unable to exit their drives. He told the commission that a May 25 event required him six minutes to get down his street and that parties have run into the early morning hours; police responded repeatedly but the music and gatherings resumed after officers left.

Gregors said one large event last year was broken up only after a fight prompted a police response. He said off‑duty Dougherty County officers and some Albany Police officers have been used as security at events and that the unregulated gatherings create safety and emergency‑response access problems on a dead‑end street.

Commissioners and staff said the city enacted a short‑term rental ordinance last October with fines for violations and that staff will investigate whether the property is using an advertising loophole (removing listings from platforms such as Airbnb and contracting with private promoters). Commissioner Vilnius Gaines noted the ordinance provides fines and local contact requirements, and several commissioners asked staff to explore enforcement options and possible ordinance amendments to address venues that operate as commercial event spaces rather than transient rentals.

Ending: City staff and public‑safety officials said they will research ordinance remedies and enforcement steps and reported that police and the city attorney have been notified; commissioners asked staff to look into pre‑event legal options, including injunctions if legally supported.