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Residents press council over alleged 'party hotel' on West 4th after repeated weekend disturbances
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Summary
Residents described recurring weekend parties, gunfire and predictable disturbances at a multi-unit property on West 4th that they say operates as a de facto hotel; staff said it holds multiple licenses and will meet the owner and consider enforcement, but said code gaps limit immediate revocation.
Multiple residents told the committee that a specific multi-unit property on West 4th is operating like a hotel and repeatedly draws large parties and police responses, sometimes including violence.
Christopher Schiller, who lives across the street in Harrison West, said the operator advertises large-capacity stays and that platform enforcement no longer lists the property because it was removed by the platforms; he said the operator runs a separate website and that the property draws predictable weekend crowds and serious incidents. "This property is so bad that Airbnb and Vrbo do not allow this property to operate on their platform anymore," Schiller said, and described repeated weekends of police, EMTs and multiple cruisers at the site.
Host Willie Jones recounted a January booking that he said turned violent: he described a Vrbo reservation that he said was advertised for eight girls but developed into a mixed-gender party; he said police initially treated it as a civil matter and that later there was a shooting at the property with numerous bullet holes and at least one injured person. Jones urged the committee to give owners tools to cancel reservations and said he has begun filing trespass authorization forms with police.
Deputy Director Tony Celebrizi and Deputy Director Wendy Boots said the department is aware of the West 4th property, that it holds multiple licenses for separate units, and that staff intends to meet with the owner to determine next steps. Boots said staff has told the owner the units must be listed as separate units and noted that state thresholds for hotels (as discussed in the hearing) affect how the city can regulate large-capacity dwellings. Celebrizi said parts of the existing code are vague and that clearer language is a key reason for the proposed rewrite.
Council members suggested involving the city attorney when staff meets the owner and emphasized that nuisance code enforcement (noise, parties, shootings) can be pursued regardless of whether a property is an STR or a long-term rental. The department said it will continue enforcement efforts and refine proposed ordinances to clarify authority for quick action on problem properties.
The hearing produced no enforcement outcome; staff said it is pursuing meetings with the property owner and will report back as it develops options to address repeat problem sites.
