Council stays neutral on 606 Mill Street short‑term rental appeal; refers matter to zoning hearing board

Bridgeport Borough Council on July 21 declined to take a position on an appeal concerning 606 Mill Street, where owners received a zoning notice alleging operation as an unlawful short‑term rental.

Eric Smith, an attorney representing the property owners, told the council his clients began using the property as a short‑term rental in February 2023 and argued the use is a preexisting nonconforming use. "In February 2023, my client began using this property as a short term rental," Smith said, describing a timeline of an earlier, withdrawn zoning notice and noting the borough adopted a short‑term rental ordinance on Nov. 11, 2025.

Council members pressed for details about what prompted the zoning notice, whether it originated from a rental inspection and whether the owners could provide booking records or contracts that show when the use began. Solicitor Bello asked for any documentation the owners could provide; Smith said he would supply listings and other records.

Several council members cautioned that taking a favorable stance for the owners could set a precedent that obliges the borough to treat other similar cases the same way. One council member recommended letting the zoning hearing board and its solicitor review the matter in depth. "I think this is a matter that our zoning hearing board and their solicitor will probably look at in‑depth," a council member said.

The council then moved and voted to take no action and remain neutral, effectively leaving the dispute to the zoning hearing board as part of the formal appeal process.

What happens next: The case will proceed before the borough zoning hearing board, where the board and its solicitor will consider the records and make decisions about whether the use qualifies as nonconforming or requires a special exception under borough code.