Northside Crescent wedding increases traffic

By Olivia Bradbury, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Wedding bells aren’t music to everyone’s ears, including some members of Clarke’s Beach council.

That’s because a wedding held recently at an Airbnb on Northside Crescent sparked a spike in traffic on the street.

The matter got an airing at council’s Sept. 1 public meeting. Town Clerk Joan Crawford confirmed the property has been functioning as an Airbnb and is frequently booked. She said it seems the venue has changed somewhat given that it had hosted the wedding.

“It seems like it’s probably gone beyond the scope of an Airbnb,” said Crawford. “It’s probably gone more into a venue for weddings and whatever. So there’s concern, of course, because it’s a small street.”

Crawford suggested the Town contact the property owner to confirm the kind of business being operated there. She noted the Town does not have any regulations for Airbnbs, but needs to confirm whether the property is being used as anything other than one.

Deputy Mayor Stephen Dawe, who led the meeting in the absence of Mayor Danielle Bussey, agreed. He pointed out there is not much parking available at the property.

A motion to write the owner asking for clarification on the nature of the business passed unanimously.