Overview
- A weekend backyard pool gathering on Westchester Way grew from dozens into an estimated couple hundred people after repeated calls to police and was shut down by officers in the evening.
- Police said officers responded multiple times across the afternoon and evening, issued parking tickets, cited the homeowner and the event host for misdemeanors, and arrested one visitor for driving with a suspended license.
- The City of Birmingham announced an investigation and concluded that renting a private residential pool to a third party conflicts with single-family zoning rules, and city leaders said they will consider tougher regulations or bans for short-term and hourly pool rentals.
- Neighbors complained of slow response times, blocked driveways, public intoxication, and lewd behavior in front of children, while the homeowner denied a Swimply booking claim and said a friend hosted the event and his family has been doxxed online.
- The episode has intensified local debate over short-term rentals after an April Airbnb party in Birmingham ended in gunfire, and officials said they will review coordination between police and code enforcement to prevent similar disruptions.