A Citizen - Led Referendum
30 Days to let the people decide
Take Action
If you care about Harbor Springs, then you need to take the following action before the end of July:
If you are a Harbor Springs Voter, sign the referendum so you have the right to vote on zoning in the fall election.
Donate to We Love Harbor Springs to fund the fall campaign to win the open Mayor and City council seats.
Attend the fundraiser at Colonial Inn on July 10th at 5 PM-7 PM. Hors d'oeuvres, drinks and entertainment.
Attend the City Council or Planning Commission meetings and watch what they are doing.
How to sign
Either
Attend the signature drive at the Farmers Market every Saturday and Wednesday morning for the next 30 days. A table will be in Zorn Park just outside of the west end of the market.
OR
Email us with your contact information & how you would like a referendum captain to meet you to get your signature - quick, effortless!
Referendum
Volunteers are spending the next 30 days gathering signatures from the voters to let the citizens of Harbor Springs decide in the fall election if they want new zoning. If you are a voter, you should sign the referendum so that you have the opportunity to choose if you support or oppose major changes in city zoning.
If 50% of voters support the referendum in the fall election, it will rescind the zoning ordinance. Under the new city leadership, we would then restructure the zoning as outlined in What Needs to Change. No one is against sensible development or the right to develop property. Our principal concerns are:
Removing Planning Commission oversight
Excluding property owners from the zoning discussion
Removal of notice to neighbors
Removing major approvals to an unaccountable administrative function
The approved Zoning Ordinance # 439 was written by an outside consultant, Beckett and Raeder. The language is a cookie-cutter they use for their clients in Michigan regardless of local character.
The Citizen-Led Referendum drive needs 25% of the voters in Harbor Springs to sign a referendum to get on the ballot. The process for a referendum is the following:
Gather signatures from 25% of the voters by the end of July
The City Clerk then has 15 days to certify the petition
The zoning is then paused and the City Clerk hands the referendum to City Council
The City Council is then mandated to either rescind ordinance #439 or send the voters the choice in the form of a ballot question
General Counsel then fashions the ballot question
It is placed on the fall Ballot
If more than 50% of the people voting support the referendum, zoning ordinance #439 is reverted and the ordinance ‘dies’
We would then work with the City to redraft and approve new zoning in collaboration with input of property owners and other interested parties.
The Brief
As a community, we have more than 100 years of working well together. We Love Harbor Springs' goal is to ensure that when the City Council makes decisions, it includes the needs and perspectives of voters, residents, property owners, businesses, and visitors.
As of February 2024, 80%-90% of property owners and voters had no idea the City was making material changes in the zoning. That shortfall is the fault of city leadership. They decided not to notify you directly by mail, a standard practice when upgrading zoning.
When making major changes to zoning for 1,500 properties, the City must ensure each group is engaged and represented in the debate. If building a new bike trail, engage the biking community. If changing the rules for storefronts downtown, ensure business owners are engaged.
Instead of just posting notices on Facebook or Harbor Light newspaper, the City Government’s job is to leverage its knowledge of the entire community and actively draw in their perspective. If you are the Mayor, your role is not to forecast the housing market, it is to ensure proper controls when development gets out of control. If you are a City Council member, your job is to balance the needs of property owners, so you have the tax base to serve the community. Governing is not running a poll, it is integrating divergent perspectives into something better. In a small town, the role of the City Council is not to know the answers. The role of the City Council is to know the community and shape the decision.
It is not hard to reach the 1,200 voters and 1,500 property owners in Harbor Springs. Modern technology makes it easy to write a newsletter and reach 1,000 people who care. It is easy to see how many are reached and realize who is left out. And then figure out how to reach those that are missing. What we want is to shift city leadership and management back to a time when we engaged and debated issues. Not always in agreement, but discussion that results in a better decision.
Our plan is simple.
Let the voters decide if they want their home zoning changed.
Elect a new mayor and 2 city council members who will work with the entire community
Replace city government processes to ensure input from all constituents and expand representation by property owners who are not voters
Reduce the number of City committees and bureaucracy to focus on what matters to this community
The Fall Election
The Mayor’s seat and two city council seats are up for election this fall. We are in discussions with several candidates to lend support.
To run for a seat, a person needs to be a voting resident in the City of Harbor Springs for 2 years. We are looking for strong candidates who have been involved in City Government in some capacity here or in other towns. If you have a candidate in mind please let us know at weloveharborsprings@gmail.com.
Many of you can register to vote in Harbor Springs, even as part-time residents. This may have no impact on your homestead and tax status. Take a look at the State rules about registration online.
Our Goal
Our goal is to protect the integrity and character of Harbor Springs. Since the 1850s, our unique community has hosted many generations of year-round residents and visitors regularly returning in search of repose, peace, quiet and a restoration of health offered by Lake Michigan and Little Traverse Bay. Harbor Springs’ character includes a promise of a safe community with natural beauty and historic charm. We must protect it now and into the future.
Attend a City Meeting
It is hard to understand the problem if you have not attended a City meeting to see for yourself how the government process works. Make an effort to attend a city council meeting, DDA, planning committee, or any of the other meetings over the next couple of months. Take a look at the agendas and pick a topic you care about. Ask questions.
Key meetings include: (City Calendar)
City Council - twice a month on Mondays (except July)
Planning Commission - Once a month on the 3rd Thursday
Redevelopment Ready Community ( RRC )
Parks and Recreation Board and understanding the impact to Harbor Springs by Beckett and Raeder, RRC, and by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC).
Real estate development
Bluff Gardens—Recent FOIAs show the City was well aware of plans to develop Bluff Gardens during the new zoning process. The Zoning was modified to alter the Bluff Gardens district, removing the long-standing agricultural designation.
New On Zillow - A home on Lake Street is for sale as a teardown, with pictures representing potential multi-unit development options. Soon, more property will be for sale. (Zillow)
So well said! Also, that property on Lake closed within the past couple days. It got snatched up for over asking price.