Harbor Springs: Why Now?

New Zoning introduced Febuary 15, 2024, what's the rush?

Why Now?

We keep asking why these changes are required now. The answers we get range from “We have to because we updated the Master plan” or “Because the Planning Commission has worked for so long.” Sometimes it's because we have to for the RRC, other times it's not. But we never hear “Because it will make Harbor Springs better and why”

The Planning Commission and the City wonders why you have not attended all the meetings over the last 2 years. They ask, if each of the 1,500 property owners had participated in all of those meetings, then you would know why these changes are important?

But this is not really true. The zoning was actually written by Beckett and Raeder, the city’s outside consultants, based on their guidelines from the Zoning Reform Toolkit sponsored by the corporate partners focused on development throughout Michigan. While the Planning Commission steered the process, the actual draft was written by Beckett. Furthermore, a significant portion of the work was conducted by a sub-committee of the PC, comprising members whose identities were not disclosed, and their meetings took place privately without public awareness. The draft was not released for public review until February 15, 2024.

And when people started to read that document, everyone, including the Planning Commission, realized there were many mistakes. A dozen or so property owners found key oversights like expanding the central business district or eliminating the agriculture district. It became apparent that despite all the Planning Commission’s efforts, the property owner is really the only one with enough knowledge to understand how each change to the entire zoning impacts the individual 1,500 property owners. Unfortunately, attempts by residents to engage in the process are limited to 3-minute speeches and questions that committee members are not required to answer at meetings.

In the most recent City Council meeting, they discussed changing key elements of the zoning. While you might expect them to do this with careful thought, watch for yourself as they debate some changes:

Did you know? 

In the updated zoning plan, the code has shifted to "by right" zoning provisions. This means that property owners have greater autonomy in making certain changes to their properties without the need for extensive permissions or notifications. For instance, under these new regulations, your neighbor is not required to inform you of certain alterations they make to their property. For instance, they could construct an accessory dwelling unit without prior notification to you.

What stops this? 

The proposed zoning plan removes many of the guardrails that are in place to prevent unrestricted development. The current code requires City approval and notification of neighbors prior to starting a major construction project. This code has worked well for over 50+ years in preventing drastic changes to the community. Under the new plan, we wonder what would stop the following from happening in Harbor Springs? 

• A developer from going to 100 homeowners between Bluff and Lake, offer them each 700k for their home, replace the homes with duplexes or triplexes and sell it for $1.5M for each condo?

• A developer buying homes along the expanded Central Business District (CBD) on 3^rd St., tear them down, and build 3 story condos with first level retail at $2M each?

• A future activist City Council removing the Bay Street Overlay without notifying residents, and accelerating expansion of the CBD? 

• A future activist City Council removing the Agricultural District without notifying residents?

• Turning Bluff Garden into a planned unit development with 4 large homes and 20 small homes in a row house configuration? 

• Increasing lease costs in the mobile home park, pushing out current tenants, and replacing the mobile homes with higher-end manufactured homes at a higher price? 

Update

As a result of the May 6th City Council Meeting, it is unclear on the City’s immediate next steps or when the City Council may again try to vote. So now is the time for you to take action on a few critical items so the City understands the magnitude of their choice.

What to Do

1. Read What Needs to Change

2. Read the new zoning document

3. Understand the impact on your property

4. Attend this week’s Planning Commission on Thursday, May 16th, at 5:30 PM EST (In person or via Zoom). In the open session, use your 3 minutes to express:

   1. When you first heard of the update

   2. How the zoning adversely affects your property or raise your questions about the proposed changes.

   3. Concerns about the process and lack of resident engagement

   4. Questions about loss of property rights

5. Get your neighbors to sign the Property Owner Petition.

6. Ask the City leaders to explain:

   1. How do these changes improve the city?

   2. Do they want a lot or a little growth?

   3. How will they protect the City from unconstrained growth?

   4. Why is the RRC right for Harbor Springs? 

7. Let the City leaders know:

   1. Why you love Harbor Springs and how these changes will harm what you love.

   2. Unconstrained growth you have seen in other towns.

Time to Pause

The Mayor asked for feedback from the community on the zoning changes. On May 6th, 2024, the We Love Harbor Springs group provided the City Council with the list of concerns and changes we gathered from the more than 700 people who have signed the zoning petition.

There are so many concerns, and each concern is interconnected to other issues, this is not a quick fix. So our practical objective is to:

1. Contact Property Owners: The city should first contact each of the 1,500 property owners by mail to assure each property owner is aware of the proposed changes released by the Planning Commission on March 18th, 2024. 

2. Meet: To host meetings during the summer to explain why now is the time to change the zoning.

3. Correct the Zoning: Remove the bulk of changes to property rights, and redraft the zoning.

4. Then Vote: Currently, 5 people in city hall are making that choice for 1500 property owners and 1200 voters.  The choice can’t be reversed once the property right is given. City council should vote later in the summer, or place this on the ballot, to assure everyone is onboard with new zoning, a larger central business district, and “By Right” provisions removing the planning commission from future zoning.

Thank you! 

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