Letter To the Editor: Listening Carefully
From Bill Mulder Planning Commissioner, and others in the community
The Brief
Planning Commission: Meets next June 19 at 5:30 PM. Zoom YouTube. These sessions will focus on Article 4 - Overlay District and the redline version of Article 10, Land Development Options.
City Council: Meets Monday, June 16th at 7:00 PM. Zoom YouTube
We’d like to encourage City Hall to enhance the microphone capabilities for improved sound quality for both the Zoom audience and the in-person audience. ZOOM attendee’s we encourage the use of CAPTIONS for ease in following the conversations.
We are willing to publish any constructive community notices and letters to the editor to help improve readers understanding of view points and issues in the community. Please send them to weloveharborsprings@gmail.com
Letters to the Editor
Bill Mulder is the chairman of the Harbor Springs Planning Commission. He is managing the process of writing the new zoning.
From: Bill Mulder, Chair – City of Harbor Springs Planning Commission
Subject: Ideas Requested
Thanks to those who are participating in the City of Harbor Springs zoning code rewrite which has been in process since November. You have turned out to participate regardless of the weather and the dryness of the meeting content. The process has been collaborative and productive. I feel we already have a better product than before.
During the rest of June and throughout July, the planning commission is discussing what some consider to be the most interesting aspects of the zoning code; “dimensions” and “regulated uses”. Now – we are putting out a call for the best ideas and solutions from the whole community.
Here are some specific questions you could help us with
Are there city bureaucratic processes that could be improved or eliminated?
Are there undesirable aspects of the existing zoning code that should be cared for?
What future needs of residents do you foresee?
What ideas do you have for residents who want to create multi-generational households?
What ideas do you have for helping residents age in place?
What types of living arrangements might make sense for the 43% of households that are comprised of a single person (and are aging too)?
Should we prioritize commercial agriculture over other uses?
Are there other ideas we should consider?
Bonus Question – How can we retain year-round residents and possibly attract more? (We have lost about 1/3 of our population [approximately 500 residents] since the 1970’s / 1980’s / 1990’s. Or does this matter?
See you at a meeting soon and please bring your ideas! The next planning commission meeting is Thursday, 6/19/25 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.
Bill Mulder
WLHS Position Paper: Harbor Springs: Listening Carefully, Planning Thoughtfully
As Harbor Springs continues its zoning code update, the questions raised by Planning Commission Chair Bill Mulder asked us to imagine how the city should adapt to the future. These are excellent questions regarding housing, land use, and the evolving needs of residents. And we respect the intention behind asking them.
But it’s also fair to ask: Are these all truly our community problems or are the questions broader regional challenges that may need different solutions in different places? For example, infill density has been successful in some communities, but not in all.
We understand the pressures:
· Land is limited and expensive.
· Materials and tradespeople are costly and hard to come by.
· The year-round population declined in Harbor Springs between 2000 and 2010
· Part time residents are staying longer, 2 months is becoming 8-9 months
· Surrounding townships, where land is cheaper, are growing
· The trends of homes sold, and homes built recently, indicate the size and breadth of housing is growing in Harbor Springs.
Harbor Springs has never tried to compete on volume. What we offer Emmet County isn't based on growth or density it’s based on quality: of place, of life, of experience, its uniqueness.
Harbor Springs’ role in the region isn’t to become the housing solution for all. It's to protect and preserve the natural and cultural value that draws people here seasonally, annually and permanently in the first place. It’s a place that breathes with the seasons and thrives precisely because of its scale and rhythm.
We’ve seen it work:
· Our school system, funded at 17 mills, offers regional opportunity.
· We welcome neighboring students and offer tuition options.
· Our downtown remains vibrant because it isn't overwhelmed.
· And our existing zoning already allows for thoughtful, need-based housing through special land use.
So yes, let’s have the conversation. Let’s think creatively about multi-generational living, seniors aging in place, and the needs of single households. Let’s talk about what is already being done traditionally. But let’s also recognize that Harbor Springs may not be best suited to solve these challenges through blanket density changes or aggressive redevelopment. The more we can agree on the goals, the easier it will be to develop creative solutions.
Other Emmet County communities may be positioned to grow in ways that Harbor Springs cannot—or should not. That’s not failure; it’s focus.
We hope everyone continues to participate, and we thank the Planning Commission for opening the door to summertime public ideas.
But let’s stay grounded in what Harbor Springs does best: offering something no other community quite can. Let’s plan not just for the future, but for the right future—for this unique place.
See you at City Hall, June 19, at 5:30 p.m.
Summary
Forward this newsletter to your block, friends, or family. The more voices each district brings, the better the final zoning code will fit all of Harbor Springs.
And be sure to click on COMMENT below, WLHS welcomes all of our readers to write and read thoughtful perspectives.
See you at the podium!
