WHY? The Orignal Plan was to Approve Zoning in Fall of 2024
Our leaders once cared about preserving Harbor Springs
The Brief
We are holding a webinar on Saturday, Oct 26 10:30AM to discuss the findings from our FOIA of city communications: Register Now
The Orignal plan from April 2023 was to approve the zoning after October 2024.
We have no idea why the City decided to accelerate the zoning update.
The City Council and City Manager restrained our rights as property owners and voters to have an orderly zoning update process. Counter to the recommendations of the consultants they hired.
It was not always this way. Faced with the same pressure to develop in 1960, our City Leaders established the Little Traverse Conservancy to Preserve and Protect Harbor Springs.
Your influence matters: Vote Yes. While you are at it, vote for Tom Graham and Wendy Reeve to Preserve and Protect Harbor Springs.
Forward this email to other voters. Comment on this issue on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/wlhs.org. Your influence sends a message.
The Details
The original zoning update plan from April 2023 called for Harbor Springs Zoning Approval in Oct 2024, not May 2024.
WLHS filed a FOIA to understand the decisions on the Zoning update.
Reviewing the FOIA PDFs, we discovered the following….
Beckett and Raeder was hired to draft the new zoning in April 2023. They proceeded in a stepwise manner, issuing the first zoning draft in February 2024. Then, the plan was to hold a series of public meetings with the goal to approve zoning updates no sooner than October 2024. After incorporating public input.
All the contracts discussed in email trails support the October 2024 approval schedule.
The schedule B&R laid out is exactly what we WLHS, also asked for starting in February 2024. We were unaware of the B&R schedule.
Somehow, in the February 2024 time frame, out of the view of the email FOIA, disregarding sunshine laws, the City Council and/or City Manager decided they had their agenda. Pushing to approve in April 2024. Going against the recommendations of the consultants. Ignoring the public. With no explanation.
We are asked to trust our neighbors?
The City Manager, Planning Commission, and City Council are accountable for explaining what was so pressing they had to go against the original plan. The reason for the change does not appear in any emails, Planning Commission meetings, or City Council. It was done outside of public view.
Why?
Who is in charge?
Why reject the option to engage the people who own the property?
There is more to the story. We are hosting a webinar Saturday, Oct 26, 2024 10:30 AM Eastern Time to reveal more from the Email FOIA. Register for Webinar
Will We Preserve and Protect?
As we try to Preserve and Protect Harbor Springs, we want to be clear-eyed about the importance of following in the footsteps of men and women before us. This is not the same campaign as in the early 1960’s to form the Little Traverse Conservancy, but it feels like it.
All these years later, we can recognize why Harbor Springs looks so different than other towns. Why it feels so different. The lands were protected by an organization that grew to become one of the most important and successful land conservancies in the United States.
Before us, now today are two roads. One road is being guided by committees and commissions and councils that are made up of a good number of outsiders – meaning people who did not grow up here, raise kids here, have families visit here – generation after generation. The other road is us – we want to stop the new zoning code, all sit down together and work and build a new zoning code that reflects the wishes of every single property owner, voter and resident. Every person heard, every idea reviewed, and using the experience of the urban planners, the commissions, councils, and committees and build a new 2025 Zoning Code. This work will give the City a chance to decide if RRC / MEDC involvement is necessary and wanted. The community can then decide this. Time is our friend. Thank you for Listening! Tune in on Saturday at 10:30 AM EST.
