WLHS: 39 Days to the Election
Is economic development the next big change for little Harbor Springs?
The Brief
Eyes on Harbor Springs: Governor Tim Walz is in town to practice for the VP Debate. Pete Buttigieg is playing the role of JD Vance.
Voting has started: VoteYes on 439 to force City Hall to listen to the Citizens and get the zoning right. Tom Graham (For Mayor) and Wendy Reeve (for City Council) are leaders willing to listen to voters. They like Harbor Springs as it is, and are committed to adapt carefully as the world changes.
Book Fair: We will be on the waterfront by the Marina on Saturday, get your yard sign to let City Hall know you want to be heard.
Door to Door: To help undecided voters understand the zoning change, the citizen-led referendum is working with an experienced political canvaser to help go door to door.
O. W. Root, a local essayist, wrote an amazing article on the Harbor Springs Zoning The Cultural Steamroller Heads for Harbor Springs (Link) and an excerpt…..
The story encapsulates our era. Global monoculture vs. local tradition. The urge to make every place interchangeable and the same, because it’s better for the bottom line if we can make every place the same. Easier to market. Easier to develop. Easier to change. The steamroller rolls over our traditions, our language, our homes, our myths, our art, our everything. Today, at every level, we are all up against a cultural steamroller.
This Weeks Essay
Stop the Nonsense: Harbor Springs Needs New Leadership
The city is at it again! Just like with the controversial zoning code changes, they’re now setting their sights on reshaping the town’s economy. To meet the requirements for Harbor Springs to achieve its Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) certification, the city has developed an Economic Development Strategy. You really should read the full plan here…. (And add your comments below we want to know)
In recent months, the city’s RRC Committee has been meeting to discuss this strategy, which outlines a vision for the local economy. However, the plan proposes significant changes that demand serious community input. Much like the zoning updates, this plan is on track to be pushed through City Council before residents have a real chance to weigh in—decisions that will directly impact our families, our community, and the unique character of Harbor Springs.
So, what is this nonsense?
The plan proposes drastic changes to shape the town’s economy, but the scope feels more suited to a large urban center than a 1.5 square-mile resort town like Harbor Springs. It offers broad, one-size-fits-all solutions that don’t align with the unique character or needs of a small community.
Many of the proposals address factors beyond the city's control. Take the past four years as an example—while the city was working on a draft zoning update, we faced a global pandemic and a massive shift to remote work. The economy moves at lightning speed compared to the slow pace of city planning. By the time these plans are implemented, the landscape could be completely different.
Economic development rarely succeeds with such a broad and sweeping approach. When it does work, it’s typically through a focused, strategic effort—like concentrating on attracting a specific type of business that complements the town’s existing strengths. Trying to implement a wide-ranging plan for growth in multiple areas often spreads resources too thin and overlooks the unique needs of the community. A singular focus allows for targeted investment and measurable progress, which is far more likely to yield tangible results than a broad, one-size-fits-all towns strategy proposed in the plan.
Time for New Leadership
Like the zoning, this is a communication issue due to lack of leadership. The city appears to be operating under the false assumption that inviting people to attend these obscure committee meetings is enough to claim public involvement. The RRC Committee holds its meetings during the mornings, when most residents are at work and can’t attend. Unlike the Planning Commission or Parks and Recreation Board, this committee reports directly to the City Manager, which means it’s not required to record its meetings, provide minutes, or even add the second Harbor Springs resident to the committee. Yet, they continue making significant decisions that impact the character of Harbor Springs as it barrels toward RRC certification.
This lack of transparency raises an urgent question: Who, exactly, is shaping our future? Why are decisions about the growth of our city being made by a select few, operating behind closed doors? Economic development in Harbor Springs should be a community-wide effort, not something decided by insiders or the rare few who can attend these morning meetings. Residents deserve more than the occasional 3-minute comment slot at City Council meetings, which members ignore, don’t answer, or brush aside.
We need new leadership. If the current leadership continues, the city will keep wasting resources on unnecessary projects that stir up controversy simply because they were done without broad public input. The city can’t keep using its time and taxpayer dollars on efforts that the residents neither ask for nor support.
It’s time to stop the nonsense. It’s time for new leadership that listens to its residents and respects the character of Harbor Springs.
Additional Thoughts on the Plan:
The Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) Process: The RRC initiative is designed to make communities like Harbor Springs more attractive to investment by improving transparency and readiness for development. While this sounds promising, the process has sparked controversy. The mayor has mentioned that the RRC process could be stopped, yet it continues despite many residents expressing disapproval. What will it take for the city to actually halt the process?
Population Growth and Demographics: One of the strategy’s goals is to lower the city's median age from 62 to align more closely with the state median of 40. Assuming a normal distribution, the city would need to add about 925 people under the age of 40 to achieve this. But is this realistic for a city with a population of 1,200, many of whom are retirees? Does the city have enough housing, jobs, and a suitable infrastructure to support an additional 900 people? Perhaps with a green light from the new zoning we can double our size of young people and housing.
Missing Amenities: The draft of the Economic Development Strategy highlights several things that Harbor Springs is “missing” or “underrepresented” compared to typical cities. How many of these actually fit the character of our town? The city is 1.5 square-miles so does it need a public transportation system? Does the town really need a trolly system from uptown to downtown? Does the city really need a tattoo parlor or a piercing shop as suggested in the plan? Additionally, not everything has to be within Harbor Springs. Petoskey is only a short drive away, and has doctor’s offices, a hospital, and other services we don’t need to duplicate. The suggestions in this plan feel completely out of touch with the reality of our community. Harbor Springs is a small, resort town—not a bustling urban center. The push to tick off boxes from some cookie-cutter list of city amenities makes no sense.
City-Wide Public Wi-Fi: The strategy suggests providing city-wide public Wi-Fi as a way to improve connectivity and attract residents and visitors. But at what cost? The draft offers no details on the financial implications of installing and maintaining such infrastructure. Would this improve life for the year-round residents, or is this another service designed to cater to tourists at the expense of the local taxpayer? By the time it gets deployed, we will be on 6G with Starlink.
Inaccurate data: The population data in the plan is not correct. The number listed reflects only the number of registered voters, not the full population. There are also non-voters, such as full-time residents who aren’t registered, non-citizens, and children. Harbor Springs is a town where 62% of the population are part-time residents, many of whom spend more than six months a year here. All of these groups contribute to the local economy and will continue to do so, meaning they effectively influence the town’s median population numbers as well.
The further involvement of the RRC and the Economic Development Strategy will be key topics of discussion at upcoming Planning Commission and City Council meetings. We encourage you to attend these meetings or tune in via Zoom to stay informed and engaged.