City shares official wording for ballot item

Karly Graham

The Petoskey News-Review | USA TODAY NETWORK

HARBOR SPRINGS — The City of Harbor Springs recently shared the formal language of a ballot item for the Nov. 5 election that asks voters whether or not to repeal the previously approved zoning code.

The language on the ballot will read: “Shall Ordinance No. 439 be repealed, the title of which is: An ordinance to amend, revise and restate Chapter 50 of Title V of the Code of the City of Harbor Springs, by adopting a revised Zoning Code of the City of Harbor Springs, excepting only Section 50.303(11) of the existing Zoning Code, and to amend Section 50.303(11)(c)(ii) thereof; and to amend, revise and restate Section 79A.105(1) of Chapter 79A of Title VII of the City Code of the City of Harbor Springs, and to amend, revise and restate Sections 60.402 and 60.403 of Article 4 of Chapter 60 of Title VI of the City Code of the City of Harbor Springs. Shall this Ordinance be repealed?”

This means people in favor of the zoning code as it was passed last May would vote no, and people who would like to see the new code adjusted would vote yes.

Issues with the zoning code have been in discussion for more than two years between the planning commission and city council. In February, many Harbor Springs residents became aware of the discussion and raised issues with the code and procedures regarding its update.

After the council passed the zoning code as the planning commission recommended, with minor adjustments, a group of citizens collected signatures to get a referendum on the ballot. While enough signatures were collected, the petition was not properly addressed as the City Charter requires, so the council denied the referendum at their Aug. 5 meeting.

Despite the denial, the council decided to put the issue on the November ballot anyways, allowing Harbor Springs voters to determine whether or not they’d like to see the zoning code stand as it is currently approved.

During the meeting, council member Michael Behrmann spoke in support of the zoning code. However, due to the large number of signatures collected, he also supported the idea of putting the issue to a vote, saying, “348 voters signed a petition with the intent of repealing the zoning code. We live in a democracy, and as much as this pains me to put this on the ballot, I think it’s the right decision.”

The council approved putting the issue on the ballot with a 4-1 vote, with Nancy Rondel voting no.

For now, the zoning code — which includes a reduction from 17 zoning districts to nine, adjusted minimum lot sizes, shoreline protection inclusions, and more — will remain in effect.

For more information on the zoning code, visit cityofharborsprings.com.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN.