RRC History & Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Grants Projects: Up North 2019 – 2024
The Enrolment of Harbor Springs in the RRC
During the Master Plan process, January 2020
Jeff Grimm asked each planning commission member to complete a RRC questionnaire; And discussed how the MP and the RRC would be involved; this was also mentioned on May 6/May 20 2019 CC meeting – How the RRC would be used with Master Plan inputs
Planning Commission Meet January 2020
Master Plan Discussion
Jeff Grimm reminded the Planning Commissioners the process for updating the expired City Master Plan (expired 2019) and needs to be discussed. Discussion by all to include the below bullet points:
• 2013-2014 Master Plan was reformatted/Goals Objective Redefined
• Line by line modus of operandi
• Timeline
• Legal Requirements
• Scoring System Matrix
• Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) Standard(s)
• Future Redevelopment Land Use Standards/Implementation
• Area Housing Use Changes
• Professional Assistance/Staff Involvement
• PC Membership Commitment
• Surveys/Public Input/Business Input
• PC Bylaws Influences
• Zoning Code Compatibility
If anyone was involved in city governance, any time between 2019-2024, each person would have seen, read and understood the RRC process, a part of city governance since May 20, 2019.
RRC @ HS Master Plan (Baseline Report) former City of Harbor Springs language.
The 2014 master plan includes a future land use section and a robust zoning plan. The last update to the zoning ordinance was completed in 2019. To fully address this best practice, the updated master plan should include detailed zoning recommendations or a table tying future land use
categories to existing zoning districts, something that is notably missing in the current version.
RRC @ HS Housing in zoning (Baseline Report) their language
Having an ordinance which clearly allows for diverse housing types creates unique neighborhoods, provides lifestyle options for residents of all ages and income levels, helps attract talent, and provides flexibility for meeting market demand. Diverse housing refers to a range of multi-unit or clustered housing types with a range in affordability, are compatible in scale with single family homes, and help meet the growing demand for walkable urban living. Communities who incorporate housing diversity into their zoning ordinances will be more competitive in attracting business development deals and the residents who come with them. This criterion looks to see that the ordinance clearly allows at least three types of diverse housing by-right.
RRC recommends that the City of Harbor Springs currently allows for townhouses and mixed-use building and there should be at least one additional housing use permitted by-right in the city to meet this expectation, examples include: triplexes, accessory dwelling units, and tiny houses.
LINKS for research.
https://www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp- content/uploads/2022/10/RRC_Harbor_Springs_Final_2022.pdf
Victor slide show with dates of RRC changes to HS
‘RRC has changed HS government in Harbor Springs HOW 2019-2024’
https://www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Final-RRC-Overview- Presentation-3.4.2024.pdf
RRC in HS ‘city’ committee no minutes
MEDC Revitalization Projects PDF for sharing
Here is the research: Let the voters decide.
WLHS asks:
Does our community need or want a zoning reform if its result is State mandated property development?
Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Michigan Community Revitalization Program, Brownfield Program, and Community Block Grants Projects: Up North 2019 – 2024
WLHS observes:
Harbor Springs already has access to community donations and a healthy tax base that more than serves our community’s needs, our community projects, and our steady need-based development.
WLHS asks:
(Visual here of The Lyric, of The Boardwalk, of the Skatepark)
Harbor Springs as a community has excelled imagining, creating, and funding projects, without MEDC/MSF (Michigan Economic Development Corporation/Michigan Strategic Fund) money and without RRC (Redevelopment Ready Community) mandated zoning reforms; why does our community need zoning reform that makes way for RRC certification (per zoning grant contract stipulations) and mandated development (Best Practice 6, forcing 3 sites for development on mi.place) while offering in exchange MEDC grant opportunities?
Sign the community led referendum before July 28, 2024 to decide on November’s ballot.
Development – Density – Decide
The MEDC is a public/private sector corporation that guides grant funding through the MSF’s publicly and privately funded fund.
The RRC is the MEDC’s community outreach and certification program to assist communities, through increased public participation, relaxation and streamlining of zoning regulations, and assistance defining marketing areas of property development, (called best practices).
The RRC/MEDC program is a means to encourage community economic development through providing access to grants pre and post certification.
The RRC/MEDC requires annual reporting and continued community redevelopment in order to maintain certification and scores to grants.
Examples of RRC/MEDC/MSF projects in Petoskey, Boyne City, Cheboygan, Rogers City, Mackinaw City and Alpena:
Petoskey
(RRC certified 2018)
1)Maple Block Flats
Revitalization Program
$50M projected costs
MEDC: $2M April 16, 2024
Brownfield Award TIF
Total Award:$8.5M April 16, 2024
From MEDC: $3.6M April 16, 2024
2)Lumber Square Lofts
Revitalization Award
$16M projected costs
MEDC: $3M July 7, 2023
Brownfield Award TIF
Total: $3.5M June 27, 2023
From MEDC: $1.5M June 27, 2023
3)Howard Property Planners
$2M projected costs
MEDC $1.5 February 28, 2023
4) Rent Rehabilitation
Community Development Block Grant
MEDC: $500,000
Private investment: $1.5M
Total grants and TIF: $20M
All of this above is $ for Petoskey
WLHS asks:
Has the investment yielded the community a better quality of life?
Alpena
(RRC certified – early adopter)
1)Thunder Bay Theater
MEDC: $725,000 November 30, 2023
2)Thunder Bay Properties
$810,000 projected costs
MEDC: $450,000 September 28, 2020
3) Canute Properties
$870,000 projected costs
MEDC: $620,000 April 19, 2019
4) Facilities
Community Development Block Grant
MEDC/MSF: $1M September 26, 2023
Total: $3M
Here is a video from Alpena – https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=LYUzep4pVCY
All of this above is for $ for Alpena
Rogers City
(RRC certified 2021)
1)Huron State Bank
$800,000 projected costs
MEDC: $580,000 August 17, 2023
Brownfield Award TIF
MEDC: $100,000 August 17, 2023
Private Sector MSF $60,000 August 17, 2023
Total: $800,000
All of this above is for $ for Rogers City
Cheboygan
(RRC certified 2018)
1)409 Main St
$560,000 projected costs
MEDC: $435,000 December 20, 2020
2) WB Vacation Properties
$1.5 projected costs
MEDC: $500,000 July 29, 2019
3)Cheboygan Mainstreet LLC
$490,000 projected costs
MEDC: $420,000 May 13, 2019
Total: $1.5M
All of this above is $ for Chebogan
Boyne City
(RRC certified 2015)
1)City of Boyne City
$410,000 projected cost
MEDC: $410,00 April 29, 2019
WLHS noted:
2 other housing projects in downtown have not yet received community support
Mackinaw City
(RRC certified)
1)Public Facilities
Community Development Block Grant
MEDC/MSF $800,000 September 26, 2023
All of this above is $ for Mackinaw City
WLHS noted:
Communities up north do recognize the value in historic preservation.
Alpena; example of a well-executed RRC/MEDC/Historic Preservation and Public participation partnership:
https://michigandowntowns.com/news_manager.php?page=27509
References