We Love
HARBOR SPRINGS

We Love Harbor Springs

19 hours ago

We’d like to come back to something simple but necessary.

Community engagement is not optional if Harbor Springs is to function well. It is essential.

And when you step back, this is actually very manageable. There are roughly 15 to 25 core community groups in Harbor Springs, representing business and property owners; neighborhood and association groups; conservation and land organizations; nonprofits and service groups; arts and culture; youth and recreation; seasonal residents; and civic organizations.

Each of these groups carries a piece of the community’s voice. We don’t need everyone. But Harbor Springs needs representation. One or two people from each of these groups— and suddenly the room reflects the full community.

So we all could suggest this:

That City Council begins to set the expectation, clearly and consistently, that participation from these groups is part of how we will govern well. Not as a mandate, but as a shared responsibility.

And there are simple ways to do this: When major topics are on the agenda—the three story proposed building, zoning, downtown streetscape development, signage — identify which subjects are most affected by the community group and of interest to you.

Use the City’s communication channels to say clearly: “These voices would be valuable in the room for this upcoming discussion.”

So, over time, create a culture where these groups understand: their role is not just to react later, be surprised or say -”gosh I wish I had known about this earlier, we could have brought you up to date”, but to show up early and participate.

So, have the groups you mingle with show up, volunteer to show up for them and keep everyone informed.

Recently, when the Zoning was on the 2024 November ballot there was a “yes” group and “no” group. Different sides, different positions.

The townspeople are no longer there. The zoning has been replaced and rebuilt. The concerns about past governance—those are now part of our collective history.

Now, we have something new. We have a chance to bring people back into the conversation—not as sides anymore, but as a whole community. But that only works if the chairs can be filled.

. 🤝 Civic & Community

Harbor Springs Area Chamber of Commerce — harborspringschamber.com
Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation — phsacf.org
HARBOR, Inc. (Harbor Area Regional Board of Resources) — harborinc.org
Friendship Center of Harbor Springs — 305 W. Main St., (231) 526-6061
Emmet Association of Realtors
League of Women Voters
We Love Harbor Springs — weloveharborsprings.org

❤️ Nonprofits & Service

Harbor Springs Community Food Pantry
Little Traverse Bay Humane Society — ltbhs.org
Harbor Springs Public Schools / Boosters — harborps.org
Kiwanis International (local chapter)
Rotary International (Little Traverse Bay region)
American Legion Post 281

Historically Harbor Springs had a strong fraternal culture — Masons, Kiwanis, Rotary, Legion, Eagles, Knights of Columbus, yacht and outdoors clubs. Many still active. Let's make them BIG again.

🌿 Conservation & Environment

Little Traverse Conservancy — landtrust.org
Tip of the Mitt Watershed Council — watershedcouncil.org
Little Traverse Bay Protection & Restoration (fund via phsacf.org)
Harbor Springs Garden Club (est. 1976, 100+ members)

🎭 Arts, Culture & History

Key groups shaping identity, history and tourism:
Harbor Springs Area Historical Society — Harborspringshistory.org
Harbor Springs Festival of the Book — hsfotb.org
Harbor Springs Lyric Theatre — lyricharborsprings.org
Harbor Springs District Library
Harbor Springs Educational Foundation
Preservation49740 -- preservation49740.org

🏫 Youth, School & Sports

Often overlooked but very active locally:
Harbor Springs Ram Boosters
4-H Clubs of Emmet County
Harbor Springs Outdoors Club
Harbor Springs Snowmobile Club
Little Traverse Yacht Club
Harbor Springs Ski Club
Bliss Polo Club

💼 Business & Entrepreneurship

These influence downtown direction and youth involvement
Harbor Springs Farmers Market Young Entrepreneur Program
Add your group here!

🏘️ Neighborhood & Seasonal Communities

Harbor Point Association
Wequetonsing Association
Roaring Brook Association
Glenn Drive Association
Birchwood Farms Golf & Country Club POA
Little Harbor Club

🆕 Informal & Emerging

Local church groups, book clubs, seasonal homeowner groups
Related committees and advisory groups

Any links we have missed, place them into the comments and we can add to the list. Thank you! ... See MoreSee Less

We Love Harbor Springs

3 days ago

Sunday thoughts:

Dear residents, developers and all family members,

Harbor Springs has what many places are trying to manufacture: a walkable downtown, a working waterfront, historic homes, human-scale streets, and a setting that feels connected to the lake rather than overwhelmed by development.

The question is not whether Harbor Springs should change. It will. The question is whether change strengthens the things people already value, or slowly replaces them.

What we want: a town that remains beautiful, livable, economically healthy, and recognizable across generations.

What we have: a rare public realm — streets, buildings, views, parks, harbor access, and neighborhood character that together create the feeling of Harbor.

What we can protect: the shape and scale of new buildings, the relationship between private development and public space, the waterfront experience, the historic fabric, and the small-town rhythm that makes people care about this place in the first place.

Good design standards are not about freezing a place in time. They are about making sure growth contributes to the town instead of consuming it.

Some ideas we found:

-Protect the compact place.
One bad facade, garage, roofline, fence, or oversized house affects everyone’s experience.
- Make private buildings serve public space.
This is less about taste alone and more about how buildings shape streets, porches, paths, and view scapes.
- Maintain scarcity/value. The brand and real estate value depend heavily on Harbor Springs continuing to feel like Harbor Springs.
- Avoid the usual cookie cutter drift.
Without thoughtful planning and zoning, downtown can become maximized rental boxes, garages dominate, lots get overbuilt, and the 120 years of the fabric that still exists erodes.

So any controls we add, can and may feel fussy, but they can become basically the operating system of the place.

Developers have this responsibility when they come to town. A sense of pride is a requirement.

The DDA, the developers, the builders, the new and old city staff, the volunteer current and future Planning Commissioners, the City Councils and the community must determine if Harbor Springs is able to be curated now because the community has decided the public-facing design of Harbor Springs is the asset.

Please join us to support the moratorium on three story buildings at Monday nights City Council meeting at 7 pm - quietly and with respect -

As an asset, Harbor Springs must and can be protected with all the tools found in our community tool box.

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