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HARBOR SPRINGS
Harbor Springs is Beautiful!
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ZONING | WLHS BLOG | DDA | HISTORY
Press | Letters | Surveys | Corrections | RRC
The town of Harbor Springs repealed Zoning Ordinance #439. This gave our town the
right to Decide for ourselves as a community, our future within the city.
WELCOME TO WE LOVE HARBOR SPRINGS
A COMMITMENT TO RESEARCH, STEWARDSHIP, AND STRONG PUBLIC PROCESS
Harbor Springs is shaped by many decisions—large and small—that affect how we live, work, gather, and care for this place over time. Zoning is one part of that picture, but so are parks, trees, open space, public infrastructure, historic resources, and the way our local boards, commissions, and City Council engage with the community. At We Love Harbor Springs, our commitment is to strong research, clearly explained ideas, thoughtful review, and public processes that invite participation and build trust.
You can follow our ongoing work under the NEWS tab, we share research, updates, letters, corrections, press coverage, and analysis related to community decisions and governance.
Community input—through surveys, town halls, public meetings, and individual engagement—has been invaluable. These perspectives help ensure that decisions reflect lived experience and shared values, not just technical compliance.
In February 2025, the City Council chose to step away from the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) certification and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) program. This decision marked an opportunity to reaffirm local priorities and reaffirm the importance of community-driven decision-making.
There are more decisions like that to still be made to Preserve and Protect.
Disclosure & Commitment to Open Dialogue
We Love Harbor Springs is committed to fairness, transparency, and careful research. The information shared on this site is offered in good faith to support informed public discussion. Facts, interpretations, and conclusions presented here are always open to challenge, correction, or clarification. We welcome additional information, differing viewpoints, and evidence-based feedback at any time, recognizing that strong communities are built through accuracy, openness, and respectful dialogue. Contact us at weloveharborsprings@gmail.com with details.
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Our neighbor to the east - Petoskey makes HEADLINES... In the Petoskey paper a small story with BIG obligations - a policy innovator! ... ...Changes to the city’s exterior lighting ordinance were first recommended by the Zoning Ordinance Review Committee and the Planning Commission to meet DarkSky standards and provide property owners with updated and usable metrics. According to agenda materials, the approved amended ordinance will become the first DarkSky-recognized municipal lighting ordinance in the country.
WOW and Congratulations...tell us more!
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We’d like to come back to something simple—but necessary. The engagement of our community is not optional to how Harbor Springs functions well. It is necessary.
We cannot move forward in the healthiest way if the people affected by decisions are not in the room. Or can they by representation ?
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 we do need 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—zoning, downtown development, signage, planning— identify which groups are most affected
and reach out directly.
Use the City’s communication channels to say clearly: “These voices would be valuable in the room for this discussion.”
Build a new simple, consistent practice of early notice and targeted invitation—not just general postings in the paper or at the IGA. And 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”, but to show up early and participate. Or, have the groups you mingle with show up and keep everyone informed.
Recently, there was a “yes” group and “no” group—different sides, different positions. But we 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 any more, but as a whole community. But that only works if the chairs can be filled.
If the different perspectives are present, it won’t be easy. There will be challenges, disagreements and interruptions. That is OK. For more on this, sign-up for our newsletters at wlhs.substack.com/archive
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Response Time A+
Response A+
Two hours after sending in his letter, Thatcher received a reply.
One detail not discussed in ANY of the POSTS, that is so critical...."once something like this is passed at the state level, it is next to impossible to change in the future." John Damoose Our State Senator.
Thank you John for your quick, insightful and forthcoming response and support for keeping local zoning decisions local.
From: John N. Damoose <JDamoose@senate.michigan.gov>
Date: Mon, May 11, 2026 at 12:46 PM
Subject: Re: Keeping it Local
To: triggwall@gmail.com <triggwall@gmail.com>
Cc: Cherryl Khoury <ckhoury@senate.michigan.gov>, The Office of Senator Damoose <SenJDamoose@senate.michigan.gov>, Juliana Woolford <JWoolford@senate.michigan.gov>
Dear Thatcher;
Thank you for reaching out to my office about the push for statewide zoning. This is part of a package of bills that have been introduced in the state House of Representatives. I can tell you, I absolutely, unequivocally oppose those bills. If they end up being brought up for a vote in the Senate, I am planning to vote NO. I support local zoning and will fight against Lansing seizing control of these rights.
There is no question that in our communities, there are severe disagreements when it comes to things like zoning - but that is the key point, they are OUR disagreements. We know our towns like Harbor Springs far better than anyone in another part of the state, and are therefore best equipped to make our own decisions about things like zoning. Importantly, too - if we get our own zoning wrong at the local level, there is a mechanism by which we can work to change such problems. But, once something like this is passed at the state level, it is next to impossible to change in the future.
So, all that to say - I totally agree with you and will oppose these proposed measures vigorously. Please feel free to share my response - I want everyone in our town to know exactly where I stand on this matter.
Thank you again for writing!
- John Damoose
State Senator
Michigan’s 37th District
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