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HARBOR SPRINGS
Harbor Springs is Beautiful!
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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The town of Harbor Springs repealed Zoning Ordinance #439.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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We ❤️ Michigan ! Thank you MFGAs the world tunes in to watch the Winter Olympics, we would just like to formally state that if the Games are ever hosted in Michigan, the official committee is going to have to make a few adjustments.
Sure, you can keep your skiing and figure skating. That is fine. But if the Olympics come here, we are adding the events that actually prepare you for life in this state.
First up, Pothole Speed Skating.
Forget smooth ice. Try navigating a stretch of Michigan pavement in February. Athletes must dodge, jump, and whisper a quick prayer for their suspension system. Extra points for clearing a crater without spilling your coffee.
Next, the Meijer Cart Biathlon.
Push. Slide. Miss the curb.
Contestants sprint across a snow covered parking lot while wrestling a shopping cart that has one wheel permanently locked in defiance. Bonus points if you make it to your car without wiping out or launching your groceries into the tundra.
Then we have Ice Fishing Endurance Sit.
No movement. No complaining. Just you, a bucket, and a hole in the ice while the wind tries to remove your soul from your body. First athlete to admit they cannot feel their toes is out. This is a battle of pride more than skill.
And of course, Snowbank High Jump.
Clearing the plow pile since 1987.
Competitors must scale the majestic mountain left behind by the city plow in a Target parking lot. Style points for dramatic leaps. Automatic disqualification if you lose a boot.
If the Winter Olympics ever land in Michigan, the world is going to learn very quickly that we have been in training our entire lives. No fancy facilities required. Just lake effect snow, questionable road conditions, and an unshakable belief that 35 degrees counts as spring.
Honestly, we would sweep the medal count. We were built for this.
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Along with the work ahead for 2026 Harbor Springs committees and boards - the remaining zoning subjects left to review that have been flagged for more discussion by the Planning Commissioners are Planned Development (pd’s/pud’s); Heights; Administrative Review Committee (ARC) and a further discussion to understand about parking in the Commercial Business Zone -
We asked Planning Consultant Lynee Wells from Aligned Planning to present a memo on PD’s - you can read more context posted on the website weloveharborsprings.org The next Planning Commissioners meeting is Thursday the 19th, please attend or zoom in if able.
We respect what other towns do. But Harbor Springs is smaller, older, and more constrained. Our code should be tighter, clearer, and less negotiable—because our character is our economy and our home.
Our job is to safeguard what has taken more than 100 years to establish: human scale, neighborhood fit, walkability, views, and the quiet character that makes this place work for residents and visitors alike.
A “Preserve & Protect” zoning code doesn’t stop investment—it simply makes expectations clear, reduces surprises, and ensures that any flexibility is earned through a truly public process and measurable standards.
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Wanting to find the best way to encourage your participation in City of Harbor Springs meetings, committees and financial support. Here is a list of projects, in various stages - these plans available on the City of Harbor Springs website. PLEASE, become involved.
In a small town, governance is personal. Relationships overlap, histories are shared, and many public decisions come with layers of community context. That reality doesn’t make ethical standards less important—it makes consistency and transparency even more essential.
As our community continues to navigate complex issues, including matters that remain unresolved or under review, it’s reasonable for residents to pause and reflect on an important question: Who gets to decide the future of Harbor Springs—and how?
Almost every issue we have covered flows from that single fault line.
Why this is the core question
We are not fundamentally arguing about growth vs. no growth or old vs. new buildings. We are consistently asking:
Are decisions being made transparently, or administratively?
Are standards clear and enforceable, or flexible and discretionary?
Is public process real, or procedural?
Is community character protected by rules, or negotiated project by project?
Does participation shape outcomes—or just accompany them?
It's time to become involved. It takes all of us.
Current and Upcoming City Projects Designs and Plans
Little Traverse Wheelway Extension Design (Harbor Way) PARKS & REC www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Harbor-Springs_Tunnel-Render_04.12.24.pdf
Shay Park Master Plan 10.28.2024 PARKS & REC www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Shay-Park-Master-Plan-10.28.24.pdf
State Street & E. Bluff Drive Infrastructure Project - PARKS & REC www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/State-St-Oct-21.pdf
Harbormaster Building Renovations HARBOR COMMISSION www.cityofharborsprings.com/harbormaster-building-project-invitation-to-bid/
Kiwanis Building Project Preliminary Designs PARKS & REC www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/merged.pdf
Survey from 2022 for the 5 year Plan - 2027 www.cityofharborsprings.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Parks-Master-Plan-Survey-Results-July-2022...
Ask - have these comments been followed up on ? Which ones, and can we discuss before moving forward with any plans?
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