Planning Commission Regular Meeting

Detailed briefing

PLANNING COMMISSION — FEBRUARY 15, 2024 ATTENDEES: Planning commissioners, city staff, a contract planning consultant, and members of the public participating in person and through Zoom. • The commission approved the January 18 regular-meeting minutes and the February 8 public-hearing minutes without recorded opposition. • Commissioners presented a proposed zoning-code rewrite intended to align with the city master plan, modernize the code, and reduce 17 zoning districts to nine. The proposal would consolidate most residential areas into a residential-neighborhood district while retaining separate waterfront, business, manufacturing, community, and other districts. • Proposed residential changes included accessory dwelling units, duplexes, triplexes by special land use, flag lots, smaller minimum lot and house sizes, and limited chicken keeping. The presentation said accessory dwellings could not be used as short-term rentals. Staff said accessory buildings would remain subject to size, placement, architectural, building-code, and overall lot-coverage requirements. • Accessory commercial units drew substantial opposition. Proposed uses included certain professional services, tutoring, art or music lessons, a coffee shop, yoga, barber services, and alterations. Speakers raised concerns about parking, competition with downtown businesses, neighborhood character, enforcement, and property values. Staff said every accessory commercial unit would require special-land-use review by the full Planning Commission, including consideration of traffic and parking impacts. • Agricultural property owners continued to question replacing the existing agricultural-residential district with a residential district and agricultural overlay. The proposed overlay would allow farming-related uses, including market gardening, greenhouses, nurseries, orchards, vineyards, and beekeeping, without expiring when property changes ownership. One speaker argued that retaining the existing agricultural district would provide greater certainty and avoid potential conflict with Michigan’s Right to Farm Act. • Several residents opposed allowing chickens, citing wildlife, noise, sanitation, and enforcement concerns. Others suggested that, if chickens remain in the proposal, neighbor approval and clearer permit and containment rules should be considered. No decision on chickens was made. • The commission did not vote to advance the zoning rewrite. Members said they needed to consider the public comments and refine the proposal. They approved a special meeting for February 22 at 5:30 p.m.; one commissioner voted against holding it on that date because she expected to be unavailable. Worth watching: 1. Whether accessory commercial units and chicken provisions remain in the next draft. 2. Whether the existing agricultural district is retained or replaced by the proposed overlay. 3. How parking, lot density, administrative review, and neighborhood notification are addressed before any recommendation reaches City Council. Upcoming: Special Planning Commission meeting, February 22, 2024, at 5:30 p.m.; any March presentation to City Council remains tentative. Why it matters: The rewrite could change allowable housing, businesses, lot configurations, and review procedures across much of Harbor Springs.

Agenda items

• 5A · Public Hearing — Zoning Code Updatediscussed

No open public follow-ups are linked to this meeting yet.

Related issues

• Short-Term Rentalsdiscussed
• Zoning / Land Usediscussed