Special Planning Commission Meeting 9.29.2022

Detailed briefing

Special Planning Commission Meeting — September 29, 2022 ATTENDEES: Rick Tarchinsky, Vanessa Warren, Emily DeVay, Bob Thoma, George Peake, Bill Mulder, Al Dyka; Mark Bidet and Barry were absent. • The Planning Commission considered a proposed system to limit short-term rental licenses in single-family residential zones. Staff described a 40-license cap, annual applications, point-based rankings, and proposed fees of $100 for application review plus $750 for applicants awarded licenses. The proposed process would rank applications before licenses are issued. • Staff said the scorecard was revised after legal review: instead of awarding points based on where the owner lives, it would score the distance between the property and its local agent. Staff described proposed point levels for agents located in Harbor Springs, elsewhere in Emmet County, elsewhere in Michigan, or out of state. • Commissioners and residents raised concerns about rental concentration in particular neighborhoods, enforcement against unlicensed rentals, adequate penalties, the effect of management companies applying for multiple properties, and whether screening requirements could create unwanted fences or barriers. Staff said it does not currently have the software or staffing to administer a proximity-based density system. • The commission agreed to replace the scorecard’s screening factor with some form of neighbor-support or recommendation criterion. Staff will define the details, including who counts as a neighbor and how support would be measured. Staff said verified complaints already serve as a measure of past performance. • By roll-call vote, the commission approved sending the amended STR recommendation to City Council. The recorded vote was five yes and two no. The recommendation uses a 40-license limit; City Council may alter the number, fees, scorecard, or other details. • On guest quarters/accessory dwelling units, the commission did not advance a broader proposed rewrite of zoning definitions. Instead, it voted 6-0 to have staff draft a narrower possible amendment allowing long-term rentals in guest quarters while keeping the special-land-use approval process and continuing to prohibit short-term rentals in guest quarters. Staff and commissioners flagged a need to prevent unintended changes that could allow owners to live in guest quarters while short-term renting the main house. Worth watching: • City Council’s response to the 40-license STR recommendation, including fees, fines, and enforcement tools. • Staff’s definition of neighbor support for the STR scorecard. • Whether draft guest-quarter language closes the identified principal-house/guest-quarter rental loophole. Upcoming: Staff anticipated draft guest-quarter language could be available for the Oct. 20 Planning Commission meeting; a public hearing was discussed as a possible Nov. 17 step. Why it matters: The actions could shape how many residential STRs operate in Harbor Springs and whether guest quarters can add long-term housing options.

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