Planning Commission Special Meeting 2.3.2022

Detailed briefing

Planning Commission Special Meeting — February 3, 2022 ATTENDEES: Rick Tarchinsky, Vanessa Warren, Emily Dubay, George Peete, Bill Mulder, Al Denka and Max Bassett were recorded present; Bob Toma and Mark Boudet were absent. Andrew Bowman’s resignation was announced. • The commission approved its previous meeting minutes and elected Bill Mulder as chair. No opposition was recorded. Members decided to wait to select a vice chair so absent members—and potentially a new appointee—could be included in that decision. • Commissioners adopted a regular meeting schedule on the third Thursday of each month. They also reviewed the bylaws without proposing changes. The discussion emphasized attendance rules: a member may be subject to removal after missing one-third of meetings in a year or three consecutive regular meetings, with excused absences handled through the stated process. • Andrew Bowman’s resignation leaves a Planning Commission vacancy. The discussion stated that the open position may be filled by a city resident or, under state-law allowances described at the meeting, an eligible resident of West Traverse or Little Traverse township. Members were encouraged to identify interested candidates. • The commission set a broad 2022 work program. Priorities include completing the master-plan process, reviewing the zoning code afterward, and considering short-term rentals, guest quarters, signage, lot sizes, setbacks, multifamily housing, density and pocket-neighborhood concepts. Members also discussed proactively examining the Agricultural Residential zoning of the Carpenter/Bluff Gardens-area property. • A master-plan public hearing is scheduled for March 17, during the commission’s regular meeting. Staff said public comments are being solicited, including from surrounding municipalities and other entities. Following the hearing, the plan can move to City Council. • The next meeting is expected to include a larger-scale property-split site-plan review. Members also proposed discussing short-term rentals and beginning review of a master-plan goal or action step. Staff said City Council would consider nuisance-enforcement changes to the short-term-rental ordinance on Monday, while broader questions such as limits may later come to the commission. • Staff announced that planner Larry had resigned and would taper out after master-plan approval; the city will seek a replacement. A commissioner volunteered to participate in Redevelopment Ready Community meetings, held at 10 a.m. on the second Friday of each month. Worth watching: • Whether City Council formally asks the commission to evaluate limits or other major policy issues for short-term rentals. • The March 17 master-plan hearing, public comments, and City Council’s subsequent action. • Recruitment for both the vacant commission seat and a replacement planner. Upcoming: March 17 master-plan public hearing; the next commission meeting is expected to address a property split, short-term rentals and master-plan implementation. Why it matters: The commission’s 2022 agenda could shape housing form, development rules, signage and short-term-rental policy in Harbor Springs.

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