May 20, 2021 Planning Commission

Detailed briefing

Harbor Springs Planning Commission — May 20, 2021 ATTENDEES: Beth Rahalie, Mary Katherine Hanna, Emily Dubay, Bill Mulder and Andrew Bowman were present at roll call; Al Daika later joined remotely. Jack Deegan, George Peete, Mark Pade and Al Daika were initially listed absent. • The commission approved the May 6 meeting minutes. It initially could not act on the 117 W. Main special-land-use request because only five members were present and that type of approval required six affirmative votes. The item was held until later in the meeting, after an additional member joined remotely. • The commission approved a site-plan amendment for the Take Two Condos development at 285 E. Bay St., covering proposed air-conditioning equipment and a backup generator. The recorded roll call was five yes and one no. The proposal included a privacy fence and landscape screening; the applicant said the generator’s weekly test cycle would run about five minutes. • Public discussion of the Take Two request centered on noise, setbacks and generator placement. One nearby property owner opposed the proposed generator location, citing possible nuisance and safety concerns, and suggested locating it between the buildings. The applicant said that location was possible but that the requested location was selected partly for noise considerations and would be screened by a fence. • Staff explained that the city code treats building-connected mechanical equipment as structures subject to setbacks. Staff also said neither the zoning ordinance nor the planned-development agreement provides a process for distinguishing “minor” from “major” changes to a planned development. The commission said this should be addressed during later zoning-code work following the master plan. • The commission unanimously approved a special land use for a specialty restaurant at 117 W. Main St. The applicant described a soup, deli and panini operation with indoor seating, while relocating the ice-cream business to the adjacent unit. The applicant said there would be no full kitchen or fryers and that a separate outdoor-seating permit may be sought. • Members agreed to form a four-member study group, with staff assistance, to develop a proposal for public input on master-plan issues, especially housing. Staff will coordinate a meeting time. Worth watching: • Whether the city develops a clear ordinance process for minor versus major planned-development amendments. • The master-plan study group’s proposal for community engagement on housing and other land-use issues. • Staff’s planned broader review of sign regulations after legal concerns about content-neutral rules. Upcoming: The next master-plan meeting is June 3; Yarrow is expected to attend. Why it matters: The decisions allow two downtown-area business and residential projects to proceed while exposing policy gaps the city expects to address in its upcoming planning and zoning work.

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