Planning Commission Regular Meeting

Detailed briefing

PLANNING COMMISSION — JUNE 20, 2024 • The commission approved the April 18 meeting minutes and amended its agenda to consider the restored Shay locomotive proposed for Shay Park. The locomotive was described as a 1907 model based on Ephraim Shay’s design, currently being refurbished. It would be displayed on repaired tracks, with a concrete walk-around area and no fence currently planned. • By roll-call approval, the commission recommended the locomotive project to City Council. Commissioners also recommended a broader plan for Shay Park that considers sidewalks or paths, accessibility, green space, and how the park’s historical features connect. They asked that the future protective pavilion’s height, size, roof form, and viewing angles be considered carefully. The Historical Society said it hopes to add the pavilion within two years, subject to funding and design work. • Commissioners began reviewing downtown sign rules. Staff is proposing to move sign regulations out of the zoning code and into the city code. Discussion centered on how much of a storefront window may be covered by signs, whether real estate listings count as signs, transparency into businesses, outdoor displays, and consistent enforcement. No percentage or final rule was adopted. • Staff said sign standards cannot vary according to a sign’s content or the type of business. The current draft uses 15% window coverage as a placeholder. Commissioners requested feedback from the DDA and downtown businesses before making recommendations. A future walking review of downtown signs, displays, bike racks, trash cans, and pedestrian clearance was also discussed. • The commission agreed that Harbor Springs should continue limiting and regulating short-term rentals. Questions remain about licenses in the former R2 zoning districts, which were absorbed into the broader residential-neighborhood district. Staff reported an approximately 15-property waiting list but did not have the number of affected former-R2 licenses available. • A public hearing on short-term rentals was scheduled for August 15. Staff will prepare updated information, including the number and locations of licenses. The Watershed Council suggested considering septic inspections for licensed rentals that are not connected to municipal sewer. No change to the current license cap or regulations was adopted at this meeting. • A coastal resiliency briefing warned that high lake levels, stronger storms, groundwater, inland drainage, and shoreline armoring could threaten properties and infrastructure. Commissioners discussed possible property-owner education, redevelopment rules, infrastructure planning, and review of the county’s updated hazard mitigation plan. Worth watching: 1. City Council’s decision on the Shay locomotive and future responsibility for maintenance. 2. The short-term-rental map, former-R2 license count, and policy options before the August hearing. 3. Whether shoreline and flooding risks lead to new redevelopment or stabilization standards. Upcoming: A special City Council meeting on the locomotive was announced for 10 a.m. the following day; the short-term-rental public hearing is August 15. Why it matters: The meeting connected immediate land-use decisions with long-term questions about neighborhood housing, downtown character, public-space planning, and climate-related risks.

Agenda items

• 2 · Approval of Minutesdiscussed
• 5A · Placement of Shay Locomotive in Shay Parkdiscussed
• 5B · Discussion — Signage Ordinancediscussed
• 5C · Discussion — Short-Term Rentalsdiscussed
• 5D · Coastal Resiliency Briefingdiscussed

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

Related issues

• Zoning / Land Usediscussed
• Short-Term Rentalsdiscussed