Zoning Board of Appeals Meeting — 2026-01-14

Detailed briefing

Zoning Board of Appeals — January 14, 2026 title date; supplied metadata lists January 13 ATTENDEES: Sue Stewart, John Leo and Chip Everest were present. Other members attended, including one by Zoom, but several names are inconsistent in the transcript. • The board elected a chair for the year. Every recorded roll-call response was affirmative, and the motion was declared passed. The nominee’s name is not clear enough in the transcript to report. • A motion was made and seconded to approve the November 12 meeting minutes. The transcript records an affirmative response to the all-in-favor call but does not include a clear declaration of the final result. • Members voted to retain the board’s established 2026 schedule: regular meetings on the second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Applications are due at noon on the corresponding day in the preceding month. • The annual bylaw review produced no changes. The board was told that no updates had been recommended in response to changes in the zoning enabling law. Members also said subcommittees have not been used and do not fit the board’s case-by-case work. No action was taken, although the bylaws can be revisited later. • No applications had been received for February, making a February meeting unlikely. Members were asked to keep March 11 available because a request is expected by the February deadline, though it had not yet been filed. • The possible March case concerns an existing downtown home whose side-yard setback does not conform. The owner wants a rear addition aligned with the existing house. If an application is received, notice will be published and sent to members, and plans will be available for review. • Members discussed the new zoning code’s likely effect on caseload. Changes addressing front-yard setbacks and porches are expected to reduce those variance requests. Future applications should still be tested carefully against practical-difficulty standards, particularly because many local buildings and lots predate zoning. Worth watching: 1. Whether the anticipated downtown application is filed by the February deadline and receives public notice. 2. Whether the new zoning provisions actually reduce front-yard and porch variance requests. Upcoming: No February meeting is expected at present; a March 11 meeting is considered likely if the anticipated application is filed. Why it matters: The board is adjusting to a new zoning code while preparing to review remaining hardship claims involving Harbor Springs’ older, nonconforming properties.

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