Planning Commission Regular Meeting Meeting

Detailed briefing

Planning Commission Regular Meeting — July 20, 2023 • The commission approved a special land use for a home-based dog-grooming operation at 545 Arbor Street after holding a public hearing. The applicant said she plans to groom roughly three to four dogs daily, with morning drop-offs and staggered pickups. Multiple public speakers supported the request; one written comment raised concerns about potential noise, parking and dog waste. • The approval includes five conditions: customers must park in the existing driveway; no customer parking is allowed on Harbor Street; advertised operating hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; no outdoor kennel or overnight boarding is allowed; and no business sign is allowed. Commissioners discussed whether the hours should provide flexibility for late pickups and changed the proposed closing time from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. • The commission tabled a Pennsylvania House Condominium site-plan request until its October 2023 meeting. The project would replace two garages in substantially the same location, shift one garage about four feet east to align with the building entry, reroute drainage, and add a covered walkway connecting the garages and main building. • The Pennsylvania House applicant said the garages have significant settling and that a culvert beneath them is failing. The applicant expects demolition after Labor Day 2024. Commissioners delayed action because site-plan approval generally starts a one-year clock and the project timeline may not fit that window. • The Zoning Code Subcommittee presented preliminary, nonbinding concepts for a code update. Ideas include consolidating 17 zoning districts into nine, using neighborhood-average front setbacks, allowing larger covered front porches, and expanding options for duplexes and possibly triplexes. No vote was requested on these concepts. • Members also discussed housing needs, small homes, year-round residency, affordability, and concern that seasonal demand could limit housing for local workers and families. The subcommittee said further work will continue through the year. • The commission approved the May 18 regular-meeting minutes and the May 22 special joint-meeting minutes. It also announced that George Peet resigned from the commission and that a resident position is open. Worth watching: • Pennsylvania House must return for site-plan consideration in October 2023. • The zoning subcommittee must turn preliminary district, housing, and use concepts into proposed code changes. • The dog-grooming approval’s parking, operating-hour, boarding, kennel, and signage conditions will govern the new home occupation. Upcoming: Pennsylvania House site-plan consideration is scheduled to return at the October 2023 Planning Commission meeting. Why it matters: The meeting paired a near-term neighborhood business approval with longer-term decisions about Harbor Springs housing capacity and development rules.

Agenda items

• 5A · Special Land Use Request - 545 Arbor St. - Home Occupation (Dog Grooming)discussed
• 5B · Site Plan Review - Pennsylvania House Condominiumdiscussed
• 5C · Zoning Code Subcommittee Reportdiscussed

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

Related issues

• Zoning / Land Usediscussed