Planning Commission Regular Meeting

Detailed briefing

PLANNING COMMISSION — APRIL 18, 2024 ATTENDEES: Roll call named Nancy Rondeau, Barry Lusgarten, Mark Bidet, Bill Mulder, Tony Johnson, Bob Thoma, Emily Badube, Vanessa Warren, and Rick Tarczynski; staff announced a full board. • The commission approved the prior meeting minutes without stated opposition. It then began reviewing a draft standalone sign ordinance. The draft reorganizes existing rules by sign type, with photos, definitions, district applicability, size and height limits, quantity limits, and permit requirements. The presenter said the draft generally retains the city's current sign dimensions and numbers rather than creating new limits. • Members agreed that the Downtown Development Authority and the zoning subcommittee should review the sign draft. The commission approved Vanessa Warren, Bill Mulder, Rick Tarczynski, and Bob Thoma as the reformulated zoning subcommittee. The draft is intended for the city code rather than the zoning code, so a zoning public hearing was described as unnecessary, though the Planning Commission may eventually recommend it to City Council. • Sign issues flagged for more work included pedestrian-level or sandwich-board signs, signage for second-floor businesses, additional allowances for businesses on corner properties, and how to distinguish signs from murals or artwork. A public commenter also asked the city to consider nighttime shutoff rules or other dark-sky protections for illuminated signs. • The assessor reported that a county study found assessed values at 39% of market value, while the city is required to be at 50%. Average assessed values therefore rose by a little over 20%, according to the report. Taxable values are treated differently and were subject to a 5% state inflation limit for the year discussed. Principal residence exemptions remained near 32%. • Harbor Springs had 26 property sales in 2023. The reported median sale price declined from about $650,000 to $300,000, but the assessor warned that the figure includes vacant land. More vacant-lot sales and fewer total transactions may make the median a poor measure of home-price trends. Seven zoning warning letters were reported, and staff said they were resolved quickly. • A closing discussion focused on housing options and workforce housing. Participants described employees commuting long distances because they cannot live in the city. The city was said to contribute $10,000 annually toward a Housing North housing director position. No housing decision or new program was approved. Worth watching: 1. Whether DDA and subcommittee feedback produces substantive changes to the sign ordinance. 2. How the draft handles murals, nighttime lighting, upstairs businesses, and corner properties. 3. Whether the annual report is revised to include planning and capital-improvement review. Upcoming: The next meeting was announced for Thursday, May 16 at 5:30 p.m.; no resident project submissions were pending, and the sign draft may return if subcommittee work has progressed. Why it matters: Sign rules affect downtown businesses and neighborhood character, while property trends and housing availability shape who can live and work in Harbor Springs.

Agenda items

• 2 · Approval of Minutesdiscussed
• 5A · Discussion — Signage Ordinancediscussed
• 5B · Assessor's Reportdiscussed
• 5C · Zoning Administrator's Reportdiscussed

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

Related issues

• Zoning / Land Usediscussed