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LATEST NEWS
Updated: Who Has the Right to Influence Our Community?
Subject: Who Has the Right to Influence Our Community? One concern centers around who should have the right to vote on issues that affect the property they own or the city they consider home—even if only part of the year. Let’s take a closer look at the reality in our...
5.15.25 Robert Hall, Planning Commission Meeting
Dear WLHS, Can you post this for others to read? Thank you. RH We are at a critical moment in the history — and future — of our town. Over the last five years, dedicated Planning Commission committees made up of community volunteers have worked hard to make...
City Council spot is open – Are you a Volunteer?
City Council Member Michael Behrmann’s Home Hits the Market – A New Chapter Begins! City Council Member Michael Behrmann, a dedicated and passionate voice for our community, has officially listed his home for sale—and with it, he’ll soon be closing this chapter and...
ZONING
3.15.25 “Reasons Why to Protect” WLHS Newsletter
Index: What Is a Master Plan and Other Zoning Terms Explained w LINKS; Preserve and Protect: A Brief History of Harbor Springs Stewardship; A Starter List of Eight Upgrades to Preserve & Protect by WLHS & our Readers; Mayor Graham’s Statement on the Fiscal...
3.9.2025 “Your Voice is Being Heard” WLHS Newsletter
Index: What Is a Master Plan, with Master Plan Link; Many Plans, and Many Deferred Decisions Projects Unfinished; Why Care About Zoning Anyway? A Poll Taken about the Eastern Boardwalk - Do we want it ?; Letters from Community; All Upcoming Scheduled Meetings with...
3.1.2025 “A Guide to the Planning Commission Meetings” WLHS Newsletter
Index: History And Context of the Format of New Zoning Code; Harbor Springs Context; Technology for Zoom, Captions and How to Participate; Fundraising and Community Participation from Everyone; Letter from a Contributing Resorter; State of Our Community, 2024...
2.22.2025 “Our Community’s Unique Voice Leads Our Efforts” WLHS Newsletter
CITY COUNCIL VOTES UNANIMOUSLY TO DISENGAGE FROM RRC We have very good news. On February 17, 2025, the City Council voted unanimously to disengage from the RRC, and the certification process. It was taking too long. Started with good intentions 5 years ago, the RRC...
Zoning – Articles 2 and 3
Apr 27, 2025 Welcome to our new website – that we hope will work for YOU. When we research and pull items that we believe will be important to the conversations outcomes, we will post here. For those of you that attended the last months of meetings, you know that...
Zoning: Dexter, Michigan 6 years after leaving the RRC
Discovering the Allure of Small Town Living in Dexter, Michigan Dexter, Michigan, is a prime example of a fast-growing community that seamlessly combines a rich historical tapestry with a welcoming atmosphere, drawing in residents and visitors alike. Situated in close...
ZONING: 1.27.25. The 2005 Harbor Springs Zoning Code,As Amended through 2022 – Article By Article
Welcome to the WLHS 2025 Zoning Page. Harbor Springs is being asked to review the existing code (2005, amended 2022) and the #439 zoning code that was repealed. The reason is that the repealed code had easier, modern formatting and language throughout the code. This...
WLHS BLOG
BLOG: 2.4.25 Asking the Harbor Springs City Council to decouple the RRC by Karin Offield
Please include in the Planning Commission packet if possible, Thank you! February 3rd, 2025 Harbor Springs City Council Meeting Submitted for the public record as a request for a new business agenda item Honorable Mayor Graham Councilperson Behrmann Councilperson...
BLOG: Those that Volunteered to Serve – Thank you – Here is the list
Use this link to download. More detail under construction. 2024 HS Board Applications 5A – Appoint Board and Commission Members Background The City has several board and commission positions available. Per the City’s Board’s Application and Recruitment Policy,...
BLOG 12.11.24 Harbor Light Letter from Robert Hall
December 10, 2024 Dear Editor, The Planning Commission has done the right thing by Harbor Springs voters and reinstated our original zoning code. And the City Council approved their recommendation on Monday night. At last, just in time for Christmas, peace has come...
BLOG: 12.5.24 List made for PC Meet – Help to Add your points of view
PC MEETING DCEMBER 5 THURSDAY – PUBLIC COMMENT ZOOM: Since 60% of our residents are second homeowners, we need a new communication strategy. When on ZOOM, the participants tuning in complain of poor audio, not knowing who is speaking from the board/commission table,...
7.24 COI -Educate on the subject of Conflict of Interest
Conflict of interest is defined as an actual or perceived interest by a staff or board member in an action that results in, or has the appearance of resulting in, personal, organizational, or professional gain. A conflict of interest exists even if no unethical or...
BLOG 12.5. 2024 City Council Public Hearing about the Old Code
The City Council held a ''special meeting' on November 7th, to discuss the zoning after the repeal of #439. The City Attorney unequivocally stated that, as a result of the election, the old zoning is in effect until new zoning is approved through the process required...
BLOG: 12.2024 Updated:Boards & Committees
This post is under construction. More details to follow ... Here's a LINK to fill out a Participation form. It is recommended that you bring up your interest at a City Council meeting, in addition to filling out these forms. The next meeting is scheduled on...
DDA
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EVENTS
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NATIONAL & LOCAL PRESS
5.22.24 Petoskey News “Harbor Springs council passes new zoning code despite public pushback”
KARLY GRAHAM The Petoskey News-Review HARBOR SPRINGS — A zoning code update that’s been in the works since 2022 was approved by the Harbor Springs City Council on Monday, despite more than 800 people signing a petition against it. The contentious update resulted in...
4.30.24 Unintended Consequences, Please sign the Change . Org Petition
To the Harbor Springs Community, Regarding the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) National & Michigan Program: There are unintended consequences that I believe have not been thought out or organized – and there are property owners that are unaware of these...
Harbor Springs in the National News -The American Conservative Magazine 4.16.24
Testing : https://www.theamericanconservative.com/communities-have-a-right-to-set-their-own-housing-policy/
LETTERS
Letter: 4.30.24 To the Editor: Re: Nancy Rondell & Hope by James Kenney
Dear Editor: In an October 2020 interview with the Harbor Light, while running for city council, Councilwoman Nancy Rondell highlighted the importance of local government in Harbor Springs, encouraging input from all residents. She insisted, “It is so important that...
Letter: 4.30.24 Silence Speaks Volumes by Patrick Kenney
Letter to the Editor: In May 2019, having lived in Harbor Springs for less than one month, the newly appointed city manager, Victor Sinadinoski, for some reason, felt he had a thorough understanding of Harbor Springs and that our quaint town needed to become an RRC....
Letter: “Affordable Housing has left the station”: by Maureen Kenney
Dear Editor: I write not as a “character assassin,” a term carelessly thrown around by a Planning Commission Member, but rather as a concerned citizen intent on holding elected and appointed city leaders accountable for their words and actions. This letter serves the...
To the Community – Now 4.24- 8.11.24
To members of the City Council; This paragraph is in reference to the delicate and important balance principle homeowners and most importantly second homeowners play in the economic balance of Harbor Springs – a resort town. In a business sense our second homeowners...
Letter: 4.3.24 Please Mr. Mayor let’s hold a Town Hall about the Zoning
From: Karin Offield Subject: Letter from Karin Offield about a Town Hall scheduling Date: April 3, 2024 at 5:09:59 PM EDT To: Matt Bugera <mjBugera@gmail.com>, Jamielynnmelke@gmail.com, kathy.motschall@yahoo.com Cc: mbehrmann@cityofharborsprings.com,...
SURVEYS
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CORRECTIONS
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RRC – ARCHIVED
RRC & WLHS Questions about Growth
Growth Council Report https://growingmichigan.org/wp-content/uploads/2023-12-14-GMTC-Final-Report-2.pdf Pg 53 ‘Developing and rehabilitating our housing stock to create more and denser housing and additional live-work options will better match the lifestyle...
7.8.24 RRC History & Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Grants Projects: Up North 2019 – 2024
MEDC Revitalization Projects PDF for sharing Here is the research: Let the voters decide. WLHS asks: Does our community need or want a zoning reform if its result is State mandated property development? Michigan Economic Development Corporation’s (MEDC) Michigan...
9.18.24 Why RRC ? Some History of Harbor Springs – Master Plan
HISTORY: Anyone who supports the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) views, rules and regulations may have missed a valuable story of how Harbor Springs became a ‘best’ lake city here in northwest Michigan. (This month voted by Travel and Leisure Magazine.) The...
11.12.24 What is the RRC ? Does Harbor Springs want or need the RRC?
Months ago we wrote a newsletter that talks about the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) & Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) Here's the link: https://wlhs.substack.com/p/wlhs-redevelopment-ready-community Here's the MAP. As of 11.24 we believe...
9.17.24 The MEDC’s Mission is promoting Michigan’s strong image worldwide.
But in order to under something, it's best to review the history of it. Here is a link to a report written in 2009 on the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC). We will follow up on a new report, written recently....
9.22.24 History of the MEDC/RRC and its almost failure. Report #1 of 2
We hope you can get through this lengthy article; https://www.mackinac.org/S2009-06#executive-summary 2009 MEDC and it’s failures and costs to the State coffers - the entire project could have been axed. Instead in 2012 it was resurrected/reformed into all the...
9.22.24 Five Reasons to end the MEDC – Research Report #2 of 2
Did Harbor Springs City Manager do the homework before signing up for the MEDC/RRC process? This article is from January 25, 2019. https://www.mackinac.org/five-reasons-to-end-the-michigan-economic-development-corporation The Michigan Economic Development...