LATEST NEWS
How to Pick a Great City Manager for Harbor Springs? Guidelines by ICMA
This article was first published January 24, 2026. The Open to the Public Interviews take place on Saturday March 14,th starting at 8:30 or 9 am - Please check with City Hall for further details. The best way to educate on the answer to this question and to give more...
City Council Sets Policy; City Manager Implements It — Time to Refocus on Harbor Springs Residents
March 6, 2026 Dear Members of our City Council, As Harbor Springs enters a period of administrative transition, this is an appropriate time to reaffirm the responsibilities within our council-manager form of government. The City Council sets policy and legislative...
Proportional Planning and its’ importance for PDs.
This piece was sent to us by a community member - in response to our recent conversations.... Planned Developments are powerful tools. In larger cities, incremental increases may spread across a broad geography. In Harbor Springs, incremental increases compound...
ZONING
Heights in Harbor Springs – A Memo by Aligned Planning Consultant Lynee Wells –
February 2026 Height Memo for Planning Commission 2.2.26 3 Pages - Heights and regulations in CBD and in Residential neighborhoods vary in many ways, many are still confused why we want to review the Heights subject again. So for many of us that are participating in...
3 Real time Examples for PD’s, Height and Administrative Review Committee (ARC)
Dear Readers, We know there are a lot of details to sort out - and through - but to get it right, thats what needs to be paid attention to. Opening Thought: Clear zoning language is not about stopping development. It is about making sure that what gets...
Parking, and how a meeting in March didn’t reach the Realtors – yet
Let's have the conversation again. What are your thoughts ? Responsibility To ensure correct decision-making, adherence to State Law and the City Charter, and to avoid placing the City and its inhabitants and taxpayers at risk. While we are going to discuss parking...
A 5 Day Deadline -What happens when big box stores come to Emmet County? What happens to our local businesses?
The public comment period ends January 27, 2026. Anyone wishing to voice concerns may do so through EGLE’s website link: https://mienviro.michigan.gov/ncore/external/publicnotice/search. Enter HQF-AXAK-T2VJC in the reference number search box, click ADD COMMENT...
A New Way to Participate in the Planning Commission Meetings -With Suggestions
This is a speech Karin Offield prepared for the January 15th meeting - the version that was actually presented was very short. We received the speech in entirety and want to shout out to Barry Lusgarten for bringing this subject up and the Planning Commissioners...
1.5.25 Proposed Zoning Code Overview – by Harbor Springs City Planner John Iacoangeli
Taken from the Transcript of January 5, 2026 - The Summary of the Zoning Code presented to the City Council Members - on the night they approved the New Code. By Beckett & Raeder's John Iacoangeli "The proposed zoning code is structured into 15 articles,...
The Zoning is approved!
January 8, 2026 A Wrap-Up on the Zoning Vote At the January 5, 2026 City Council meeting, the motion to approve the proposed zoning code dated October 21, 2025 was approved with several conditions by a 3–2 vote. We believed that a brief delay of several weeks,...
WLHS BLOG
Harbor Springs Doesn’t Need More Marketing — It Needs Priorities
Harbor Springs Doesn’t Need More Marketing — It Needs Priorities This post asks what are your thoughts? If our downtown business owners and community leaders want stable streets, stable property values, reliable workers, and real community — they can turn toward the...
Executive Search for Harbor Springs City Manager
Request for Proposals: Executive Search Firm for City Manager Recruitment Posted on November 18th, 2025REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS EXECUTIVE SEARCH CONSULTANT/FIRM CITY MANAGER RECRUITMENT November 18, 2025 Introduction The City of Harbor Springs, situated on Little...
Understanding How Harbor Springs Governs Itself
Understanding How Harbor Springs Governs Itself In the coming weeks, the Harbor Springs City Council will make several significant decisions: voting on the annual budget, considering a zoning code update that may guide development for decades, and confirming...
How the Harbor Springs Selection Process Works – How and Why ?
Guide to City Board & Commission Appointments: How Oversight and Representation Are Balanced Harbor Springs uses a mix of mayoral nominations and City Council appointments to ensure balanced oversight. In some cases the Mayor selects and the Council confirms; in...
Carter Williams City Council Letter regarding the Hire of a new City Manager
From: Williams, Carter <carter@oiventures.com> Sent: To: Monday, November 10, 2025 8:23 PM Tom Graham; Reeve 4 HS Council; Jamielynnmelke@gmail.com; kathy.motschall@yahoo.com; Jeanne Benjamin, Cc: Victor Sinadinoski Subject: City Manager Search Process Dear...
Election Matters & Candidates for November 4th Election
An Open Invitation to Residents, Candidates, and City Leaders “Vision without action is just a dream. Action without vision just passes the time. But action with vision can change the world.” — Nelson Mandela John Wooden: “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.”...
November 13, 2025 Public Meeting for the Proposed Zoning Code – Please attend
One more look at the proposed zoning code for the community and by the Planning Commission before approval? Here is the proposed code. We will add to this post, as elements become available. Proposed Zoning Code...
DDA
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EVENTS
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HISTORY
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NATIONAL & LOCAL PRESS
6.4. 24 Housing in Boyne City NPR
“The urbanization of Boyne City, characterized by the construction of massive four storey buildings threatens to undermine the small town charm and unique character that residents and visitors have long cherished,” Roland said. Boyne City commission turns down housing...
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
Inclusion means something in a community
Dear Friends and Neighbors, Let’s take a moment to imagine Harbor Springs without second homes and second-home owners. No grand turn-of-the-century cottages. No yachts in the bay. No Irish’s, no Walstrom’s, no ferry. No bustling art fairs, no car shows, no...
A Question from the Audience
Dear WLHS, Given the defeat of Ordinance 439 and its focus on creating density in our 1.3 square mile town, and the petitions signed by homeowners to reject duplexes, triplexes, or re-zoning of existing family residential areas to Residential Multiple by SLU or any...
Update Letter 8.26.25 Following the Recent PC Meetings
Your letters speak for you, please show up at the Public Hearings now scheduled - See below Date: August 26, 2025 at 5:16:24 PM EDT To: Bill Mulder <wmulder1@gmail.com>, Tom Graham <tom@grahamre.com>, jamielynnmelke@gmail.com, kathy.motschall@yahoo.com,...
Storm Follow-Up – Follow-Up Preparedness
June 21, 2025 Storm Preparedness Bing Howenstein delivered 4.21.25 TO: Mayor, City Council, City Manager and Community Written by Bing Howenstein DATE: April 20, 2025 SUBJECT: Recommendations for Enhanced Community Emergency Preparedness Introduction The recent...
Letter about building a bridge by Karin Reid Offield
June 19, 2025 Dear Harbor Springs, It’s been 496 days since the February 8, 2024 meeting—when I first heard the Weque wetlands might be disturbed. That moment pulled me into city politics. And let me be clear: my concern was never with the people or the City Hall...
UPDATED 5.28.25: The Garden Club, Flag Pole, Lower Zorn Park includes Newspaper & Letters
Added: Petoskey News Report . We respectfully urge you to vote to preserve Harbor Springs’ precious green space, reject this proposal, and return it to the Garden Club with instructions to identify a more appropriate and welcomed location. This is an opportunity to reaffirm the city’s century-long tradition of preservation, protection, and responsible stewardship.
Letter to Editor – M.Kilbourn About the RRC
LETTER TO THE EDITOR OF THE HARBOR LIGHT January 9, 2025 Please accept this letter for publication in the Letters to the Editor: The City Council enacted a zoning ordinance which the voters evaluated and rejected via a ballot referendum last November. Since then, the...
SURVEYS
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CORRECTIONS
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RRC – ARCHIVED
Should we further Certify Harbor Springs as a RRC town?
At this time, we believe Harbor Springs is an "engaged" member of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Here is the full document that slide by slide shows the steps a town needs to become "Essential" or "Certified". ...
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...