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LATEST NEWS
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 City Manager & City Council Relationships
We encourage readers to approach the memo with curiosity, discernment, and an understanding of both its strengths and its limitations. Context for the 2017 ICMA Memo attached below: The following memo — “A Key Ingredient for Success: An Effective City Council/City...
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,...
Thank you for reading our latest News posts. We’re glad you’re here!
ZONING
Planned Development – Definitions of Subjective and Objective terms – Helping us understand the PD language.
Planned Development - Strong enough for Harbor Springs? In a meeting in early May 2025, when the Planning Commissioners discussed standards and property rights, Mark Rondel spoke regarding a variance request for a garage, noting that while the proposal met technical...
What is Ordinance 50 ? Why does it Matter? Short Terms Rentals Recently Discussed ?
Please read carefully. This is in the January 5 2026 City Council Packet - A report on Short Term Rentals comes next ...
What Does Beckett & Raeder say about the current Zoning Code Issues? Do they work for Harbor Springs?
To READ the eight page Beckett & Raeder reply, please click on this link... BRi Review of Lynee Wells issue with Proposed Zoning Code If City Zoning staff, the City Planner, outside review resources, Planning Commissioners, and community members all acknowledge...
Aligned Planning’s Lynee Wells Letter to the City Council 12.12.25
DOWNLOAD OR PRINT Ordinance Review Final Edits Summary 12.12.25
When can a Zoning Code Put Harbor Springs at Risk – Understandings by Examples or Comparisons
By Karin Reid Offield and team, The proposed zoning code is close to completion, and that progress should be acknowledged. However, zoning is permanent law. When adopted before key weaknesses are resolved, those weaknesses do not remain theoretical—they become...
FOR MORE CLARITY ….Discussions about the zoning 12.13.25. From 2020-2025 Research on ARC & PD’s
Disclosure & Commitment to Open Dialogue We Love Harbor Springs is committed to fairness, transparency, and careful research. The information shared on this site is offered in good faith to support informed public discussion. Facts, interpretations, and...
Harbor Lights’ Report on November 20th, Planning Commission Meeting.
After the holidays, we will provide context. If you have questions, contact us. Thank you. Planning Commission stands behind zoning code recommendation as sent to City Council HARBOR SPRINGS By Harbor Light News Staff on November 26, 2025 By Kate Spaulding Harbor...
WLHS BLOG
Stepping up to run for City Council – Thank you!
Thank You for Stepping Up Seeking to Serve Harbor Springs First off—thank you. By choosing to run for City Council, you’re stepping into one of the most important roles in our community. You’re not doing it for recognition or a title—you’re doing it because you want...
Thanks from a True Blue Local
Thoughts From a True Blue Local Harbor Springs is one of the few places left that is so naturally beautiful, so surrounded by abundant natural resources, so, dare we say inherently charming, people are not only drawn to it, they want to make it their own. So people...
Who is WLHS? Short Version
What is We Love Harbor Springs? Please read about us in the ABOUT tab on our Website! We Love Harbor Springs. org was established to ensure the voice of our entire community is heard. Our group is made up of over 1,000 people from all walks of life, including voters,...
Questions & Answers in Harbor Light News of Candidates for City Council
QUESTIONS: FROM THE HARBOR LIGHT Please tell us about yourself and what skills you believe you would bring to the City Council table. What are the biggest challenges you believe the City currently faces? Are there additional long-term concerns you have that need to be...
More about We Love Harbor Springs.org
Questions have been raised about our IRS filings. Here are the facts: We Love Harbor Springs is a registered 501(c)(4). We requested and received a standard IRS filing extension for our Form 990. That makes our new filing deadline November 15, 2025. Until that date,...
Why we should be extra careful of Planned Developments in Harbor Springs
We write to the community to express our deep concern regarding the proposed changes to the Planned Development (PD) provisions within the zoning ordinance, especially in light of recent developments such as Cottage Company’s projects on Zoll Street and Main Street....
Old Sidewalks – Let’s Fix Them
Big ticket item at the Downtown Development Authority meeting this month. In Michigan, a sidewalk is considered unsafe, and a municipality may be liable for injuries resulting from a fall, if a vertical discontinuity defect is 2 inches or more, or if there is a...
DDA
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EVENTS
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HISTORY
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NATIONAL & LOCAL PRESS
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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...
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...
SURVEYS
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CORRECTIONS
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RRC – ARCHIVED
1.4.24 Planning Commission Meeting- A Power Point of the RRC Zoning
Chair Mulder presented a power point presentation updating the Planning Commission on the tasks and progress of the Planning Commission Sub-Committee. Planning Commission member Emily Dube asked what resources were utilized in arriving at the proposals included.