Citizen Comments about the RRC and Harbor Springs – How can we help?

UPDATED: 2.17.25 Organized and produced by WLHS

So, it’s the ordinances that need the attention

This letter lays out most of everything to say, in looking at the question why we do we need to go for the RRC?  Let’s take those best practices that make sense but the devils in the details.

We as a city don’t want an administrative approval to be making the decisions for Harbor Springs.   It’s that “by-right” is found in the RRC, and if these guidelines are set up so that you know what the district it is, and if you have property in the district and you’re building a back porch, we don’t want a panel made up of the City Attorney, the Zoning Administrator, the Planning Commission Chair, a member of the Planning Commission, the City Manager, and the Planning Consultant, many who don’t live in the city  giving the yea or nay on that.  It should be the community the neighbors of property owners.

So it’s the ordinances that need the attention

The Elephant in the Room – Why We Need to Talk

There is a unwelcome sense of frustration within the Harbor Springs community right now, and specifically focused on our involvement with state’s Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) program which we entered into in 2019. The RRC is largely centered around the rewriting of zoning code.  There is a divide among residents regarding the speed and nature of the economic development goals expected, and what is required or built into the program, that by all accounts is causing tension and dissatisfaction. We all recognize that the march of improvement in our town is irresistible – that changes that will be made are irreversible – and speaking for the community, are asking that the changes being made, are our changes – changes not attributed to the RRC.

The community is questioning whether the RRC’s approach, which may work in other areas, is truly right for Harbor Springs. There’s a call to action to terminate the direction of development, with the hope of returning to a more cohesive and helpful community spirit, free from the pressures of imposed best practices, ideologies, and guidelines.

We’ve had some thoughtful comments from people who feel the RRC is a valuable State of Michigan program that simply offers professional expertise in running the town.  We agree there are positive attributes for some, but for Harbor Springs there are too many things that fall on the negative, or the downside, or just the wrong side for us.  Those difficulties are now a roadblock, not the road map as we were led to believe.   It is a valuable program for some communities, just not for ours.

Triangulation

After tonight, is where we are in Harbor Springs in our politics a matter of triangulation?  1) The Redevelopment Ready Community Certification is a process of bureaucracy built from within by the State of Michigan that threatens the future of Harbor Springs and your property rights.  2) The Redevelopment Ready Community zoning requirements – like ‘by right’ and ‘admin approvals’ were at the heart of the Referendum to defeat Ordinance 439, along with the defeat of two of the RRC’s biggest supporters in the Mayoral and City Council race in November.

3) Is the City Council and the City Manager prepared to attempt to override the Referendum results by again reintroducing the RRC zoning changes into the rewrite of the 2005 Zoning Code, by way of the Planning Commission against the will of the voters?

It’s that simple.  Posing number three as a question packs a punch.  It’s polite, and also is very focused on accountability.  It’s a Yes or No answer.

The Planning Commissioner chairman agreed by his own admission to disavow RRC as not being the mission of the Planning Commission. We think we are now all on the same page, and as a community we are asking the City Council to listen and disengage from the RRC Certification process.

Choose NO. Why Not Harbor Springs for the RRC?

We have a footprint of 1.3 square miles.  Sault Ste. Marie has a footprint of 14.8 square miles.  We simply do not need to ask the state for technical help on how to fill vacant lots or add multi-family housing.  The RRC Handbook mandates “prioritizing three redevelopment sites,” and lists step-by-step ways to attract outside investors.  Because we have such a tiny footprint, this is where the RRC process stops being a helpful process, and becomes a state override of local decision-making, all designed for one thing: increased density.

It’s not hard to understand that larger communities have more reasons, and literally more space, to invite in developers.  For Harbor Springs to engage in a program where we pay our city staff to market and sell off parcels in town to meet best practices in a state program, is the definition of loss of local control (Home Rule).  To say nothing of taking these people away from their actual jobs of running city government.

Time, Time, Time

The fact that the RRC has kept the city staff, and the City Council engaged in the RRC process for six years begs the question:  Why?   What is the RRC counting on Harbor Springs to deliver?  Are those benefits available without Harbor committing to the RRC?   Prior to May 2024, Harbor Springs actively engaged with RRC Best Practices and zoning reform through the city planning consulting firm of Beckett & Raeder.  This relationship between the city and Beckett & Raeder is now under scrutiny.  With key individuals in the local housing scene holding multiple leadership roles across newly formed Harbor Springs city committees and commissions, it looks like some newcomers who were ‘elected’ to serve and work inside these groups have the desire to change Harbor Springs forever. 1.3 Square Miles.   We’ve got this.

Controversy around Harbor Springs and Conflicts of Interests

Projects like “The Lofts” in Petoskey have stirred controversy, particularly regarding the involvement of city leaders in local housing organizations.  It raises questions about how local politics and local affordable housing development overlap, and how that influences housing and development strategies right here in Harbor Springs.

Conflict-of-interest conversations are happening in towns surrounding us, and we’d rather read about them than live them.  We are lucky in so many ways to have the Chairman of the Planning Commission involved in local housing groups.  What we don’t want are the leaders of those groups on the agendas to come in and present to Harbor Springs, all who no doubt want to get their hands on our development, bring solutions to our parking, transportation and other issues, or offer up buzzword solutions to solve problems we don’t have.  We can sort these issues out on our own.  1.3 Square Miles.   We’ve got this.

Runaway Train

The RRC process began with resolutions in May 2019 and continued with a series of reports and contracts, including a baseline report in February 2022 and a grant contract in May 2023.

The community felt the RRC process, driven by the City Manager and some downtown businesses, didn’t align with its established problem-solving approaches, and generosity-based models.  The RRC certification was seen as a top-down management style that disregarded the community’s long-standing values and needs.   The implementation of RRC Best Practices was criticized for being incompatible with the community’s traditional and organic growth.

The community resented the RRC’s influence, feeling it caused harm, despite initial goals of modernization and zoning improvements.  Time has proven this true as zoning code discussions are overshadowed with RRC discussions.  The community has voiced its dissatisfaction with the RRC process and its impact on the local governance model, calling for a return to more community-driven solutions and withdrawal from the RRC program. 1.3 Square Miles.   We’ve got this.

Generosity of Spirit

Will generosity and goodwill return to Harbor Springs? Within the past 6 years, really since the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) came to town, frustrations among the community can be felt, through letters and emails written for meeting packets, and witnessed at City Council, Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation meetings.  All the change, the methodologies, it’s a lot to take in and quite frankly it’s making our lives and our community miserable.

Neighbor vs. neighbor.  Yes vs No.  Change and at what tempo?  Who benefits and who loses?

It’s clear the community is suffering, and our community leaders and volunteers are suffering along with us. The fabric of our community is being challenged.  Is this necessary, and if so at what cost?   Much of the pressure can be attributed to the drivers pushing the RRC growth and development.  Why?

The RRC is a many-faceted processes that seems to suit other communities better than our own.  Has it proven to be useful?  There is much to be learned through its’ ideology and purpose but hasn’t proven to be the right fit for ours.

A Property Owner is a Property Owner.  Period.

A property owner can be found living in Harbor Springs for eight months of the year but stay elsewhere for four months of a year, often due to our long winter days and nights, our snow filled streets, and the three feet of snow outside our doors. You have to be a tough sort of people to stay here all year.

One recent discussion among the audience is that City Government doesn’t take the winter off.  We agree that that message needs to be re- explained.  Property owners don’t expect that City work be halted.  Property owners do expect that they are shown the work the City has organized and laid out over the winter months, and that their input and opinions are discussed and elevated to thumbs up or thumbs down.

Property owners have a say in how their land is zoned.

Moving the Deadlines

The City Planner had December 2024 as the date when they expected to have the zoning completed in Harbor Springs.

Zoning Code 439 was primarily built over the winter months of 2023 – 24, and on February 8, 2024, the first version was presented.  Three months of strong vocal community opposition took place where the community said “Pause,” “Wait until the property owners are in town,” and “No, we do not agree to these property rights changes to my property.”  The pause was called by owners to learn how their property rights are being changed, stripped or removed by the now repealed Amendment 439, an RRC zoning code.

A Conversation with RRC/MEDC on January 28, 2025  

One week prior, two community members on the request of WLHS spoke directly by Zoom with RRC representatives on January 28^th 2025.

“The MEDC Representative does not explicitly state that Harbor Springs has already qualified for RRC certification or is essential for the program. However, there are a few key takeaways:

1. Qualification for Essentials Level:

• MEDC Representative explains that a community can only qualify for the Essentials Level if it has an active Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. Which are in place in Harbor Springs.

2. Qualification for Certified Level:

• MEDC Representative distinguishes between Essentials and Certified levels, stating that for Certified status, all best practices apply.
• There is no confirmation in the zoom transcript that Harbor Springs has met all criteria for certification or is close to being certified.

3. Voluntary Participation & Disengagement:

• MEDC Representative makes it clear that RRC participation is voluntary, and a city can disengage at any time by sending an email or letter.
• If a city has received funding (such as a grant for zoning code updates), it does not have to return the money if it disengages.

4. RRC as a Factor in Grant Consideration:

• MEDC Representative states that RRC certification is one of many factors in grant eligibility but not the only one.
• Projects have been supported by the state even when the community was not in RRC.

5. Flexibility in Implementing Best Practices:

• MEDC Representative repeatedly emphasizes that RRC best practices are not one-size-fits-all and that communities have flexibility in how they implement them.
• This suggests that Harbor Springs is not required to adopt all best practices but could be encouraged to do so, if it seeks further certification.

OPINIONS AFTER REVIEWING THE MEDC LETTER TO HARBOR SPRINGS 2.6.25

Harbor Springs has NOT already qualified for RRC certification or is in an essential position within the program. Instead, the MEDC letter suggests that:

• Harbor Springs still must meet specific criteria to qualify for Essentials or Certified Level.
• Certification is a separate process requiring full adoption of best practices, and there is no statement in the MEDC letter of 2.6.25 confirms that Harbor Springs has met those requirements.

• Upon reviewing the city’s current zoning code as well as associated city ordinances related to development, Harbor Springs is aligned with some RRC Best Practices for zoning.
• Participation in RRC is voluntary, and the city could choose to disengage if it decides it is not the right fit.

If your concern is whether Harbor Springs has already been officially qualified for “certified” or “essential” for RRC certification, there was no direct confirmation in the letter of May 6^th that Harbor Springs zoning of 2005-2022 has qualified for either Essential or Certified status.

Final Conclusion:

First in regards specifically to the MEDC letter, the term caught in letter is  ‘alignment’, meaning the city is in the code that is being worked on, there is alignment with what is proposed to be either Essential or Certified in the RRC,  but nowhere do we see anything in the letter that states that Harbor Springs has qualified to be either Essential or Certified. 

To repeat, some of the city practices are in ‘alignment’ with what the MEDC RRC recommendations are. 

RRC Best Practices Link: https://pulseroadmap.org/wp-content/uploads/rrc-best-practices.pdf

February 17, 2025

To City Council and members of the community:

Let’s set the Best Practices aside, and the ideologies, the guidelines, the resolutions, contracts and grants.  Let’s set aside the RRC.  Let’s forge our own way.  Let’s return to the community that used to say ‘and how can I help’? 1.3 Square Miles.   We’ve got this.

Community Sentiments:

• The community felt the RRC process, driven by the City Manager, DDA, Parks & Recreation, the RRC Committe and Beckett & Raeder didn’t align with its traditionally established problem-solving approach and generosity-based model.
• In other words, the community wanted to know why did Beckett & Raeder ensure “compliance with the RRC” before that issue had been publicly brought up and discussed in the community-at-large? We think this is a very fair question.
• The RRC certification was seen as a top-down management style that disregarded the community’s long-standing values and needs.
• The question arose of does RRC participation give cities an advantage in the grant process?  We found It can help, but a good project can still receive funding without RRC certification.
• The community resented the RRC’s influence, feeling it caused harm despite initial goals of modernization and zoning improvements.

• The implementation of RRC Best Practices was criticized for being incompatible with the community’s traditional methods.

• We have to be reminded that the By-Right zoning does NOT mean there is no review. For RRC compliance it is made up of paid staff, seemingly expensive, and would have no neighbors, district  or neighborhood oversight that has worked well in the past.
• The RRC’s influence was seen as counterproductive to the community’s values, and there is now this call for the Board of the City Council to consider if the RRC is right for Harbor Springs.
• Some of the RRC expectations were laughed at by the community. We already are a walkable town, we’re already user friendly.  The RRC is telling us we need more accessibility, more housing diversity, more concentrated development, more parking flexibility, more defined processes (By-Right for example), and then to change the traditional approval process to Administrative Committee for Approval?
• Every single one of those words, actions and adjectives will be in the forefront of every zoning discussion if we do not leave the RRC behind. We are certain of that.  Beckett & Raeder was hired to align Harbor Springs with RRC Best Practices, and our city manager is in the driver’s seat.  The community is asking the City Council to disengage from the RRC Certification process.

CALL TO ACTION CAMPAIGN –

THANK YOU TO ALL THAT RESPONDED. We all Love Harbor Springs for sure!

• As a property owner and/or a voter, we would recommend that the Harbor Springs City Council vote to disengage with the MEDC Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program. It has become a roadblock rather than a road map in the City’s planning process and has divided neighbor from neighbor.
• Harbor Springs can benefit from the economic growth in the surrounding “certified” RRC communities like Petoskey, Charlevoix, Boyne City, Cadillac, Manistee, and Traverse City by supporting their development plans. We are a resort community of 1.3 square miles that is geographically limited. We don’t believe the development requirements of the RRC are a good fit. The preference is to disengage with the RRC entirely.