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 Future of Harbor Springs;
- Conclusion;
- All Upcoming Scheduled Meetings with Links to Participate;
- Links to City of Harbor Springs Resources
WHAT IS A MASTER PLAN?
A review of the Master Plan can take 18 months to 2 years. The next review (not necessarily changed) is a Michigan law requirement and due 2027, less than two years from now. The plan will need to be updated to meet the five-year review criteria required by the MPEA (Michigan Planning Enabling Act) and to align with the best practice expectations. At a minimum, the following questions should be considered:
- Have there been major changes in the community that were not anticipated in the current master plan? This could include events such as new utilities, road improvements, or large development approvals, among other things.
- Have there been instances where the planning commission has departed from the master plan? Do the reasons for these departures demonstrate a need for an overall revision of the master plan?
- Are the goals and policies set out in the plan still relevant? An effective master plan will have a series of carefully crafted goals and policies describing the community’s vision for its future. Is the community still willing to take the actions necessary to implement them?
- What is a Zoning Code? A Zoning Code is a set of laws or regulations that specify how land in certain areas can be used. It divides land into zones (e.g., residential, commercial, industrial) and controls the types of structures and activities allowed within those zones.
- Land Use Law? In Land Use Law, the Zoning Code is developed by a Planning Commission, which consults the Master Plan to ensure that future development aligns with the community’s goals.
- Law follows Policy, with land use regulations shaped by the master planning vision.
- ‘Home Rule’ – The 1908 State of Michigan designation grants Harbor Springs full responsibility of governmental matters of purely local concerns without interference by the State. In 1932 Harbor Springs transitioned from a village to a home rule city, gaining greater autonomy in its governance, and created our City Charter, which was adopted and amended in 1950, 1979, and 1993. Involved: Charles H. Fowler, Jerome W. Hovey, Carl L. Wright, Russell J. Cassidy, F. A. Graham, James T. Clarke, Frank L. Friend, Harry Gillett, Holden Wressel.
- The Repeal: Zoning Code Ordinance #439 and the unanimous City Council decision to disengage from the Redevelopment Ready Community (RRC) certification process in 2025 demonstrates Harbor Springs’ exercise of its home rule powers to shape its future.
- Although Harbor Springs’ total real valuation was the lowest among surrounding communities, its valuation per acre was the highest. In 2020, the City’s property valuation per acre was about 1.5 times that of Petoskey and, on average, 14 times greater than surrounding Townships. This indicates that the City has a strong tax base for its geographic size.
PRESERVE AND PROTECT – A BRIEF HISTORY OF HARBOR SPRINGS
In the early 1970s, a group in Harbor Springs realized the town’s future was imminently threatened. An influx of various interests had begun identifying large housing and development sites all around northwest Michigan, recognizing the vast untapped potential.
They formed the Little Traverse Group, which of course grew into the Little Traverse Conservancy (LTC), and consisted of members Dr. John Tanton, David Irish, Frank Pierce, and Earl Larson, along with legal counsel, Seberon “Boo” Litzenburger, and supporters Ed Koza, John Fischer, and Wrigley “Bud” Offield.
The group formed a land conservancy where they could preserve land by buying it and protecting it into the future rather than fighting costly, divisive, and potentially unsuccessful legal battles. To date, the LTC has preserved and protected 71,100 acres, 175 miles of shoreline and maintains 125 miles of hiking and biking trails.
James Gamble, president of the Harbor Point Association, shared a letter to the Point shareholders in the early 1970s about the Little Traverse Fund. Mr. Gamble said,
“It behooves all of us, not merely the permanent residents, to work to preserve the climate which attracted either us or parents or our grandparents to the Harbor Point area. We would hope that you, as individuals, would support this Committee, which is working for our interests, to the best of your ability.”
One thing to remember when talking to people who live in small towns is that generally, they choose to live there because that’s the way they like it. Small, comfortable, known. They want life to stay the way it was when they were growing up there or later raising their family. They want and do contribute to the town but aren’t driven to change it, exploit it, or grow it.
As Superintendent of Harbor Springs schools, Brad Plackemeier said, our kids find their way back, educated and wanting to live here again because it hasn’t changed.
If we do not prevent permanent change to this crown jewel in Emmet County, we will lose the very thing that drives people here and come back home for. Why do families want to move to the area? The Superintendent said it’s the education, natural beauty, and shared opportunities among the surrounding communities. It’s not “build baby build” or stuffing duplexes about and backyard housing.
Towns often thrive during change or critically die from lack of use. Different outlets replace stores that change as people age, retire or move on. New trends bring new ideas, and new businesses bring vitality. Local zoning controls how all that newness fits into all the oldness. That’s the Planning Commission elected mission.
A city’s planning commission’s charge is to guide the town’s future development and land use policies by developing and maintaining a master plan, reviewing building proposals, and recommending zoning changes, all while ensuring that all building proposals align with community goals and regulations.
The challenge in city planning, especially in small towns, is finding a balance between ‘preserve and protect’ and ‘economic growth’. Any city can stagnate, yet the small-town qualities disappear if zoning allows too much growth.
A STARTER LIST OF EIGHT ZONING UPGRADES TO PRESERVE AND PROTECT BY WLHS & OUR READERS
Where to start? Here are some things we think most people agree ‘preserve and protect’ the community that can be incorporated into the code for downtown and residential:
- Improvements are designed to fit in with the character of the community. The duplex next door is normal. The one not yet built is a threat. Most of the community has long ties in Harbor Springs. The changes being dangled are from outsiders. Well-intentioned men and women who grew up elsewhere and want the changes to Harbor Springs to reflect the cities in which they grew up in. This town is renowned for its charm, and is not preserved by coincidence.
- Preserving small towns also depends on residents being loyal or becoming loyal to businesses. As we build a zoning code, we are investing in the downtown economy and being vigilant in keeping regulatory control. Harbor Springs downtown is about three blocks by three blocks – a good and suitable size for a 1.3 square mile city.
- Dark Sky (light pollution) policies for downtown, business sectors and neighborhoods support ideas as simple as turning off or using motion-sensor outdoor lights overnight in most areas, as personal safety allows. Emphasis is on pointing downward and reduced wattage lighting. Many beneficial insects, especially nocturnal ones, are attracted to light, which can lead to disorientation, exhaustion, predation, and ultimately death. Douglas Tallamy, a prominent ecologist, emphasizes that light pollution at night is a significant factor in insect decline. The scientific concept of circadian rhythm and its’ importance in respect of sleep and restoration is one of the primary drives for Dark Sky initiatives.
- Small towns are peaceful because residents don’t make a lot of noise. Noise ordinances work. Noise Ordinance #436
- Everyone wants to see the lake from the bluffs, and the bluffs from the lake. – Protect the Views.
- Affordable Small apartment buildings can be a more budget-friendly option for individuals or families looking to make it easier for them to join in, experience short-term employment, retirement, and even stay in the community.
- Deconstruction rather than demolition, and a reuse and less landfill perspective, and our own “saving history” perspective. Harbor Springs can both achieve our objectives with ordinances, modeled after Boulder County, CO information that considers de-construction/moving buildings over demolition.
- Communication with your neighbors before a building project is a long-standing tradition that has worked for decades. ‘“By right” zoning is ok if the plan meets the local zoning standards, but keeping the neighbors involved is the Harbor Springs way.
MAYOR GRAHAM’S STATEMENT ON THE FISCAL FUTURE OF HARBOR SPRINGS
“ I am fiscally conservative by nature and city dollars should be spent minimalistic that way. Good gradual change is best for us and that’s what we’ve always had, and what we’ve always talked about. We need to talk plainly with local input, not just out-of-town planners. None of this needs to be rushed. Harbor isn’t failing. These changes affect more than just the city as the city is the largest amenity to the entire area. If we cannot have these zoning and economic things explained to some of the smartest people in the world and the locals alike, we need not to do them.”
CONCLUSION
We are grateful to be a part of this community. For over a century, Harbor Springs has been home to dedicated individuals working together for the common good, and this by allowing living arrangements that have enriched lives. That they were possible made the whole community better off. Protecting, preserving, and being good stewards now and into the future is our common goal.