After the Vote: Clarifying the Zoning Code and the Path Forward

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## In Brief - We would like to make a suggestion to sign-up for meeting notices to stay aware of city activity. Be aware of meeting schedules

- The NEW Zoning code can be found here: New 2025 Harbor Springs Zoning Code (Tentative effective date of January 26, 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.

Many community members believed that a brief delay of several weeks, allowing a small number of remaining details to be reviewed one final time, was a reasonable request. That perspective reflected a desire for clarity, not opposition.

The approved code contains many improvements, and we agree that these represent meaningful changes. Clear, well-defined standards help ensure consistent application over time. Once adopted, all provisions, both objective and subjective, become permanent law.

We want to be clear and fair about what followed, because there is good news.

Two of the four issues raised by residents, neighbors, and planning professionals will be corrected in the adopted zoning code. We appreciate that outcome. It demonstrates that public input was considered, professional guidance was incorporated, and the process resulted in tangible improvements, an example of thoughtful governance.

Before the meeting, many community members who wrote letters, made calls, and spoke publicly hoped for one final, focused discussion on the two remaining issues:

- Planned Development language

- How building height is measured relative to grade.

These concerns were grounded in recent real-world examples, including a widely discussed large home on Main Street, which illustrated how ambiguity around grade and height can lead to unintended outcomes.

Requests for additional clarification were not about opposing progress or questioning the Planning Commission’s work. They reflected an effort to learn from recent experience and ensure the code is as clear, predictable, and enforceable as possible before becoming permanent law.

We are pleased that two of the four improvements will be made. We also recognize that the broader civic effort of letters, research, public comment, council discussion, and respectful requests for refinement represents engaged participation in a democratic process. While perspectives may differ, this level of involvement reflects a community that cares deeply about its future.

We Love Harbor Springs is focused on stewardship, care for our supporters, our neighborhoods, appropriate scale, fairness, and getting the details right. Healthy communities do not avoid complex conversations; they engage in them thoughtfully. We remain committed to constructive participation and collaboration, and to recognizing progress even when consensus is incomplete. We thank everyone who contributed their time and energy.

## What We Mean by the “Charm and Character” of Harbor Springs One moment from the meeting deserves reflection.

There was uncertainty about what letter writers meant when they referenced the “charm and character” of Harbor Springs. For us, that phrase is neither vague nor nostalgic. It reflects two guiding principles that have shaped our work since February 2024:

### Preserve and Protect Preservation and protection are not about resisting change. They are about carefully shaping change, using modern planning tools to ensure Harbor Springs grows in ways that remain consistent with its scale, neighborhoods, and natural setting.

When residents repeat words such as stewardship, scale, character, and balance, in letters or in the allotted three minutes of public comment, it does not mean they lack specificity. It means they share a common concern about outcomes, and they want the standards to reliably deliver those outcomes before the code becomes permanent law.

Repetition often appears when people feel risk. When something permanent is about to be adopted, residents worry it may lead to outcomes they cannot undo. They gravitate toward language that captures long-term concern.

In many cases, repetition simply means:

“Please slow down and make sure the rules do what we believe they are intended to do.”*

Much of the work supported over the past year has focused on building a modern zoning code that provides predictability for residential neighborhoods while limiting development pressures seen in other resort communities. The newly adopted code, in large part, reduces the likelihood of high-intensity projects in established neighborhoods and places limits on the expansion of Planned Developments along the waterfront, patterns that have significantly altered nearby Michigan resort towns.

This highlights an important distinction between community outreach and governing responsibility. Residents often speak in values, terms like charm and character, to describe lived experience and long-term hopes. City Council members must evaluate those values through enforceable standards and legal frameworks. Both perspectives are valid, and effective governance depends on translating one into the other.

### What does “not allowed on the waterfront *at this time*” mean? “The PUD is only allowed in the RA residential district, the RM district, the residential office service district, the CBD, the B-1 and the B-2. It is not allowed in your residential districts. It’s not allowed along the waterfront *****at this time*****.**”

**Meeting Transcript Timestamp: 1:34:30 – 1:34:38 (approx.)**

During the meeting, the City Planner stated that Planned Developments are not allowed on the Harbor Springs shoreline “at this time.”

In zoning language, “at this time” typically reflects a current condition under the existing code. It does not necessarily mean a permanent prohibition. Such provisions may be revisited in the future through formal amendments, reinterpretations, or policy changes.

In practical terms, this means:

- The code does not establish a permanent prohibition.

- A future City Council or Planning Commission could revisit the issue.

- If Planned Development standards remain discretionary, the policy may evolve over time.

This is why clarity in zoning language matters. Firm prohibitions limit reinterpretation; conditional language can signal flexibility. For residents, the takeaway is straightforward: current protections exist, but their durability depends on how clearly and firmly the code is written—and how future decision-makers apply it.

That is why questions about Planned Development language are not hypothetical. They are about whether today’s protections remain in place tomorrow. We still have serious concerns on planned development, neighbor notification, and a few other items. We will raise this with the City Council.

## A Process Note The City Council reviewed the zoning and approved it the same night. With changes to the ordinance, but no final draft. Per Roberts Rules of Order, the normal process would be to approve the changes and vote on the final incorporated copy in the next meeting. Public pressure in the room seemed to press for getting it done in one night. Robert’s Rules, built over decades of experience, rightfully gives a moment of breathing room to be sure drafts are accurate, and Councils have a moment to think. In the future, we expect the City Council to apply the wisdom of well defined process over pressure.

## The Even Better News Equally important, and due in large part to strong community involvement through neighborhood petitions, the adopted code avoids broad, across-the-board increases in residential density. The Planning Commission did not introduce duplexes and triplexes throughout residential neighborhoods, a change that is often difficult to reverse once allowed. This approach helps maintain the scale and rhythm that define Harbor Springs today.

At the same time, preservation does not mean freezing the city in time. The code continues to allow Accessory Dwelling Units and carriage houses: thoughtful, small-scale additions that can serve families, guests, caregivers, and homeowners planning for future needs, without overwhelming neighborhoods. As Planning Commissioners noted, if one neighborhood has the opportunity to build accessory dwelling units, that opportunity should be available citywide.

As a result, the most significant density-related change allows property owners to add small secondary living quarters while maintaining the prohibition on short-term rentals. Applicants must present their projects so neighbors and Planning Commissioners can be involved, supporting transparency and shared understanding. For many residents, this represents a way to gently expand housing options while strengthening year-round community life, keeping lights on in neighborhoods throughout the year.

To preserve and protect Harbor Springs is to care enough to engage fully in the details that shape its future. Zoning codes must be written not only for today’s decision-makers, but for those who will apply them years from now. Clear standards help ensure that future interpretations remain consistent with community intent.

## In Closing this Chapter Since February 2024, **We Love Harbor Springs** volunteers have worked with care and purpose to bring together residents who are deeply invested in the future of our city. What unites them is not status, but commitment—to learning, asking thoughtful questions, and contributing constructively to a complex public process.

Through careful research, public education, and respectful civic participation—before and since the 2024 election—this effort has reflected the best of community engagement. People showed up. They listened. They shared time, expertise, and lived experience. We are proud of the care, persistence, and integrity demonstrated throughout this work.

We Love Harbor Springs is supported by more than 200 donors who believe in informed dialogue and meaningful research-based discussion around local policy. As a 501(c)(4) organization, donor disclosure is not required.

Protecting the privacy of individuals who engage in lawful civic participation is a cornerstone of a healthy democratic process. We believe communities are strongest when people can contribute ideas, time, and resources without fear of personal targeting or pressure.

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