A Zoning Update We Can Be Proud Of!

Today's Harbor Light has an excellent front page retelling of the Planning Commission's work on the 2025 zoning code update. If you don't have it delivered, spend a couple bucks at the Harbor Market and pick one up!

Bob Buckner, who has both served on the Planning Commission and on the City Council this year, made the presentation which began by outlining the extent of public involvement throughout the process. Over nearly 1,750 hours, four seasons, five town halls, 10 open houses, an online survey, 23 open Commission meetings all to review every single word of our zoning code.

The result is a proposed update to the zoning code that preserves the property rights of homeowners and the charm of Harbor Springs.

A great deal has changed since the zoning code was updated over 20 years ago. The Planning Commission along with the community have proposed common sense updates that bring the code up-to-date and provide for a bright future for our town.

✅The update makes the format less confusing and easier to understand.

✅It restricts mobile homes from neighborhoods outside of the mobile home park. Currently the code allows mobile homes throughout town.

✅Currently, the code allows homeowners to use shipping containers for construction or storage. The update forbids shipping containers.

✅Right now, adult-oriented businesses can open in our downtown with a Special Land Use (SLU) permit. Gas stations are also allowed in our downtown by SLU. The update will make it so neither adult businesses or gas stations are allowed in our downtown.

✅The new update also adds protection for our shoreline and dark sky lighting standards, neither of which were thought of 20 years ago.

✅And the update adds architectural standards to downtown buildings to help preserve the historic charm of our town. Buildings, both commercial and residential, will be limited to 35ft in total.

✅As a result of the updates, the Planning Commission says future density will not be noticeably different than in the current code.

✅In the 14 updated Zoning Districts, 12 of them will see no significant changes in makeup or dimensions. In the other two, the primary difference is the change to set maximum building heights to 35ft.

These are all relatively modest updates with significant benefit for our community. These updates were recommended to the Council unanimously by the Planning Commission.

An additional public hearing has been requested, and the City Council set the date for January 5, 2026 at 7pm in City Hall.

I truly hope the City Council celebrates the incredible work our resident volunteers have done over the last several years to reach compromises and agreement that will make Harbor Springs stronger.

I strongly support the Planning Commission's work and hope you do as well. Over 1,700 hours of consideration has produced an excellent update to our code.

It is time to pass it, thank our volunteers, and move forward. You can review the full presentation here.

As always, thank you for taking the time to review the proposed updates!