The Modest Three: #1

Today, we begin a series highlighting changes in the new zoning code. These relatively small changes constitute the bulk of the recommendations the city council adopted in the new zoning code.

We are dubbing them: “The Modest Three.”

Today, we start with Modest Change #1:

One of the complaints the Planning Commission heard about the old code is it was unnecessarily complex. So what did our friends and neighbors on the commission do to address the issue?

The new zoning code is designed to be more clear, simple, and fair for all. Here’s what the new code does to streamline things:

• Modernizes the structure of the document and makes the document much easier to use for residents and professionals. They added many more tables, diagrams, and hotlinks in the on-line version. (Web links sadly not a thing in 1976, the last time the code went through an update)

• Reduces zoning districts from 17 to 9. The City of Harbor Springs has a total area of 1.3 miles. Having 17 districts in such a small town made understanding and navigating the rules too complicated. A good example was Ottawa Street, which before the new code had four different zoning districts. Ottawa Street is only 1000 feet long!

  All those districts increased the time and expense to homeowners who needed Planning Commission approval.

Simpler is better. And the new code still provides guardrails for our community’s growth.

Stay tuned this week as we explore the rest of the “The Modest Three.”