Planning commission narrows approach to residential height measurements; staff to fix diagrams

Harbor Springs planning staff and commissioners on April 16 clarified how proposed zoning code changes would measure residential building height and agreed to correct diagrams that conflict with the written definitions.

Planning staff told the commission the new code measures height from the average grade at the property line rather than the grade at the face of the building, a change intended to prevent builders from moving a structure on a lot to alter the measured height. Staff said consultants Beckett Raeder will help update the diagrams, and the commission directed staff to test the revised method against existing homes, particularly bluff-front properties with walkout basements, to avoid inadvertently creating noncompliance among current houses.

Why it matters: The measurement method affects how many stories a house may effectively present from different sides and whether attic or half-story spaces can be converted into habitable rooms without violating the zoning limit. Commissioners emphasized that the primary control remains the 35-foot maximum and that internal configurations (attic vs. habitable space) are difficult to police reliably over time.

Jeff, planning staff, explained the change to the commission: “In the old code, we did measure to determine grade at the face of the building … in the new code, we have changed that to not look at the location of the building, but to look at the average grade at the property line.” Commissioners flagged a discrepancy between that textual definition and one or more illustrative diagrams; staff agreed to correct the diagrams so the drawings align with the code text.

Commissioners also discussed design outcomes: several said they prefer to leave aesthetic choices to property owners while exploring a historic advisory body to provide guidance on appropriate forms (for example, discouraging flat roofs that maximize interior volume). The commission did not adopt a stricter story-count limit; members expressed support for keeping a 35-foot cap with clearer measurement rules.

Next step: Staff will refine diagrams, present proposed corrections to the planning commission (targeting a June follow-up), and test the measurement against representative existing homes to assess compliance impacts. Any code amendments will return to the commission for recommendation to City Council.

Outcome: Commission agreed to adopt the language with the condition that diagrams be revised to conform to the written definitions and that staff test the approach against existing properties.