Home    News    August News

News from the Keweenaw Peninsula August 27, 2002 Text © 2002 Keweenaw Now. Photos © Janet Shea and Pat Ryan, as indicated. Published with permission.

Proposed Keweenaw County Land Use Plan receives public input

By Michele Anderson and Kathy Halvorsen

MOHAWK -- More than 100 citizens and governmental decision makers gathered in the Mohawk School on Aug. 7, 2002, to see and comment on a preliminary draft of a Keweenaw County Preferred Land Use Plan, titled "Blueprint for Tomorrow."

Approximately 100 citizens filled the Mohawk School gym for the Aug. 7 county-wide public meeting on the draft Keweenaw County Land Use Plan. (Photo by Pat Ryan).

On Tuesday, Aug. 27, the draft plan will be presented to the Keweenaw County Zoning/ Planning Commission for their review.

This draft is the result of a land use planning effort by Keweenaw County volunteer township planning advisory committees working for more than a year with Lori Hauswirth, associate planner of the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR).

"What we're looking for is what your vision of the future is," said Hauswirth, who led the Aug. 7 public meeting with a presentation on the history of the county-wide planning process and a description of the recommendations in the proposed plan.

Lori Hauswirth, associate planner for the Western Upper Peninsula Planning and Development Region (WUPPDR), leads the discussion on the draft Keweenaw County Land Use Plan at the Aug. 7 public meeting in the Mohawk School. (Photo by Janet Shea)

Large copies of the proposed county-wide land use map were posted around the room. Also available were copies of the planning groups' vision statement, smaller copies of details from the land use map and a handout with excerpts from the draft plan.

This detail from the proposed land use map shows most of Eagle Harbor Township. Land use categories shown are Resort Residential (RR), light pink; Conservation-Environmental Protection (C-EP), dark green; Timber Resources (TR), light green; and Rural Residential (RU), yellow. (Map © and courtesy WUPPDR)

The vision statement presented at this meeting says, "Keweenaw County will be a County that is environmentally and economically sustainable through the responsible management of land and resources for the benefit of future generations; a place where residents and visitors have continued access to the many scenic, recreational and historical assets of our communities; and a County that respects the choices of its Townships in defining their own character, priorities and development patterns."

Hauswirth noted each township has its own distinctive characteristics.

"Each township is really different -- from Sherman with 60 residents to Eagle Harbor, which is primarily a retirement community, to Copper Harbor, which is really a destination resort area," she said.

The plan attempts to accommodate differences in township priorities through the list of goals and policies -- compiled from input that township planners gathered through township committee work, public meetings and township surveys held in the past year.

"What we're really going for is consistency in county decision making," Hauswirth explained. "That includes the townships, the village and county-wide -- so that when an issue comes in front of the board, they'll have a document to refer to that says,'This is what the public wants.' And ultimately we're just trying to protect the assets of Keweenaw County, which everybody has an interest in."

Hauswirth discussed several issues and opportunities summarized in the handout -- issues such as growth, land divestiture and environmental protection -- and opportunities such as Keweenaw's rural/wilderness character, visual landscape and assets for economic development.

The handout also gave descriptions of land use category definitions, which became a subject of lively discussion during the meeting.

Residents question economic impacts of land protection

For about forty-five minutes, audience members asked questions and made comments. Some were deeply concerned about potential economic impacts of both the plan and any future changes in zoning associated with the new plan. Others favored greater restrictions on land use in the interest of protecting the character and environment of Keweenaw County.

Some landowners expressed concern that property now zoned Resort Residential (RR) might be changed to Conservation - Environmental Protection (C-EP) and that the economic (tax-base) value of the land might be decreased.

Richard Powers of Copper Harbor questioned whether the planners had looked at the economic impact re-zoning might have on local governments. He said a landowner whose land is now zoned RR but marked C-EP for future land use might ask that his taxes be lowered.

Said Hauswirth, "We're not re-zoning (right now)."

She explained that if re-zoning were to occur in the future, landowners would be notified and would have an opportunity to offer input through public hearings.

In general, the draft Preferred Land Use Plan uses the land use classification terms in Keweenaw County's current zoning regulations, with some changes and additions. 

Jim Vivian, Jr., of Eagle River, chair of the Keweenaw County Zoning Board of Appeals, pointed out that when county zoning was implemented in 1975, the current zoning was grandfathered in for individual properties. He said he understood the same situation would apply in a case of re-zoning: The present zoning is grandfathered in, and when the land is sold the new land use may take effect.

Jim Vivian, Jr., of Eagle River, right, explains aspects of the future land use map to residents at the Aug. 7 public meeting in the Mohawk School. (Photo by Janet Shea)

"We're looking at two different situations here," Vivian said, "zoning vs. land use."

John Griffith of Allouez Township, said he believed the value of property would ultimately be raised by long-term land-use planning and appropriate zoning.

"We have to look at the whole picture," Griffith said. "Overall the impact will be beneficial to local government."

Griffith and his wife, Jane Griffith, members of the North Woods Conservancy, have been active in acquiring Seven-Mile Point for public access and in the county's recent successful efforts to purchase land at the mouth of the Gratiot River for a county park.

Noted Vivian, "We've got quite a movement to put land in conservancies. What guarantee is there that these lands will remain open to the public?"

John Griffith said that while some properties purchased by conservancies may not be suitable for heavy use by the public (for example, those with rare plants to be protected), for the most part the goal of conservancies in the area is to preserve public access.

Township groups discuss questions, concerns

The general discussion at the meeting was followed by break-out sessions where audience members with land in different townships gathered together around the wall maps. This was intended as a period of time where people could ask questions and give specific comments about parcels they owned within the townships. Toward the end of the evening, the small groups reconvened as one and voiced comments and concerns expressed within their smaller groups.

Tom Collins of Grant Township (which had held a public meeting on the township's land use survey results on Aug. 1) and Doug Sherk, Eagle Harbor Township supervisor, both mentioned their groups were interested in making two categories of Resort Service (RS) in order to separate such services as gas stations from other uses, while Jon Soper of Allouez Township noted the uses allowed in Business District already made such a distinction. 

At the Grant Township Land Use Planning Public Meeting on Aug. 1 in Copper Harbor, Tom Collins reviews township maps depicting land use districts. These maps, from WUPPDR, were also made available at the Aug. 7 public meeting in Mohawk. (Photo by Janet Shea)

The group reports were followed by a spirited discussion of the tensions between economic development and environmental protection.

Bob Grasseschi of Houghton County initiated a second discussion concerning the economic effect of re-zoning on property values. He said a land use plan -- as a basis for zoning -- should be concerned with how to sustain growth and should, through zoning, try to encourage development in what he termed the few areas in Keweenaw County that are still developable.

Grasseschi said he believed Keweenaw County needs tax base to be financially viable as a county. 

Paul Freshwater of Eagle Harbor noted the "engine driving economic growth" right now in Keweenaw County is retirees, who take few jobs but spend their retirement checks.

"Why do they come here? Why do they like it here? That's what we're trying to protect," Freshwater said. "Sure, I want this to be a viable economic community, but let's not forget what the biggest piece of growth in it right now is -- It's the people who live here for life style."

Sherk noted Allouez Township is already zoned for commercial growth, while Grant Township allows for expansion of tourism. He said Eagle Harbor Township is quite interested in preserving the timber industry.

During the small-group sessions at the Aug. 7 public meeting, residents of Eagle Harbor and Houghton townships met to discuss a future land use map and other concerns. Land use planning committee members pictured are, standing, from right, Jean Ellis of Eagle Harbor Township; Jim Vivian, Jr., Houghton Township supervisor; Doug Sherk, Eagle Harbor Township supervisor; and Bruce Olson of Eagle Harbor. (Photo by Pat Ryan)

"Not only is it a source of jobs -- It might not be your highest paying jobs -- but it's a renewable resource," Sherk noted. "It sets aside large areas for public access. So I think there are a lot of things which point toward an increase in the value in this county. It's pretty well set up ... and what we're doing is tweaking it a little in trying to preserve those things that make it worthwhile."

Jim Brisky of Mohawk said he was concerned about developers who find loopholes in zoning, as Black Bear has done with zoning changes to accommodate the Bohemia Ski Hill. He said development needs to be controlled if Keweenaw is not to end up like Traverse City and Petoskey in Lower Michigan.

"It's all about greed and money and business people who want to make a fortune, and they could care less about the locals," Brisky said.

Zoning/Planning Commission could adopt plan by Oct. 29

Hauswirth said the draft plan will receive more input once the Zoning/Planning Commission, the townships and stakeholders have a chance to review it in the next month. It will then be presented a second time to the Zoning/Planning Commission at their Sept. 24 meeting. Meanwhile the planners will try to obtain resolutions of support from the townships.

She added the goal is to have a public hearing on the plan preceding the Oct. 29 meeting of the Zoning/Planning Commission. (At least one public hearing is required by law.) At that meeting the Zoning/Planning Commission will have its first opportunity to adopt the land use plan.

Hauswirth said the planners also wish to obtain a resolution of support from the County Board of Commissioners.

At the Aug. 7 public meeting, Lori Hauswirth presented several slides explaining the land use process and, here, the timeline for adoption by the Keweenaw County Zoning/Planning Commission. (Photo by Janet Shea)

"The Zoning/Planning Commission has the final authority to adopt the land use plan," Hauswirth explained. "However, the County Board (of Commissioners) would be the ones to enact implementation measures, such as revised zoning, possible zoning overlays or properties to purchase for land protection."

Ideally, she added, County Board support of the plan would make it more effective.

"We are under somewhat of a timeline based on a new law (to go into effect Jan. 9, 2003) that requires some coordinated zoning and notification requirements," Hauswirth noted. "What that means is that if we don't have this adopted by that date we would follow these new regulations that require quite a bit of notification that could drag it out for many more months."

One of the first meetings in the process of developing the land use plan for Keweenaw County was the Feb. 5, 2001, Keweenaw Common Ground Workshop -- also held in the Mohawk School.

Christa Walck, Common Ground Core Group chair and facilitator of that workshop, also attended the Aug. 7, 2002, public meeting.

"I was pleased at the turnout," Walck said. "I thought Lori and all the township committees did an excellent job on the proposed plan, which I hope is approved. It will put Keweenaw County on the map as having a model land use plan."

Hauswirth said citizens wishing to learn more about the Keweenaw County land use plan can contact her at WUPPDR or they can contact township planning committees or township supervisors.

Lori Hauswirth's work with the township land use planning advisory groups has been funded by the People and Land Program of the Kellogg Foundation.

Background of Keweenaw planning effort

The land use planning process began with a request by the Keweenaw County Zoning/Planning Commissioners for the creation of township- and county-level land use planning advisory groups that could work toward the development of a Keweenaw County Preferred Land Use Plan to update the 1987 Keweenaw County Comprehensive Development Plan. In August 2000 WUPPDR was approached for assistance. Once they received the Kellogg Foundation funding, WUPPDR was able to work with the township planning groups, who also sought advice from Michigan State Extension planning experts.

For almost two years, the five township planning groups have gathered information, met individually and as a county group and presented their work to the public for their comments. The township level advisory groups oversaw the administration of landowner surveys in four of the five townships in the county. These surveys solicited responses regarding the desired future for Keweenaw County and contributed to the creation of the vision statement and the plan.

Hauswirth said the planning groups are now working on Section 3 -- Implementation -- of the Preferred Land Use Plan and are continuing to receive comments and input from landowners.

Both Hauswirth and the planning groups have stressed repeatedly that the draft plan is not zoning but a statement of desired future land uses. The new draft plan includes future land uses with less intensive development than the 1987 Comprehensive Development Plan. The proposed future land uses could be encouraged through the passage of zoning by the County Board of Commissioners, but the plan would be a separate document.

Editor's note: Co-author Kathy Halvorsen is a natural resource sociologist on the faculty of Michigan Technological University. She is studying local land use issues. For documents related to the Keweenaw County land use planning effort see Janet Shea's Web site Keweenaw Land and the Keweenaw Liberty Library. See also the Keweenaw Now July 30 article, "Public encouraged to discuss Keweenaw County's future Aug. 7." For more on the background of the Keweenaw planning effort see "Keweenaw citizen groups develop land use plan," by Michele Anderson, in the Spring 2002 issue of Superior Vision, published on the Lake Superior Alliance Web site.