In October 2018, Irish Boat Shop revealed plans to construct a new building in Harbor Springs. This page is intended to provide information about this project and the LTYC’s response to it for our members and the public. We will update this page as information is available; you can sign up using the tool at the top of the screen to receive update notifications.
Scroll down or click the links below for more background information and links to other resources.
BACKGROUND INFO | OTHER RESOURCES
Updates: January 18, 2019
Commodore Jack Carruthers sent the following email to the LTYC membership on January 18, 2019:
Updates: January 14, 2019
Irish Boat Shop’s new building plan is under review by the City of Harbor Springs. The new plan (shown in the image above) incorporates extensive feedback, moves the building further to the East, adds restrooms on the west side toward the LTYC/LTS sailing center, and offers additional green space linking the IBS and LTYC properties. The site plan will be reviewed by the City’s Planning Commission this Thursday, January 17 at 5:30 pm at a public meeting at City Hall. Click here to view the agenda.
Updates: January 9, 2019
Irish Boat Shop has submitted a revised site plan to the City of Harbor Springs. We have posted all the documents, here. A large PDF of the submission can be downloaded here, and the filing can be also be obtained from the IBS web site.
As with the October 2018 IBS plan, The LTYC Board of Directors is evaluating the impact that this proposed plan will have on the LTYC and the Harbor Springs sailing community.
The Harbor Springs Planning Commission will be meeting on January 17 to consider the site plan submission. The meeting will be at 5:30 pm at the Harbor Springs City Hall.
As more information becomes available this page will be updated. As always, your Board of Directors welcomes your questions and comments at board@ltyc.org.
Updates: December 5, 2018
On December 4, Irish Boat Shop notified the Zoning Board of Appeals of its request to withdraw and cancel its site plan approval of October 18, 2018. A special meeting was called where that request was voted on and accepted by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
IBS Letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals (Dec. 4, 2018) [pdf]
We will update this page with further information as it becomes available. As always, your Board of Directors welcomes your questions and comments at board@ltyc.org.
Updates: November 30, 2018
The City of Harbor Springs has determined that the appropriate venue to address the Club’s zoning, legal, and other questions is the Zoning Board of Appeals, and has accordingly scheduled a meeting for Wednesday, December 12. The property owners (and Club members) at 355 E. Bay Street have also requested an opportunity to be heard.
As requested by the City, the LTYC filed materials outlining our concerns with the proposed IBS building location. These documents are linked below.
LTYC Filing to the Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals (Nov. 30, 2018) [pdf] (this is a longer, more detailed version of the preliminary filing linked below)
LTYC Filing to the Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals – Standing (Nov. 30, 2018) [pdf] (this document, required by the City, explains why LTYC is qualified to appear before the Zoning Board of Appeals)
The LTYC thanks the many Club members whose resources made this effort possible.
We will update this page with further information as it becomes available. As always, your Board of Directors welcomes your questions and comments at board@ltyc.org.
Updates: November 28, 2018
As requested by the City of Harbor Springs, the LTYC filed preliminary materials outlining our concerns on Monday, November 26. At the same time, we have also reached out again to Irish Boat Shop to communicate our sincere interest in working with IBS on this issue. These documents are linked below.
Preliminary filing to the Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals (Nov. 26, 2018) [pdf]
Letter from LTYC to Irish Boat Shop (Nov. 26, 2018) [pdf]
We will update this page with further information, including additional materials we submit to the Zoning Board of Appeals later this week. As always, your Board of Directors welcomes your questions and comments at board@ltyc.org.
Updates: November 26, 2018
After reviewing the IBS filings to the Planning Commission, the Commission’s meeting notes, the Harbor Springs Zoning Code and other relevant laws, the LTYC has become concerned that the Planning Commission approved the IBS site plan prematurely, based on incomplete information required under the Zoning Code.
Specifically, the LTYC has the following concerns:
1. The proposed IBS site plan has adverse effects on the LTYC—and there is no evidence that IBS or the Planning Commission analyzed whether or not the proposed site plan “minimizes adverse effects” as required by § 50.2001(1)(b) of the Harbor Springs Zoning Code.
2. The IBS site plan appears to be inconsistent with the Harbor Springs Zoning Code’s requirements for development in the Waterfront District, as specified in §§ 50.1500-1505.
3. There are substantial unresolved questions about the status of the State of Michigan bottomlands upon which IBS is proposing to build.
Given these concerns, in early November the LTYC requested an opportunity to present to the Planning Commission. The request was initially granted, but on November 16, the City administration decided that the proper venue for our concerns is the City’s Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA)—and thus determined that our request to the Planning Commission was, in fact, an appeal to the ZBA.
By this path, LTYC is scheduled for the Wednesday, December 12, 2018, ZBA meeting as was reported in a November 21 article in the Harbor Light. We are asking for further review of the approval of the IBS site plan on the grounds that the Planning Commission was not able to fully consider all of the provisions of the Harbor Springs Zoning Code.
Because LTYC continues to stand enthusiastically behind Irish Boat Shop’s goal of improving and updating their facilities, the decision to raise these issues with the City was not made lightly by the Board of Directors. However, each of the points above is firmly grounded in the City Zoning Code and Michigan state law—and all are matters which would typically be considered in a site plan review of this importance, in this waterfront location.
We will update this page with further information, including materials we submit to the Zoning Board of Appeals later this week. As always, your Board of Directors welcomes your questions and comments at board@ltyc.org.
Updates: November 12, 2018
The Little Traverse Yacht Club remains wholeheartedly in support of Irish Boat Shop’s goal to modernize their facilities and has been gratified by the substantial response related to IBS’s new building. We look forward to continuing this public discussion, including as requested by the City of Harbor Springs Planning Commission in December 2018.
The LTYC places great value on our long-term partnership with IBS, and we have every reason to look forward to it continuing long into the future. With respectful and consistent feedback from the community, LTYC members, neighbors, and others, we believe IBS will develop a site plan design that helps IBS prosper, improves the boating community, and enhances the Harbor Springs waterfront.
Background
On October 29, 2018, Irish Boat Shop publicly announced the planned construction of a new building on its existing property along Bay Street in Harbor Springs. The new building would replace the current building that houses the boat sales showroom, the ship’s store, and IBS offices. This new building would be of similar size to the old building but would be moved from the current location to the southwest corner of the IBS property, closer to the water and closer to the LTYC waterfront and clubhouse.
The proposed IBS building—and in particular the change in location—will have substantial impacts on the waterfront of Harbor Springs, and will particularly affect the LTYC.
The originally-proposed site plan, including the location of the building, was approved by the Harbor Springs Planning Commission on October 18, 2018. IBS announced that they planned to begin construction in August 2019.
The LTYC Board of Directors was notified of the IBS plans on October 25, 2018. Since then the Board has been investigating the potential impacts on the LTYC and its members, including the changes to the sight-lines from the LTYC porch and grounds, as well as changes that could impact overall access to the water including the viability of small boat sailing (i.e. Lasers) and the availability of dry sailing (i.e., J/70s). The Board is appreciative that Irish Boat Shop has engaged with the LTYC Board on these matters, and we plan to continue our dialog. (See Letter from LTYC Board to IBS, November 1, 2018.)
It is no exaggeration to say that the Little Traverse Yacht Club and Irish Boat Shop have had a long and mutually beneficial relationship as neighbors and partners in building the boating community in Harbor Springs. The LTYC Board has every reason to believe this partnership will continue far into the future, and we look forward to working closely with IBS to find a plan that meets the needs of IBS while maintaining the health of the LTYC, and especially its mission of bringing new families into the Harbor Springs boating and sailing community.
This page is intended as a collection of information related to this issue and will be updated as new information is available.
Note: Because IBS filed a revised site plan in January 2019, we have removed many of the images representing the original October 2018 site plan.
Contact Information
Irish Boat Shop: Michael Esposito, President – esposito@irishboatshop.com – (231) 526-6225
City of Harbor Springs: Tom Richards, City Manager – citymanager@cityofharborsprings.com – (231) 526-2104
Harbor Springs Planning/Zoning Administrator: Jeff Grimm – assessor@cityofharborsprings.com – (231) 526-2104
Little Traverse Yacht Club: Board of Directors – board@ltyc.org
Other Resources
Letters & Documents (most recent at top)
Commodore’s Letter to LTYC Membership, Jan. 18, 2019.
IBS Letter to the Zoning Board of Appeals, Dec. 4, 2018 [pdf]
LTYC Filing to the Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals, Nov. 30, 2018 [pdf]
LTYC Filing to the Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals – Standing, Nov. 30, 2018 [pdf]
LTYC Preliminary filing to the Harbor Springs Zoning Board of Appeals, Nov. 26, 2018 [pdf]
Letter from LTYC Board to Irish Boat Shop, Nov. 26, 2018 [pdf]
Commodore’s Letter to LTYC Membership, Nov. 4, 2018.
Letter from LTYC Board to Irish Boat Shop, Nov. 1, 2018 [pdf]
News Reports & Op/Ed Items (most recent at top)
New Site Plan Approved for Irish Boat Shop, Petoskey News-Review, Jan. 20, 2019
Letter to Editor: Waterfront Reflections, Harbor Light, Dec. 19, 2018
— Also available on IBS New Building Updates page.
Boat Shop Requests, Receives Cancellation of Building Project Approval, Petoskey News-Review, Dec. 5, 2018
Yacht Club Appeals Irish Boat Shop Building Approval, Harbor Light, November 21, 2108
Letter to Editor: Harbor Springs is “evolving”, Harbor Light, Nov. 7, 2018
Waterfront Change, Harbor Light, October 31, 2018
Websites & Other Resources
LTYC: IBS Site Plan Submission, January 2019
Irish Boat Shop: Site Plan Submission 2
LTYC: Proposed New IBS Building – Frequently Asked Questions
Irish Boat Shop: New Building Updates
Buday + Kruzel (proposed building’s architect)
City of Harbor Springs: Zoning Code [pdf]
City of Harbor Springs: Master Plan (2014) [pdf]