October 2023 Newsletter
LLT Housing Video Debuted
The lack of year-round housing in the Harbor Springs area prompted a group of local citizens to organize the Harbor Area Residential Trust (HART). The group acts as local advocates for an approach called a “Community Land Trust” (CLT). HART is organized under long-time housing non-profit Northern Homes Community Development Corporation’s CLT structure.
HART has modest plans to build or renovate a handful of homes in the Harbor Springs School District area and sell them for affordable prices (in the mid - $200,000’s) to year-round people who have found it impossible to compete with cash buyers in this challenging housing market. They think the community land trust model is a good fit for Harbor Springs because it preserves the character of the area while helping more year-round people make the difficult jump to home ownership. It is not a solution for everyone in need of affordable housing but can make a huge difference for qualified year-round people ready for home ownership.
HART recently purchased, renovated, and is selling its first home. Professionals handled the renovation, but several community members turned out to provide the landscaping to welcome the new owner. Funding to demonstrate the concept was provided by the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Community Foundation and the Frey Family Foundation. The group is planning its next project now and is looking for contributions of a home, a lot, or funds. For more information about HART, CLICK HERE.
Lofts at Lumber Square Groundbreaking
The Lofts at Lumber Square is moving one step closer to creating 60 new apartments within walking distance of downtown Petoskey. On Friday, November 3rd, 2023, project partners Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation, Northern Homes Community Development Corporation, and Haan Development are hosting a ceremonial groundbreaking ahead of the anticipated start of construction later this fall. The Lofts at Lumber Square is a workforce housing apartment building of 1-3 bedroom units that will be reserved for households earning up to 120% of Emmet County’s Area Median Income (or roughly $104,520 for a family of four).
The Little Traverse Bay Housing Partnership has been a champion for this project since its early days and its advocacy and support have been critical to the strong community support the project has received. The Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation is donating the land to the project and is raising an additional $3.7 million to bridge the financial gap. The project is expected to be completed in mid-2025.
CROOKED RIVER CIRCLE HOMES READY TO RENT!
Crooked River Circle, a beautifully wooded neighborhood bordering the bike trail just West of US 31 in Brutus, will soon become dotted with 36 new long-term rental homes. The efforts of Emmet County’s Planning Commission to create opportunities for more effective land use and housing choice directly affected the potential of this community.
Thanks to these changes and with a strong mission to build high-quality, well-designed homes for our full-time residents, developers Douglas Shaw and Kevin Crute saw a way to build 36 units where only 12 would have been previously allowed. A Duplex and an Accessory Dwelling Unit on each parcel will accommodate a variety of housing choices; 24 will be 2–3-bedroom units and 12 will be single-bedroom cottages. Shaw and Crute note that “It is very important for us to maintain the rural feel and to utilize materials and technologies that are extremely efficient both for residents and the environment. Flexible layouts as well as lower utilities and maintenance costs will allow our community members to remain in their homes as their needs may change over time.” Rents will be targeted to 100% of Emmet County Area Median Income as set by HUD, or about $2100 a month for a 3-bedroom unit. To learn more CLICK HERE.
Big and Little Wins
The “Housing Readiness” of a community is not merely measured by units built. Housing Ready is a journey of preparation and our communities have boldly taken more than just the first step. Emmet County Planning Commission has led the way allowing for more choice, creating opportunities for greater residential density, and streamlining both zoning code and administrative approvals.
Resort, Bear Creek, and Little Traverse Townships have already or will be re-evaluating their Master Plans and zoning codes with housing choice in mind. The City of Harbor Springs and the Villages of Mackinaw City and Pellston have done the same. The City of Petoskey has responded to a barrage of new projects, new partners, and new tools to significantly move the needle on local housing choice. This is slow, complex work and our units of government, both elected officials and staff, deserve a lot of credit. If you see one of these individuals in the wild, please take a moment to acknowledge the importance of their efforts.
In an extremely competitive field with very limited Office of Rural Development funding, only three communities in our 10-county region demonstrated their ability to face the challenge of Rural Readiness and two of them were in Emmet County! The City of Petoskey, in conjunction with neighboring townships will put this funding toward a water/sewer study to determine next steps for increasing capacity. This kind of intergovernmental collaboration is exemplary for our region. The Village of Mackinaw City will use their funding to conduct surveys and wetland delineation on their Redevelopment Ready Priority Sites, accelerating timelines and alleviating costs to potential residential development partners.
And there is progress! We should take a minute to celebrate the new units that will be ready for residents within the next few months. Habitat continues to finish homes at an incredible pace. The long-awaited Lofts at Lumber Square project is holding a groundbreaking. Crooked River Circle is ready to rent both units of their first duplex. Three area homes will be finished and sold through Northern Homes Community Land Trust, including one sponsored by HART, the Harbor Area Resident Trust. Conway Commons has begun the final phase of their 70-home expansion. And Pine Pond is working aggressively on the first phase of installing 20 homes per year. (More on HART, Crooked River Circle, and the Lofts at Lumber Square in this Newsletter). Our eager residents will begin to feel the housing choices increase. Challenges abound, but so do people committed to doing the Housing Ready work that will continue this remarkable momentum.
HOUSING READY DIRECTOR UPDATE
HOUSING NORTH UPDATE
Emmet County Data in the NW Michigan Housing Needs Assessment
The July 2023 LTBHP Newsletter included a summary of Housing North’s NW Michigan Housing Needs Assessment for 2022-2027. The report was developed in conjunction with Bowen National Research and was made possible by support from the Frey Foundation and Networks Northwest.
Detailed county data is now available HERE. Click on Emmet County Overview for analysis and Summary Sheet for data. The 2-page summary sheet is a printer-friendly resource for understanding the specific housing needs of our community and a guide for developing the most appropriate solutions.
PROJECT UPDATES
LOCAL POLICY UPDATES
As reported in the July 2023 LTBP Newsletter, Emmet County Planning and Zoning staff have been working with the County Planning Commission on proposed amendments to the County’s Planned Unit Development-Residential Overlay (PUD-RO) Zoning Ordinance. The amendments would allow density and height bonuses for missing middle housing based on site amenities. The proposed amendments have been shared with townships for input over the summer and will be considered by the Planning Commission in November. For a copy of the proposed changes to the Emmet County PUD zoning ordinance, email pzcr@emmetcounty.org.
ADVOCACY UPDATES
Representatives of the LTBHP frequently attend and testify at Emmet County local government meetings in support of zoning or permitting changes needed to proceed with developments that would increase the number of residential housing units in our area.
Recently the Partnership Leadership Team (Andrea Jacobs, Nikki Devitt, Sarah Ford, Susan Hannah, Dough Mantha, Bill Mulder, Carlin Smith, and Sarah Ulrich) sent a letter to the West Traverse Township Board in support of a proposed R-1 to R-2 zoning change along State Road that would increase the allowable density in a transitional commercial/residential section of the Township. The proposed change was not approved.
Yarrow Brown, Executive Director of Housing North, spoke to the Petoskey City Council in support of rezoning and permitting changes needed for the proposed multi-unit development at the old Maple Block industrial site. The requested changes were approved with modification.
STATEWIDE HOUSING PLAN UPDATE
AND NOW WE WAIT….
The flip charts, markers, and voting dots are put away and Regional Action Plans have been sent to the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) for their review. The development of the plan for Region D, which includes the ten counties in northwest Michigan, was led by Housing North. Many representatives from the Little Traverse Bay Housing Partnership participated in the strategy sessions.
The Region D Plan emphasized collaboration among state agencies, philanthropy, local governments, tribal governments, private sector leaders, and non-profits who are engaged in addressing the housing crisis. Planning and zoning practices as well as infrastructure expansion were all part of the conversation with a goal of increasing the workforce housing stock throughout the region.
There is no timetable for when MSHDA will issue its final plan. For more information, CLICK HERE.
Layout for new Crooked River Circle Homes
WELCOME HART HOUSE!
Andrea Jacobs
andrea@housingnorth.org
More than 75 people came to an Open House at the new HART home to learn about the land trust concept and celebrate HART’s first success.
CLTs are nonprofit, community-based organizations governed by a local board that are designed to ensure sustainable community stewardship of land as a community investment. CLTs are primarily used to ensure long-term housing affordability by retaining the ownership of the land while selling the house to an income-qualified household at a reduced price and leasing the land to the buyer. For more information CLICK HERE.
A quarterly update from Emmet County Housing Ready Director Andrea Jacobs
