Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette From left, Keweenaw County board members Jim Vivian, Don Piche, Chairman, and Commissioner Rob DeMarois discuss a MSHDA grant opportunity.

EAGLE RIVER — With Keweenaw County’s Master Plan, Blueprint for Tomorrow, being delayed due to short-term rental issues, along with facing budget constraints with county zoning, the Board of Commissioners received some positive news on an opportunity to relieve some of those pressures.

The opportunity is in the form of a Housing Readiness Incentive grant.

The grant is through the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Its main purpose is to fund master plan and zoning ordinances and updates intended to increase housing production.

In an Aug. 2 email, Jerry Wuorenmaa, executive director of the Western U.P. Planning and Development Region said that essentially, the grant can used for any plan or zoning ordinance as long as it incorporates new or revised elements for streamlined, liberalized or innovative approaches to housing.

“The only problem is the timing,” Wuorenmaa wrote. “Projects under these grants need to be completed within two years of the award.”

County Commission Board Chairman Don Piche felt it was worth applying for.

“No match required, no strings attached,” he said. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t go for it.”

Board member Rob DeMarois commented that the grant would allow for cleaning up the zoning ordinance. Piche agreed.

“We could hire professionals to do that with that money,” he said.

The county’s Master Plan, which is required by Michigan law to be updated every five years, is nearly two years late, primarily due to arguments over regulations on short-term rentals. Most of the arguments against STR regulations are presented by owners who do not reside in the county, while stances in favor of regulations come from local residents.

The Master Plan was completed in 2016 by the Keweenaw County Planning Commission and WUPPDR, with input from Allouez, Eagle Harbor, Grant, Houghton and Sherman townships, along with various county agencies. It was accepted by the County Board in 2017.