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EAGLE RIVER -- A crowd of roughly 20 residents attended the Keweenaw County Planning Commission's public hearing Monday, taking advantage of the final statutory window to voice comments on the updated draft of the county’s Master Plan.
The session at the courthouse officially concluded a mandatory 63-day public review period. The hearing documented citizen feedback on the Blueprint for Tomorrow planning text before the Planning Commission forwards its recommendations to the County Board of Commissioners.
Fewer than 10 attendees stepped to the microphone to express their objection centered on what residents termed a “commercial overlay” district proposed for Houghton Township.
During public comment, a long-time Eagle River resident questioned the goals of the draft, asserting that the community has operated strictly as a residential district for the past century. Planning Commission Chair Don Simila voiced a similar perspective during the session.
"The nature of Eagle River is a small, residential community," Simila said. "I mean, it is what it is."
Patrick Coleman, a professional community planner with more than 40 years of experience, who contracted to draft the update, addressed the public concerns directly.
"In the master plan, where it talked about form-based code, it was not a commercial overlay," Coleman said. "I don't know where that came from."
Coleman clarified the proposed form-based code was designed to restrict building dimensions rather than expand business access.
"The idea of form-based code would be to really limit the scale of any real new building in Eagle River, in order to protect the integrity of the historic district," Coleman said. "It's really viewed as protection, not as opening it up for development."
Coleman explained that form-based code regulates structural elements like lot coverage and story count rather than traditional required setbacks.
"If you notice in the historic districts, the buildings are right up close to the street," Coleman said. "So you would have a build-to line based on that existing development pad."
Addressing audience questions regarding a proposed coffee shop in the village, Coleman noted that a form-based code could provide for mixed-use developments, combining a business and a residence, which would be determined during the drafting of a specific ordinance. Current county zoning forbids businesses other than home-based occupations. Simila noted that a small number of such operations currently exist in Eagle River as non-conforming uses, including local art and graphic design studios operating out of residential properties along the Main Street corridor.
"But really, I was thinking the form-based code was protection for the historic district, to prevent someone from building a 'McMansion'-type structure and really changing the character of the historic district," Coleman said.
Simila inquired if current township or county ordinances prevent outlandish construction projects, citing an example of a purple house resembling an Easter egg. Coleman replied that under standard zoning, such structures are permitted provided they meet general setback and height maximums.
Coleman noted the inclusion of the code in the advisory text was for initial county consideration rather than immediate adoption. Following the public pushback, Coleman suggested the language be removed to resolve the misunderstanding.
"Obviously, you heard from a lot of people that think it's a bad idea," Coleman said. "I guess I would listen to that input. My apologies to everybody here. I thought it was a good idea to provide some additional protection of the historic district, but it kind of got blown out of proportion to what we really had in mind."
Planning officials reiterated that the Master Plan functions strictly as a 20-year advisory blueprint for infrastructure and development goals rather than an active property restriction. Under Michigan law, maintaining an updated master plan is a mandatory prerequisite for a county to legally preserve or revise its zoning authority.
Following the public comment segment, the Planning Commission formally closed the public hearing and transitioned into its regular monthly meeting agenda to address the text modifications. Recommendations for changes to the text will be discussed at an upcoming meeting.