Beaver Island Michigan

Will the consolidation of the townships help with changing of the zoning ordinance's and allow for the building of mirco homes. One of the biggest problems I see on the island is all of the undeveloped property in the Port of St james lots that were once $15,000 selling for $2000. " Mirco Homes Let them build and they will come" Allowing this new industry to bloom on the island will increase people building on their lots. Giving them a reason to come to the island to spend time and money, hopefully leading to the price of the boat being lowered by volume of new people coming to the island.

This is my dream for the island "LET THEM BUILD"

I think you will find that the Port Of St James has its own covenant on the minimum size of a home and that would have to be changed even if St James changed the current minimum home size restriction in the current ordinance.

Here are a couple of links for more information on Tiny Homes

https://www.greatlakestinyhome.com/sing ... -Townships

https://www.fosterswift.com/communicati ... higan.html

Bob Tidmore

Tiny Homes 1.44% 2 well I guess that's better then 0

The Island is perfect for tiny houses and tiny house communities. For example on a 10 acre parcel you could partition off four 2 acre lots for four private tiny houses. The center 2 acres could be used for a community building. It could have showers, septic, well, , trash/recycling, community kitchen, garden etc. Could be set up like a little Condo community.

It's a great way to let more people get their foot in the door on the Island without the big cost of buying a large home.

It is a great idea. I hope Zoning changes can be made to allow them.

John McCafferty

Forget Port St. James as a location for micro homes. It is just a little too far for convenient everyday walking distance to town. The Karnes development would be an ideal location; very close, underground power, flexible zoning district (which still would have to be amended for size), room for large common well and septic.
It would still need a developer with the money and desire to create a comprehensive well thought out prepared plan to present to the Planning Commission. Things like this don't happen by government alone. It's the private sector that leads the way.

Right on, I have stated before that there might be a chance that some of the properties in that area could have access to the St James septic field as the line to the field runs along Donegal Bay Road. All that would be required is capacity study of the existing system. If "yes" then a septic field would not be required.

Bob Tidmore
26035 Main St
Beaver Island, MI

When Liam mentioned "The Karnes Development" I took a little walk down memory lane. The "Karnes development" was one of the top 'Good Idea Fairy' failures of all time on the island. Here It is 15 years later and not one structure has been built on any of its 37 parcels. I remember the hype when we were told it was going to be an economic boom for the Island. Sadly today the property values have dropped to about half of what they were purchased for. Would be nice to see something positive go on there. Tiny houses could be the catalyst it needs.

As Bill Markey once said to me when I was on the Planning Commission with him, "Its seems unfair that we have a rule of how small people can build, but we don't have a rule on how big people can build". Just leave individuals alone to decide what size house they want. I think Bill was able to sneak in a 400SF exception in Peaine but I think that was only for a very specific type of Agricultural land.

Regarding the PSJA, It would be great for tiny houses. Lots are dirt cheap there as their value is back down to what they were in the late 1990s. But from what I understand the covenant is so stringently worded that modifying it to allow tiny houses would be virtually impossible.

(Pssst, do the Karnes have any plans on cleaning up the old dilapidated Resale shop building across from the boat doc? It is really bad to have that as one of the 1st things people see when the get off the boat)

Karnes would be a great place to start a tiny house community. lots are not huge, plenty of room for a tiny home and a yard. build some homes that young families could actually afford to own or rent here on the island. within walking distance

A little micro or mini house retirement community within walker distance to the library interests me, but if I move there I would have to change Townships, unless....
Oh! and Adam (AEW), I wouldn't dare to brag that I "snuck" anything into the Zoning Ordinance. The Cabin Courts dwelling square footage Special Use text addition in the Ag zone was done legally and was adopted by the Peaine Twp Board, however, like the Karnes developement it was an economic incentive that flopped and has never been applied for.

I heard the rumor that Karnes at one time was thinking about buying the house next to the Shamrock and turning it and the old livery into very rustic, as is, Micro Apartments. The appearance of the harbor area will only be as good as the enforcement of zoning regulations. There maybe somethings to work on before developing the Karnes Plat. Don't get me wrong, I'm all in for Micro Homes close to the harbor.

The Karnes devopment would be the perfect location. It is to bad it is so expensive to get things to the Island. I think snowbirds would flock to the Island if they could afford to get their rigs to the Island for Summers and there was also a nice RV park. I have been asked by many people I have meet in my travels if they could bring their RVâ??s to Beaver Island. The answer is you canâ??t afford it and there are no parks.

John McCafferty

The Karnes devopment would be the perfect location. It is to bad it is so expensive to get things to the Island. I think snowbirds would flock to the Island if they could afford to get their rigs to the Island for Summers and there was also a nice RV park. I have been asked by many people I have meet in my travels if they could bring their RVâ??s to Beaver Island. The answer is you canâ??t afford it and there are no parks.

John McCafferty

John, Good points. Micro Homes might just be the saving answer to BI. My point being that the first thing one sees getting off the boat is the rundown old livery and the next is the rundown house by the Shamrock. BI can do better than that but if zoning regs are not going to be enforced, what will a Micro Home complex look like in few years? Still all in for Micro Homes.

I agree that those 2 buildings are an eyesore on the Harbor. It must be that the Zoning does not have the authority to force the owners to do anything about or if so are not enforcing their authority. I also agree if the Zoning will not be enforced then why have it.

John McCafferty