The Leelanau Township planning commission (PC) is one step closer to making a decision on farmstay campsites in the agriculture zoning district. Planning commission members met for their regular meeting last Thursday to discuss the current draft amendment presented and originally reviewed on June 27. After going through the draft and adding changes to it, the PC agreed to set a public hearing for September 12 to present the amendment once again with its revisions.
“After that (the public hearing), the process will have it go to county planning and then back to the township board for adoption… It’s a special-use now, so it needed another public hearing,” said Leelanau Township Zoning Administrator Steve Patmore. “I think with the stars being aligned, if you guys (the PC board) were in a position to approve it on September 12, it could go to county planning that month… then it could be back to the township board in October.”
Phil Hallstedt of Hallstedt Homestead Cherries in Northport first introduced the application to board members at the April 25 township planning commission meeting, which was then followed by a public hearing regarding the proposed farmstays text amendment on May 23. Hallstedt’s original application addressed a text amendment that would provide working farms with 40 or more acres to have the option to host up to four farm stays (campsites) under a special use permit, with a goal to ultimately help farmers generate additional on-farm income.
Farmstay campsites are defined as a “small campground that is considered as a special land use in the agricultural zoning district as an agritourism accessory use to a commercial farming activity.” According to the amendment’s minimum location standards, “the minimum gross parcel or tract size will be 20 acres, however, the size of the parcel, topography, and surrounding land uses will be factors in determining if an application qualifies for a special use permit, as well as the number of allowable campsites.”
In terms of the maximum number of allowable campsites on a parcel, the PC will determine what the number will be based on different factors, but it will not exceed two campsites for a 20 acre parcel/tract size, three campsites for 30 acres, and four campsites for 40 acres or more. In addition, the PC members ultimately decided to remove part 11 from the minimum location standards, which originally said it (the farmstay campsites) could be operated in conjunction with other agritourism uses (wineries, bed and breakfast, U-pick operations, etc).
Operational limitations for a campsite are laid out in 12 parts in the amendment. Some of those limitations include defining the campsite setbacks, which would be a minimum of 100 feet from a property line or property tract line. However, the PC can require greater setbacks during the site plan review based upon the location and potential impact. It’s also noted that the maximum length of stay for any camper will be three weeks, with the maximum number of guests at any site being four adults for a family of six, or two adults and four dependents (children).
Quiet hours would be observed between the hours of 10 p.m. and 8 a.m., and campsite activity must comply with the Leelanau Township Nuisance Ordinance. Prohibited activities like firearm ranges, motocross, and amplified music are listed, and accessory/incidental uses/ structures for sites are identifi ed as being things like offices, a community room, and a playground/ passive recreation.
Submittal requirements from applicants during the site plan review process include everything from a vicinity map indicating neighboring structures and land uses, a thorough management plan, and agency reviews as applicable.
To view the entire draft amendment, go to leelanautownshipmi. gov/meeting-minutesplanning- commission.
