Summary
The Leelanau Township Planning Commission met on September 25, 2025, with Chair Steve Kalchik presiding and a quorum of four members (Hugh Scott, Steve Kalchik, Brian Mitchell, Gerald Schatz) present; Silvia Gans and Kristi Fischer were absent, and one seat remains vacant. The agenda was amended to remove approval of prior minutes, since minutes are not typically acted on at the second meeting of the month. The bulk of the meeting was devoted to continued review and editing of the Leelanau Township Master Plan's Zoning Plan section (pages 8–11), with no public comment received.
Public Comments
No members of the public were present at the Township Hall or on Zoom, and no comments were offered during either public comment period (items 5 and 9).
Affordable Housing Initiatives
As part of the Master Plan review, the Commission discussed "Balanced housing types" (page 8) and "Accessory Dwelling Units" (page 9), the latter of which the Commission determined should be relocated to the plan's housing section. "Short-Term Rentals" (page 10) was likewise reviewed and flagged for relocation to the housing section. Zoning Administrator Steve Patmore also announced an Open House on the "Housing Zoning Atlas" to be held at the Leelanau County Government Center Lower Community Meeting Room on Monday, October 6, 2025, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Other Business
Commissioner Schatz forwarded materials from the International Joint Commission on Planning for Resilient Great Lakes Communities for distribution to the Commission. Chair Kalchik noted a news article indicating Peninsula Township's insurance carrier would not cover a federal court judgment against the township. The Commission expressed condolences to Betsy Mallek and her family on the passing of her husband, Ron. The next regular meeting was set for Thursday, October 9, 2025, and the meeting adjourned at 8:18 p.m. with no objections.
Action Items
- Continue Master Plan review at the next meeting, beginning with the Future Land Use section (review stopped at the end of page 11 on September 25).
- Move the Accessory Dwelling Units and Short-Term Rentals sections into the Master Plan's housing section.
- Reformat the Master Plan document into larger, more readable type.
- Zoning Administrator Patmore distributed a revised, more readable printout of the Implementation Section for member review.