Regular Meeting Minutes, September 8, 2026

Planning Commission Meeting Minutes Draft – DRAFT September 17, 2026, at 6:30 P.M. Saugatuck City Hall, 102 Butler St, Saugatuck, MI 49453

1. Call to Order / Roll Call The meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. by Chair Manns. Members Present: Chair Manns, Commissioners Bagierek, Gardner, Marineau, & Raphael Members Absent: Commissioners Baldwin & LaChey Staff Present: Planning & Zoning Director Moore, Deputy Clerk Williams Others Present: David Jirousek (Horizon Planning), Trent Cunningham (Fahey Schultz Burzych Rhodes PLC)

2. Approval of Agenda Motion by Bagierek, supported by Raphael, to approve the agenda for the September 17, 2026, meeting. Via voice vote, motion carried 5-0. 3. Approval of Minutes Motion by Raphael, supported by Bagierek, to approve the September 8, 2026, minutes as presented. Via voice vote, motion carried 5-0. 4. Public Comment None

5. New Business A. 510 Butler – Zoning Ordinance Amendment “Enhanced Bed & Breakfast” – Public Hearing: Public Hearing A. Hearing was called to order by Chair Manns on 9/17/26 at 6:32 p.m.

B. Summary by Zoning Director Planning & Zoning Director Moore summarized the revisions made to the proposed 510 Butler Street amendment since the Commission’s previous review. The revisions included renaming the use from “boutique inn” to “enhanced bed and breakfast,” allowing the associated residential dwelling unit to be occupied long-term by the property owner or an on-site manager and their household, increasing the parking requirement to one space per sleeping unit plus one manager space, and allowing the Planning Commission to determine during special land use review whether existing parking is sufficient. No other substantive changes were made.

C. Presentation by the Applicant Applicant representative Chris Khorey echoed Moore’s recap. He confirmed three revisions since the last meeting: the name change from “boutique inn” to “enhanced bed and breakfast”; an increased parking requirement now consistent with the standard for hotels and inns; and a reduction in allowable event guests from four per guest room to three per guest room. D. Public comment regarding the application 1. Supporting Comments: None 2. Opposing comments: None 3. General Comments: None 4. Repeat Comment Opportunity: None

E. Public comment portion closed by the Chair at 6:37 p.m.

F. Commission Deliberation The deliberation opened with Commissioner Bagierek saying the Commission had been through the proposal several times and was happy with where it landed after the revisions. Chair Manns agreed, emphasizing that the enhanced bed and breakfast has its own definition and requirements so existing bed and breakfasts can’t automatically claim the status, and noting the Commission could revisit naming and cross-zone consistency later after the master plan work.

Commissioner Gardner noted that the new parking standard requires one space per sleeping unit plus one manager space. For the 14-room property, this results in a requirement for 15 spaces, compared with approximately 12 spaces currently available on site. Khorey said the rear lot could potentially fit up to 16 parking spaces. Chair Manns raised a question regarding consistency in the parking standards, noting that hotels and inns require one parking space per sleeping unit, while bed and breakfasts require one space per three sleeping units. He suggested that a ratio of one space per two sleeping units may be more appropriate for a use that falls between the two categories and expressed concern that a one-to-one ratio could be overly restrictive for a small, fourroom property.

Commissioner Gardner similarly suggested reconsidering the one-space-per-threesleeping-units standard. He emphasized that his primary concern was the additional strain that guest and event traffic could place on downtown street parking rather than the number of parking spaces provided on site.

Commissioners Bagierek and Marineau both supported retaining the one-space per sleeping unit standard, noting that it encourages additional on-site parking and helps reduce strain on downtown parking. They also noted that the special land use provision provides reasonable accommodation for existing buildings. Chair Manns indicated his support for the standard.

G. Commission action Motion by Marineau, supported by Bagierek to move to recommend approval of the proposed zoning text amendment to establish “Enhanced Bed and Breakfast” as a new lodging use permitted in the R-4 Residential Transitional Zoning District, together with the associated regulations for such use, as presented. Upon roll call vote, motion carried 5-0. B. Comprehensive Plan Chapters 7-9 Draft Review & Discussion: Chair Manns asked commissioners to compile and send their written comments to staff so they could be incorporated into materials for the next meeting.

Marineau shared FOIA’d enrollment data from Saugatuck Public Schools covering 20 years: in 2005-06 the district had 628 in-district and 239 out-of-district students, while in 2025-26 that shifted to 424-in-district and 383 out-of-district – a drop from 72% to 52% in-district. He whether there was a place for the school’s interest in growing in-district enrollment within the master plan. Gardner corroborated with numbers from the superintendent and said the district is reportedly first or second in the state for share of school-of-choice students.

The Commission discussed challenges associated with attracting and retaining families in Saugatuck, including housing costs, employment opportunities, and the availability of familyoriented housing. Commissioners also discussed the community’s aging population and opportunities to attract full-time residents, including remote and hybrid workers. Marineau suggested marketing Saugatuck as a full-time residential community, while Manns suggested that zoning changes, including expanded opportunities for larger ADUs, could help accommodate families. The discussion also identified opportunities for coordination with Douglas and Saugatuck Township on housing and community development.

6. Old Business None

7. Communication None

8. Reports of Officers and Committees A. Parking Improvements Task Force: Walker Consultants will deliver final report to City Council at the September 23 workshop meeting. 9. Public Comments None 10. Commissioner Comments None

11. Adjournment Motion by Garder, supported by Bagierek, to adjourn the meeting at 7:06 p.m. Motion carried 5-0. Submitted by: Sara Williams Deputy Clerk City of Saugatuck