Two specific, and challenging, items remain in revising Mackinac Island's city master plan: updating an existing land use map and creating a future land use map, which spells out the potential for further development.

A committee of city council members, city staff, and one Island resident met Wednesday, December 17, to discuss an almost-finished land use map and to begin discussing a future map.

The current land use map reflects development that is allowed under current zoning. A future map would be development that the city hopes to see. Differences in the two maps will require the zoning ordinance to be amended.

Meeting were Mayor Margaret Doud, councilmen Michael Hart and Dan Wightman, building inspector Dennis Dombroski, resident Barb Fisher, city attorney Tom Evashevski, and mayor assistant Kelly Bean.

A target date was set for February 15 to complete the remaining portions of a list put together by Connie Dimond of JJR consulting firm, who was hired to keep the mayor-appointed committee on task.

The committee, which has changed members since Mayor Doud appointed it almost two years ago, has struggled to meet regularly. Before this December meeting, a committee to work on master plan revisions had not met since spring 2008.

"We're close to where Connie wants," said Mr. Evashevski, who admitted the task of determining a future land use map will be a challenge, thus the committee agreed to meet every other week, before council meetings, to try to meet the arbitrary February 15 deadline.

"We're going to need every bit of that time to get (the future land) map done," said Mr. Evashevski.

The purpose of a future land use map is to provide the city with a logical framework for future growth and development of land uses, including residential, commercial, and protected scenic open spaces.

"This is a real vague chore," said Mr. Evashevski of creating a future land use map. "This community is so unique, with it being an island, and with the state park owning so much of it."

More than 80% of the Island is preserved as a state park by the Mackinac Island State Park Commission.

With the city's sewer system reaching capacity, proposed major building projects, such as Grand Hotel's expansion of its conference center, and a priority to preserve historic structures, the establishment of a future land use map is important.

Other potential pressing issues are additional development of employee housing downtown and in the Harrisonville residential area, and development potential in and around Hubbard's Annex, which has small lots still open. That, apparently, has some Annex cottagers concerned.

"We want as much green space as we can keep," said Mr. Hart, during discussion of the Hubbard's Annex area.

Mrs. Fisher believes that whatever decisions are made with the future land use map, concerns should be for the general community, and not individual groups or persons.

"We can't worry about offending a couple of people," she told the committee. "We need to do what's best for the Island."

Yet to be done is to determine maximum development to be allowed in three areas of the Island considered to have the most development potential: The downtown area, areas at and near Stonecliffe on the west side of the Island, and the Mission Point area on the east side.

Mr. Dombroski will be looked upon to determine maximum build-out in those places.

Build-out is computing the maximum development allowed under the current land use (zoning) ordinance.

"Downtown is vastly underdeveloped," said Mr. Dombroski, speaking of remaining buildings that could potentially build up to three stories and add living quarters above commercial businesses. "If you look at downtown, you can easily double usage if everyone maxes out, if you look at all the buildings that can be torn down and replaced.

"Stonecliffe," he added, "has two-thirds of its property yet to be developed."

To protect and preserve the Island's historic charm and green space, the committee will seek to identify environmental, scenic, and historic and cultural resources, and create goals to preserve them.

"We need to show reasons why we must limit densities in these areas," said Mr. Evashevski. "We must show that build-out under our current ordinance wouldn't work because we don't have the resources."

Such resources could include utility and public safety services.

One feature the Island's master plan lacks still is a plan or guidance for phasing out nonconforming buildings that do not meet single family residence zoning, said Mr. Dombroski.