By adopting a Historic District ordinance, Mackinac Island would have the option of creating local historic districts. Without the ordinance, the city loses the choice, something property owners in Hubbard's Annex do not want to happen. They are in the process of fulfilling the necessary steps to establish a local historic district, although this cannot take place until the city meets the state requirement of adopting the ordinance.

A public hearing to discuss the ordinance was held Wednesday, September 30. The city now plans to hold a special City Council meeting to clear up confusion over what it means to have such an ordinance in place. That meeting is set for Wednesday, October 14, at 5 p.m.

"The end game of this whole thing is to decide whether we want or don't want particular historic districts," said city attorney Tom Evashevski. "But if we do not have an ordinance in place, we have no choice. We cannot create historic districts."

Like Hubbard's Annex, the city also has begun steps to consider creating an local historic district. Languishing for about a year, the project has begun to move forward as the city searches for a way to preserve historic structures. It now faces the demolition of McNally Cottage and the possible future loss of other historic buildings. With the continued demise of historic structures, state historic experts told city leaders last month that the city likely would lose its National Historic Landmark status.

"I think we all have to realize that dealing with the Annex and dealing with Main Street are two different things," said Mayor Margaret Doud to the 30 people attending the public hearing. "We have many different types of buildings on Main Street; some are old, some are new, but we also have to remember we have to maintain our historic significance. That is why a lot of people come to Mackinac Island. We are different, we are unique, but we are also a year-around living community in a very unique setting. And that we have to take into consideration as we look at all of the different aspects we're dealing with.

"I think in the downtown area, especially on Main Street and Market Street, we have to reach a balance," she added. "I think that is very, very important."

Resident Margaret Horn said she supports the Annex plans to establish a local historic district, although she does not like the idea of a Historic District ordinance. She also had concerns that if a local historic district included her house, other people would be making decisions about what she could do with her property.

"To make it so that other people can control what you do with your property, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth," she said.

By passing the ordinance, explained Alderman Mike Hart, the city is not creating a historic district, rather it allows the Annex to move forward with its plans. The Historic District ordinance must be adopted by the city, according to state law, before the Annex can establish its local historic district, he said, and by adopting the ordinance, the city also has the option to consider other possible local historic districts.

"This ordinance does not oblige the city in any particular direction," said Mr. Hart. "We, as a community, can make choices freely, even with this in place. We are not handcuffing ourselves or narrowing our channel here at all. It is, as the mayor said, necessary for the completion of the Hubbard's Annex historic district formation, but it is not to be mistaken as a moment of a final and ultimate and irrevocable decision upon everybody here."

Business owner Steve Moskwa of Horn's Gaslight Bar and Restaurant said he supports the efforts of Annex property owners, although he is not in favor of a historic district downtown.

"Businesses and business-related properties pay approximately 70% of all the taxes on the Island," he said. "If you diminish the use of my property and everybody else's property, you would thereby reduce the property value. If you diminish my use, I can't do what I could do with it before. It maybe is not worth as much when you sell it."

Business owner Pat Pulte said he supports the ordinance and wants the Island's structures protected from developers. He received applause from those attending after offering his opinion.

"I think the city has got to say and the city fathers and the city people have got to say, 'This is our Island and we don't want it torn down. We don't want these buildings. We don't want the McNally Cottage to disappear or the Murray Hotel or the Brigadoon Cottage...

"My family runs the Murray Hotel and we own the Murray Hotel, but that ownership is just kind of a lease on it for a few years. If I or my heirs or the people we sell it to don't have the . . . best interest of Mackinac Island at heart, then the whole Island is going to be screwed."

Business owner Bill Chambers said he supports Mr. Pulte's comments 100%.

Trish Martin said Island residents, business owners, and the city must look at the bigger picture. She is a planning commissioner and owner of Bogan Lane Inn.

"Mackinac is in danger of losing its National Historic Landmark status," she said. "And you don't think people come here to see historic buildings? Well, they do."

She added, "One of the things we sell at the Tourism Bureau is horses, history, and hospitality. And we've got to have the history here, folks."

Business owner Sam Barnwell expressed concern over who would be members of a Historic District Commission and if they would live on the Island year-around or seasonally, and if they had to be property owners.

Resident Casey Carter questioned the process of petitioning property owners in an area under consideration as a historic district.

Much of the discussion, said Mr. Evashevski to Mayor Doud, is premature. Comments were focused on areas to be discussed if the city were proposing to establish a historic district, which at this time, it is not.

"The ordinance," he said, "virtually will have no effect until districts are adopted. This kind of debate, however robust it can be, is very healthy at that point. But if we do not adopt an ordinance, there is no debate. You cannot have a historic district without this ordinance. So all the passage of this ordinance would do is enable the study group to continue to study, to make recommendations, and ultimately bring it to the council and let the council decide whether it is a good idea or not, and the room ought to be full of people with various points of view, and that's when the decision should be made. If we can't pass an ordinance now, then we've already decided there can't be any historic districts."

The city's Historic District Committee is in the process of gathering information about Island structures. Hubbard's Annex Local Historic District Committee has completed its study. Copies are available for review in the city office and at the Mackinac Island Public Library. The annex committee is holding a public hearing Tuesday, December 8, at 1:30 p.m. in Community Hall.