Keweenaw County starts repealing its zoning rules, saying it would rather pay for a deputy

EAGLE RIVER, Mich. — Keweenaw County commissioners voted Tuesday to start repealing the county’s zoning ordinance, choosing to put scarce dollars toward the sheriff’s office rather than keep a zoning department.

The board said at a special meeting on Oct. 6 that the county cannot afford both its zoning office and an additional sheriff’s deputy, according to reports from WLUC-TV6 and the Keweenaw Report. The repeal is only beginning; the Keweenaw Report said the process could take more than a year.

Every commissioner except Mike LaMotte backed the move. The two outlets differed on his role: the Keweenaw Report counted the vote 4-1 with LaMotte opposed, while TV6 reported that he recused himself, citing a conflict of interest.

Board Chair Don Piche said money was not the only reason. “Another big thing that bothers me is the liability,” he said, according to TV6, noting that the county faces three lawsuits and wondering aloud how long its insurer would keep covering it. Piche also argued that townships are better placed to write and enforce their own zoning, and said the county takes blame for property-line fights that a survey would prevent.

Most people who spoke during public comment opposed the repeal. Rob Fisher, supervisor of Houghton Township, said his small, aging township was barely getting by and that taking on zoning could lead it to dissolve. He said no one asked township leaders what the change would mean for them and asked the board for clear communication.

Gina Nichols, executive director of the Keweenaw Outdoor Recreation Coalition, told commissioners the repeal would probably take longer than the board expects, the Keweenaw Report said, and a resident warned that dropping zoning could stir up more disputes between neighbors where short-term rentals have moved in. Some in the audience said they planned to appeal, TV6 reported.

The board also approved a Michigan State Housing Development Authority grant program for low-income home repairs and the county’s 2027 health insurance plan.

Sources:
WLUC-TV6, “Keweenaw County board votes to begin removing county zoning,” Oct. 6, 2026, https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2026/10/07/keweenaw-county-board-votes-begin-removing-county-zoning/
The Keweenaw Report, “Keweenaw County Board of Commissioners move forward with repealing county-wide zoning,” Oct. 7, 2026, https://keweenawreport.com/2026/10/07/keweenaw-county-board-of-commissioner-move-forward-with-repealing-county-wide-zoning/
Photo: Paul R. Burley, “Keweenaw County Courthouse Eagle River Michigan 2021-4249,” June 19, 2021, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/), cropped and color-corrected; derivative under the same ShareAlike license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Keweenaw_County_Courthouse_Eagle_River_Michigan_2021-4249.jpg

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