By James Windell
The public comments at the City Council Meeting on Monday, October 6, 2025, hinted at dark forces that had changed wording in the 2025 Master Plan update.
Some residents again, as in previous City Council meetings, expressed concerns about the Master Plan’s designation of the property at 89 North Shore Drive as commercial in the future land use map. That property is currently occupied by Bunde’s Bakery.
The reason why the South Haven Planning Commission, some of the City’s north side resident’s suggest, designating the property which Bunde’s Bakery has occupied for decades is so it could become a commercial property at some time in the future.
Comments by northside residents at previous City Council meetings motivated Jim Sankofski, the owner of Bunde’s Bakery, to make an appearance at this City Council meeting.
“I normally wouldn’t come down here,” Sankofski said during the public comments portion of the council meeting, “but watching the comments of those people at the last City Council meeting…it’s beyond arrogance. What really toasted me and really made me angry is that they don’t want to see a business at 89 North Shore Drive after I sell it. I’m not going to sell it. I don’t have to…I never have to sell it. That property will go down to my family, and they can do whatever they want with it.”
When it came time on the City Council’s agenda to discuss a statement of what the council would like the Planning Commission to change in the Master Plan, City Manager Kate Hosier introduced the statement drafted by City staff after the last City Council meeting. She said that the staff along with the City Attorney reviewed and distilled the comments and discussion from the last City council meeting into Resolution 2025-34. That resolution read as follows:
“The statement proposed 1. The City Council, in accordance with Section 43(4) of the MPEA, hereby rejects the 2025 Update to the City of South Haven Master Plan as recommended by the Planning Commission and adopts this Resolution as its statement of objections. 2. The City Council desires that the Master Plan provide additional guidance regarding the Manufactured Housing Community (MHC) land use and zoning district. Specifically, the City Council desires to that language be added to the Master Plan clarifying that 1) MHC would not be an appropriate land use in areas with environmental contamination, 2) any MHC land use must be compatible with the surrounding area, and 3) that maps 9-16 be considered in any decision to rezone property to MHC. 3. The City Council desires that the future land use map designation for the property at the corner of North Shore Dr. and Oak Ct. (commonly referred to as the Bunde’s Bakery area) be changed from Commercial to Single Family Residential. The City Council has concerns that the current designation in the future land use map will lead to the erosion of the residential character of the neighborhood. Furthermore, the City Council believes that bakeries, coffee shops, and other neighborhood serving businesses; however, limited, are not compatible with the City’s long-term vision for the surrounding neighborhood. 4. The City Council desires that additional language be incorporated into the Master Plan to specify that the property on Baseline Rd. (commonly referred to as 120 Baseline) has been identified as an area where residential land use, specifically workforce and missing middle housing, would be most appropriate.”
A motion was made to accept this Resolution. Once that motion was seconded, the resolution was open to questions, comments, and amendments. After considerable discussion and debate, as well as multiple amendments proposed by councilwoman Mary Hosley, a revised statement of objections was approved by the council. That statement, Resolution 2025-34, then read as:
“1. The City Council, in accordance with Section 43(4) of the MPEA, hereby rejects the 2025 Update to the City of South Haven Master Plan as recommended by the Planning Commission and adopts Resolution as its statement of objections. 2. The City Council desires that the Master Plan provide additional guidance regarding the Manufactured Housing Community (MHC) land use and zoning district. Specifically, the City Council desires to that language be added to the Master Plan clarifying that 1) MHC would not be an appropriate land use in areas with environmental contamination without proper remediation proposed, 2) any MHC land use must be compatible with the surrounding area, 3) that maps 9-16 related to coastal resilience be considered in any decision to rezone property to MHС. 3. The City Council desires that the future land use map designation for the property at the corner of North Shore Dr. and Oak Ct. (specifically 89 North Shore Drive and commonly referred to as the Bunde’s Bakery) be changed from Commercial to Multifamily – Attached Residential. The City Council has concerns that the current designation in the future land use map will lead to the erosion of the residential character of the neighborhood. Furthermore, the City Council believes that bakeries, coffee shops, and other neighborhood serving businesses; however, limited, are not compatible with the City’s long-term vision for the surrounding neighborhood. 4. The City Council desires that additional language be incorporated into the Master Plan to specify the property on Baseline Rd. (commonly referred to as 120 Baseline) has been identified as an area where residential land use is appropriate for single family homes or attached residential dwellings and not resorts, specifically workforce and missing middle housing, would be most appropriate.”
The statement now will be sent back to the Planning Commission to revise the 2025 draft of the Master Plan. Revision of the Master Plan will be on the agenda of a future Planning Commission agenda.
