Master Plan Update 2010
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Leelanau Township Master2010 Plan Update Adopted by the Leelanau Township Planning Commission on August 26, 2010 Leelanau Township Acknowledgements Master Plan Update Adopted August 26, 2010 The Master Plan of 2010 is the cumulative work The Leelanau Township Planning Commission product of many Leelanau citizens over a thirty- gratefully acknowledges the contributions to the seven year period. Important and valued inputs to Master Plan of 2010 made by all who have partici- this Plan have been made by: pated in the writing of this and previous Master Plans. • Planning Commission members from 1973 to the present time, particularly those who developed the first Leelanau Township Mas- ter Plan in 1990 • Individuals who have written background and historic narratives for each version of the Plan • Citizens who have served in advisory com- mittees and provided thoughtful inputs • Interested persons who participated in fo- cus groups to review and comment on vari- ous Plan drafts. These groups were com- prised of farmers and fruit growers, realtors and business owners, persons interested in conservation, retirees, and citizens at large. • Professional planning and legal consultants Technical assistance by: and Township Zoning Administrators who have given advice based on their profes- sional knowledge or experience 241 East State Street • Members of the Leelanau Township Board, Traverse City, MI 49684 past and present, who have provided help- www.WadeTrim.com ful suggestions and who have supported the Plans Financial Assistance for this project was provided, in part, by the Michigan Coastal Management Program, Michigan Department of Natural Resources & Environment (MDNRE), through a grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Department of Commerce. Master Plan Update [This page intentionally left blank] Leelanau Township Table of Contents Preface . .1 1 . Introduction . .3 Township Setting Authority Purpose Report Organization 2 . Population, Housing and Economy . .5 Introduction Population Profile Housing Profile Economic Profile 3 . Natural Features and Resources Assessment . .21 Introduction Natural Resource Inventory Natural Areas Scenic Views 4 . Maritime History and Structure Inventory . .29 Maritime History of Leelanau Township Maritime Structure Inventory Maritime Planning Principles 5 . Public Facilities and Services . .37 Introduction Roads Airport Public Transportation Public Marina Emergency Services Master Plan Update Health Services Utilities Electric and Gas Service Broadband Internet Schools Parks and Recreation 6. Existing Land Use . .43 Introduction Methodology Land Use Classifications 7. Planning Goals, Objectives and Strategies . 47 Introduction Guiding Principles Visioning Exercise Goals, Objectives and Strategies Defined Goals, Objectives and Strategies 8. Future Land Use Plan . .57 Introduction Evaluation of Future Land Use Alternatives Future Land Use Categories Zoning Plan Implementation Appendix: Mapping . .67 1. Natural Resource Inventory 2. Maritime Structures and Community Facilities 3. Existing Land Use 4. Future Land Use Leelanau Township General Plan, developed and adopted for Leelanau County. An amendment to the Plan was later ad- opted by the Planning Commission in November 2000. In 2007, the Leelanau Township Planning Com- mission embarked on a process aimed at “testing” the goals, policies and recommendations of the Preface Plan. At the culmination of the process, the Plan- ning Commission determined that an update to the Plan was necessary. The need for the Plan update The original Leelanau Township Master Plan was was demonstrated by a variety of factors, includ- first adopted in 1990. The citizens of Leelanau ing continued growth pressures and the potential Township were actively involved in the planning impacts resulting from the construction of a new process. A survey questionnaire was used to deter- public sewer system servicing the Township’s mine the attitudes, needs, and desires of property shoreline areas north and south of the Village of owners in the Township. In addition, a number of Northport. In early 2008, the Township was suc- public working meetings were held by the Planning cessful in securing a Coastal Zone Management Commission at which citizens’ input was obtained. grant through the Michigan Department of Natural The Master Plans of the Village of Northport and Resources and Environment (MDNRE) to support neighboring townships were also studied in order the development of the updated Master Plan. The to achieve consistency. In developing the 1990 Plan update process was officially initiated in early Plan, the Planning Commission compiled informa- 2009. tion on the soil characteristics, topography, and environmentally sensitive areas in the Township. This 2010 Master Plan Update for Leelanau Town- Lands suitable for agriculture and horticulture were ship has been prepared and adopted in order to identified during field trips by knowledgeable Com- bring about the most appropriate uses of lands mission members and from information received within the Township to enhance and protect the from appropriate governmental agencies. health, safety, and welfare of its citizens. It is intended to guide change in a manner that will In 1999, the Planning Commission acted to revise conserve the economic resources and maintain the the Plan to include pertinent planning concepts and rural appearance and character of the area. It is guidelines that had been advanced since 1990 and further intended to provide the background and di- to add language that would more clearly define the rection for developing land use regulations that will intent of the Plan. In the 1999 Plan, the Commis- achieve the planning goals and objectives estab- sion adopted those planning principles set forth lished in the Plan. It has been prepared according in the Grand Traverse Bay Region Development to the provisions of Act 33 of 2008, as amended – Guidebook and the book Rural By Design, Main- the Michigan Planning Enabling Act. taining Small Town Character (by Randall Arendt) that are applicable to Leelanau Township. Addition- The Leelanau Township Planning Commission has ally, revisions to the Township Plan were made to based this Master Plan Update on the best infor- ensure its compatibility with the 1994 Leelanau Master Plan Update 1 mation available at this time. However, amend- ments to the Plan may be necessary from time to time if they: • Are required by new legislation or technol- ogy; • Are needed to compensate for unforeseen actions taken by neighboring communities or State or Federal agencies; or, • Provide clarifications or additions that facili- tate achieving the goals and objectives set forth herein. Additionally, citizens may petition the Commission for changes that will further the objectives of the Plan and will be of benefit to the Township as a whole. Leelanau Township 2 untouched, supporting many types of aquatic habi- tats including dunes and wetlands. 1 The topography of the Township varies greatly. The glaciers and erosion forces that shaped the peninsula’s land mass left a variety of soil types and topographical features, including drumlins with high ridges and steep slopes, former lake bot- Introduction toms and lake terraces, and dunes. The location for certain land uses is dictated by these natural features. As a result, land use patterns within the Township Setting Township cannot be as uniform as is typically sug- gested in planning guidelines. Leelanau Township is a community in Michigan’s northern lower peninsula. The natural beauty of Farming, particularly horticulture, has been and Leelanau Township is striking, contributed in large continues to be a major economic factor in the part by its rolling topography and approximately Township. Although the residential uses, both per- 52 miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan and the manent and seasonal, have coexisted with farming Grand Traverse Bay. Leelanau Township is situ- activities for many years, the increasingly indus- ated at the “tip” of the Leelanau Peninsula within trial nature of farming and the continuing develop- Leelanau County. The Township also includes two ment of residential properties in all sections of the offshore islands, South Fox Island and North Fox Island, located 15-20 miles northwest of the main- land. In total, the Township encompasses 30,660 Beaver Is. M I acres or 47.9 square miles of land (excluding the C Emmet H Co. Enlarged I N. Fox Is. 119") Village of Northport). The Village of Northport is Area G Harbor S. Fox Is. Springs located within the east-central portion of Leela- A H! N Petoskey H! ut31 nau Township, while the unincorporated village of Charlevoix Leelanau H! ut131 Omena is located in the southeastern corner of the Township Boyne 75") Township. Traverse City is located 20 miles south- 66") City H! N. Manitou Is. Lake Michigan Charlevoix Co. east of the Township’s southern border (see Fig- H! Northport 32") Grand ure 1). Leland 22") Traverse H! Bay 88") 204") ut31 S. Manitou Is. ut131 22") 37") Leelanau Township, in particular, and the Leelanau ! Elk H Rapids Antrim Co. 109") Peninsula, in general, has seen significant popu- Kalkaska Co. Leelanau Co. lation growth and development in recent years. 72") Benzie Co. H! H!Kalkaska Traverse 72") Over the last 17 years (between 1990 and 2007), 22") City ut31 the Township’s population grew by nearly 500 Frankfort H! 37") 113") 66") residents, a 45 percent increase. The draw of the Z 115") Grand Traverse Co. shoreline is