CCHAPTERHAPTER 1:1: IINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION

In This Chapter:  Historical Setting - History & Memories  Location in the & - Location & Description, Municipal Boundaries  Regional Influences on the - Accessibility, Urban Development, Transportation, Recreation and Cultural Facilities PORT HURON TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN

INTRODUCTION The information presented here is a combination of input from citizens and elected and appointed officials, as well as Township Planning Commission members and staff, along with the assistance and guidance of the St. Clair County Planning Commission. It contains statistical data and information, both past and present, that can give some insight for our future. While we cannot definitively project future development, we can try to help determine efficient and effective ways of managing and shaping the way our Township develops.

In concert with that thought, this plan also includes a chapter on a Vision for the Township which includes both goals and objectives. This can help us focus on what we would like development to look like when it comes, and to give direction to developers on the expectations we have as a community. Knowing that these goals and objectives have been developed by our citizens gives them guidance as to what is desirable and marketable to our residents and therefore profitable to them.

While many master plans contain an overwhelming amount of statistical information, we hope to provide a fair amount of usable information in the form of maps, charts and tables that demonstrate logical and historical reasons and trends for what has taken place in the Township and how we can benefit from that in our future.

HISTORICAL SETTING PORT HURON TOWNSHIP HISTORY The area at the base of Lake Huron originally occupied by American Indians was settled by the French with military trading posts as early as 1686. The of was established in 1805 with St. Clair County established in 1821. The area comprising Port Huron Township was organized first as Desmond Township in 1826 by Martin Pickens as it’s first supervisor, with Jeremiah Harrington serving as it’s first assessor.

On April 12, 1827, Port Huron Township was formed by the Michigan Territorial Legislature. The territory of St. Clair County was split into those parts of the said county containing the surveyed .

The specific legal authority of Port Huron Township began when Jeremiah Harrington organized Port Huron Township into a in 1828, which at that time included the current areas of Port Huron

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Township, Fort Gratiot Township, and the of Port Huron. The Village of Port Huron was first mapped as a village plat in 1835 and referred to as the “Paris” plat. Fort Gratiot Township was not separated until it was established 1866.

Most of the current townships are similar to the areas that they were divided up into at the time of the platted map shown here from 1876. Most of the changes in the sizes of the Townships are the result of areas annexed by and since that time.

This was similarly the case with Port Huron and Fort Gratiot townships. Several sections of both have been annexed by the of Port Huron. Part of the purpose of becoming a Township is to provide for independence and prevent by other abutting . Port Huron Township officially became the Charter Township of Port Huron on Nov 27, 1978.

MEMORIES OF A LIFELONG RESIDENT (JOHN RENO) For many years the township offices were located at the corner of 32nd and Dove Streets. The township still owns the property where they were located until they were destroyed by a in 1952/53. After the tornado, the township board met at many different places, such as individual’s homes and the Allendale School, until the Beach School (corner of Beach and W. Water) was purchased and remodeled as the townships first Fire Hall, around 1959/60. The township board met there until the township hall was built on it’s current site on Lapeer Rd. The Fire Hall was built a few years later at it’s current site next to the Township Hall.

The township started its own fire department in July 1960. This occurred in response to the fees the City of Port Huron was charging to provide fire protection for the township. The City also would only send one truck and two men to fight many of the fires, which resulted in structure fires that were devastating to the township residents. When the township started their own Fire Department, the City of Port Huron, in order to keep revenues, persuaded many of the township businesses to annex into the city. These included the Prestolite property located at 24th and Moak Streets, and businesses along Moak and Conner Street. They did not annex the properties that did not provide a tax base, such as the county owned property where the Health Department and Road Commission were located. The Health Department is still located at 28th and Moak, However, the Road Commission has since moved to a different location from Goulden Street, where Anchor Recycling is currently located.

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Port Huron Township became a Charter Township to mainly stop the City of PH from annexing adjoining property. Back then all the City had to do was petition the State Boundaries Commission to annex adjoining property and it was usually granted. Some examples of this are the City Marina at the end of Campau Ave. They just annexed the river front and left the residents on Water Street in the Township. They also took the Mueller Brass Company located on 32nd St. leaving all the vacant land.

In the early 60’s after creating the Fire Department the township started expanding the water system. The last hydrant in the township on W. Water was between Oakwood and Brownwood Drives. The last hydrant on Lapeer was at Michigan Rd. There was water on Strawberry Lane and Sharon lane but not going out W. Water. The Township started by running a new 16” water main from the city limits on Water Street. It ran out Water Street to W. Water, out W. Water to Beach, down Beach to Lapeer and east on Lapeer to Michigan Rd to loop the system.

Also, in the late 50’s early 60’s W. Water was paved from Beach to Range. In the late 60’s early 70’s the water system was expanded to cover W. Water from Beach west to Charmwood area then north to Atkins, east on Atkins to Beach and south on Beach to W. Water. Then the next phase was from W. Water, south on Range to Lapeer and east on Lapeer to Beach. Today very little of the Township is not covered by municipal water. In the mid 70’s the Township started putting in sanitary sewers, covering the Township North of Lapeer to Black River.”

The township voted on November 7, 1978, to form a charter township which was submitted for acceptance on November 27, 1978. With the official approval in place the township became responsible for providing the services required under the act regulating Charter Townships.

LOCATION IN THE COUNTY AND THE REGION LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION The Charter Township of Port Huron, with an area of 13.8 square miles, is located approximately 60 miles northeast of the downtown area of the City of . It is a political/geographical part of St. Clair County, which contains seven additional cities and 22 other townships. The cities of Port Huron and Marysville, along with Kimball and Clyde Townships, and the Charter Township of Fort Gratiot, all abut the Charter Township of Port Huron boundaries. Together they comprise almost 50% of the population of the County. The City of Port Huron is the County seat and is the principal marketing, trading and cultural center for the area.

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The Charter Township of Port Huron is located in close proximity to these Michigan commercial

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and industrial areas, as well as these Canadian business centers:  60 miles northeast of downtown Detroit  65 miles east of Flint  80 miles southeast of Saginaw  120 miles east of Lansing  100 miles northeast of Ann Arbor  1.5 miles from the Canadian Border  5 miles west of Sarnia,  70 miles west of London, Canada

REGIONAL INFLUENCES ON THE TOWNSHIP

ACCESSIBILITY Urban growth depends upon a number of interrelated geographic, economic and cultural factors. Locational factors, such as being on a major trade route or near natural resources, influence urban growth to a great extent. Accessibility to markets, labor and resources also strongly influence the economic growth of an area. Accessibility does not necessarily mean that the resources, markets and labor are located within the region, but that transportation systems, both natural and manmade, allow these economic factors to conveniently converge at a specific location. Good transportation is perhaps the greatest single factor in an area’s growth.

All the above factors will be considered in the discussion of the regional location of The Charter Township of Port Huron. The regional setting of the Township will be assessed in its relation to the City of Port Huron, the southeastern Michigan region and the international setting.

URBAN DEVELOPMENT The development of the City of Port Huron and its environs is similar to many cities throughout the United States. Development has not been controlled, but rather has spread out from the central city along major transportation routes. The St. Clair River and Lake Huron provide a physical barrier to the east. Port Huron development has thus spread to the north, south and west.

Certain commercial uses have followed residential development out from Port Huron. Services and convenience facilities are found strung out along major highways and near population concentrations. Major shopping facilities are no longer located primarily in the City of Port Huron. New centers have been, and are being developing in the outlying townships. This has unintentionally created a deterioration of the inner core of the centers of previous growth, such as the downtown area of the City of Port Huron.

Industrial activity had also been centered in Port Huron and Marysville. The reasons for theses activities were originally the availability of utilities, such as water, sewer and electricity; and

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easy access to major international transportation lines, including railroad and waterway routes; proximity to other like industries; and a ready labor supply. Another industrial location factor important to St. Clair County is the proximity of raw materials, in particular, salt and natural gas. Also, Port Huron Township and St Clair County have an organized Economic Development Corporation to aid in the process of commercial and industrial development.

The Charter Township of Port Huron is also located directly in the path of urban development expanding from the City of Port Huron. The Township is immediately west of the City and has the third largest population of any municipality in St. Clair County. While municipalities surrounding the Township only experienced an average of 2% growth in population during the 2000 to 2010 census span, Port Huron Township saw an increase of 23.7%. Industrial and commercial uses have also expanded in the Township due to it’s location. It can be expected that urban development will continue to locate within the Township as growth expands outward from the City of Port Huron and new development is attracted. The expansion and development of Commercial, industrial and residential uses is also related to the utilities that are available in an urban setting. The Township has taken an active role in the participation of the maintenance and expansion of utilities within the Township, particularly over the last few years.

TRANSPORTATION Adequate means of transportation has also always been a prerequisite to an area’s growth. Accessibility to raw materials and markets is necessary. Historically, water and rail transportation have played an important role in the development of the City of Port Huron as well as the development of the expressway system in the 1960’s.

Expressways are extremely important to the overall transportation system of an area. People and freight can be moved at a fast speed between urban . Urban development frequently takes place along this ribbon of fast transportation. Markets and labor force become more accessible, and industries are encouraged to move out of the crowded cities into open spaces where more land for parking and expansion, and less traffic congestion, are found.

The Charter Township of Port Huron has both the I-94 and I-69 Expressways passing through it. The I-94 Expressway now links The Charter Township of Port Huron with Detroit and Chicago and is part of an overall transportation network which links Toronto to Mexico. The I- 69 Expressway links Port Huron to Flint and Lansing, tying into I-94 prior to it’s connection to Canada. This has some great potential considering the recently enacted North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) of 1994. This agreement was signed by the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, creating a trilateral trade block in North America. This route has great potential for national and international trade.

Experience has shown that expressway interchanges generate urban development, with the consequent higher land values in their vicinity. Port Huron Township now has direct major access to both of these interstates with the opening of the interchange called the "Lapeer Connector" which was completed in 2012. The interchange that was formed by the re- construction of the two expressways will be of particular importance to The Charter Township

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of Port Huron, since it now provides local access for Township residents. It also increases the Township’s accessibility within southeastern Michigan, which is very important to the industrial, commercial and residential growth of the Township. The construction of this new access has also resulted in the current construction of a the largest “super sized” home improvement store in St. Clair County. This will have a huge impact on both the economy and the traffic. More specific detail on the impact of this store on traffic is found in Chapter 4 of this plan.

As well, in the past, the general traffic has been severely impacted on the roads that run North and South by the railroad lines that generally run East and West. This problem is currently being addressed by the construction of an overpass of the railroad lines on Michigan road. This construction was completed during the summer of 2013. This will solve the problem of not being able to easily access different portions of the Township by industrial, commercial, and residential users.

The railroad is also a significant transportation facility. The railroad lines run from east to west across the Township in close proximity to the expressways. The location of these facilities will be of great significance to the industrial potential of the Township. The rail lines form part of a network covering all of southeastern Michigan and ultimately the State, the Nation and our continent. Recently, several dilapidated and unused railroad buildings have been torn down, thus providing additional usable vacant land for development. Some of the sites, though polluted, may be able to be developed utilizing grants for brownfield development. There is also talk of passenger terminals that might be developed and utilized for this area as well.

While the railroad’s primary purpose is to transport materials for industry, water transportation also performs this function at a reduced cost. Water transportation can play an important role in the development of an area, as the City of Port Huron has port facilities on the St. Clair River, which are part of the St. Lawrence Seaway. These waterways also have the possibility of additional tourism for the area. That in combination with a railroad passenger terminal could help spur tourist and entertainment related businesses to the area. At the present time Port Huron Township is not greatly influenced by the Seaway. However, access by international shipping lines for cruise ships and industrial and commercial cargo ships are readily available to the area and could dramatically affect us in the future. Of even possible greater importance is the abundance of fresh water available to the municipalities in the Port Huron area.

Another transportation facility not being fully used at the present time is St. Clair County international Airport. Airplane transportation allows freedom of movement and speed unattainable by other modes of transportation. The airport can be important to businessman for business transactions and the shipping of small, high valued, manufactured goods. Although the airport is not in the Township, it's close proximity and easy access off of I-94, provides another readily available transportation hub, and currently houses the County Air Industrial Park.

The Charter Township of Port Huron is in an ideal location to take advantage of all these transportation facilities. The freeways and railroad lines are located within the Township, and the port facilities and airport are all within easy travel distance. RECREATIONAL AND CULTURAL FACILITIES

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Port Huron is located on Lake Huron and the St. Clair River providing easy access for Port Huron Township residents for beach and water recreational activities. Port Huron Township also borders the Black River, which again provides water recreational activities during summer and winter months. The St Clair County area also boasts numerous golf courses, parks, and camping facilities, including one owned and operated here, by the Township. There are also several other privately and publically owned campgrounds and parks in the area such as the KOA Campgrounds, Fort Trodd, Thousand Trails, Lakeport State Park, and numerous St Clair County parks and picnic areas as well.

The Township also has seven different parks for sporting activities such as baseball and soccer, fishing, picnicking, hiking, biking, as well as its own boat launch. The Township has dedicated itself to the pursuit of recreational space and the activities listed above as indicated in the goals section of Chapter 5 which discusses the Community Vision. The County has also entered into partnership with the Township to develop both the Township parks as well as their own facilities and programs, some of which may utilize our facilities as well. The County has also currently submitted one of their 16 water trails, known as the “Blueways of St. Clair” for designation as a “National Water Trail”. This trail, which is their most popular water trail accesses the Bakers Field Park where our Boat ramp is currently located.

For the enjoyment of major sports teams, the theater, or the Symphony, downtown Detroit is less than a one hour drive away. This area also has the McMoran Hockey Arena which currently hosts the Port Huron Flags, as well as an award-winning international orchestra located in the City of Port Huron and Sarnia.

The City of Port Huron is also home to St. Clair Community College, while Baker College has a campus located right here in Port Huron Township with convenient access from the larger surrounding multi-county area, due to both the I-69 and I-94 corridors. Other major educational institutions are also located with easy access to Port Huron Township. These include Wayne State University, located in downtown Detroit, as well as other Macomb and Oakland County university extensions and the University of Michigan, Flint extension, all located within reasonable driving distances of Port Huron Charter Township.

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