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CCHAPTERHAPTER 1:1: IINTRODUCTIONNTRODUCTION In This Chapter: Historical Setting - History & Memories Location in the County & Region - Location & Description, Municipal Boundaries Regional Influences on the Township - 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 territory of Michigan 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 townships. The specific legal authority of Port Huron Township began when Jeremiah Harrington organized Port Huron Township into a municipality in 1828, which at that time included the current areas of Port Huron Page 2 INTRODUCTION Township, Fort Gratiot Township, and the Village 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 cities and villages since that time. This was similarly the case with Port Huron and Fort Gratiot townships. Several sections of both have been annexed by the City of Port Huron. Part of the purpose of becoming a Charter Township is to provide for independence and prevent annexation by other abutting municipalities. 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 tornado 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. Page 3 PORT HURON TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN 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 Detroit. 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. Page 4 INTRODUCTION The Charter Township of Port Huron is located in close proximity to these Michigan commercial Page 5 PORT HURON TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN 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, Canada 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.