ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Nick Proctor, Mayor Shea Charles, City Manager Tim Schmitt, Community Development Director Erv Suida, Director of Public Services City Council Steven Manor Robert Ellis Jeffrey Hansen Doug Heins Jan Lobur Scott Niblock Planning Commission Jeanette Ambrose Erin Britten Stewart Howe Robert Spaulding Paul Streng Maryanne Vukonich Nick Proctor Shea Charles Planning Consultants Erin Perdu Carlisle / Wortman Associates, Inc. TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction .................................................................................................................................................. 5 Planning in the City of Howell ....................................................................................................................... 5 Location ......................................................................................................................................................... 9 Historic and Architectural Resources .......................................................................................................... 10 Population and household Demographics ................................................................................................... 13 Housing ....................................................................................................................................................... 23 Economic Base/Socio-Economic Assessment .............................................................................................. 28 Community Facilities and Services .............................................................................................................. 34 Transportation and Traffic Analysis ............................................................................................................. 44 Environmental Resources ............................................................................................................................ 51 Existing Land Use ......................................................................................................................................... 55 Page intentionally left blank. INTRODUCTION An important prerequisite to preparing an update to the City of Howell’s Master Plan is to develop a common understanding of the current state of the community as well as anticipated trends. Information gathered through the planning process is critical to the accurate projection of future needs and development patterns. The Community Profile is intended synthesize and communicate conditions and trends, as well as the dynamic economic, social, and environmental forces brought on by various forms of growth and change. The City’s ultimate goals is to preserve and enhance quality of life within the community, and this qualitative and quantitative data provides a solid footing for the formulation of goals, policies, and strategies designed to help the community flourish. Although much of the background data is updated information from previous City plans, new information that is relevant to current conditions has been added. Specifically the release of 2010 Census data and 2008-12 American Community Survey (ACS) data allows for a detailed analysis of the City’s demographics. The Community Profile also references recent publications and relevant studies conducted by Livingston County and other regional planning organizations, including Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG). The Community Profile provides an inventory of existing conditions including population and household demographics, housing, local economy, community facilities and services, natural features, land use patterns, and transportation. A common understanding of the community leads to a clearer vision, stronger support, improved decision making, and better coordination between public agencies, developers, and citizens towards achievement of common goals. PLANNING IN THE CITY OF HOWELL The City of Howell has a history of sound planning and innovative collaboration. The City has maintained a Master Plan which has been updated several times over the past twenty five (25) years. The City adopted its first Master Land Plan in 1966. The Plan was extensively revised in 1987, with a series of amendments and/or revisions in 1991, 2002, and 2006. In 1987, the Plan was extensively revised to provide a more dynamic tool to guide future development and land use decisions. This update dealt with issues such as land shortage, aging housing stock, and development competition. Specifically, the preservation of neighborhoods, maintaining a strong Central Business District, improving traffic circulation, building a sound industrial base, and extending utilities. As part of the planning process, a number of studies were conducted prior to the Master Plan update. In 1981, the University of Michigan prepared a report entitled Strategies for the Future. In 1984, a Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team (R/UDAT) of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) conducted a study entitled Change with Continuity. The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of Michigan State University also developed a Transportation Plan. DRAFT 5 City of Howell Community Profile The Plan was revised again in 1991, building on the established growth management approach and introducing Mixed Use as a planned land use designation. Intended to encourage creative planning and encourage a mix of uses forming an identifiable unit, the area north of I-96 and west of Lucy Road was the first area planned for Mixed Use development. The City of Howell’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA) was established in 1991. At the time, one of the highest priorities of the DDA was to improve the visual appearance of Grand River Avenue within the Development Area. As a result, the DDA initiated the preparation of a streetscape plan and program to guide implementation of improvements, including landscaping and street trees, pedestrian circulation, parking, paving concepts, lighting, entryway signage, street furniture, and other unifying elements. In the late 1990s, the City of Howell identified the need to prepare specific area plans to manage future growth. In 1999, the Northeast Area and M-59 Area Plan was created, followed by the Loop Road Area Plan in 2002. In 2002, the City’s Master Plan was revised and updated to incorporate the area plans. In 2000, the College of Architecture and Design at Lawrence Technological University prepared a study of the City’s built environment and historic character entitled Howell, Michigan, Plan for Preservation. In 2003, the City of Howell contributed to the development of the Howell Area Recreation Authority Plan and subsequent creation of the Howell Area Recreation Authority which also includes the adjacent communities of Marion Township and portions of Genoa and Oceola Township. Also in 2003, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Landscape Architects & Planners, Inc. completed a Howell Area Non-Motorized Trail Study. The Crosstown Trail project originated out of a local “Walkable Communities” conference. The City and MDOT were interested in developing a seamless, non-motorized transportation system connecting M-59, Latson Road, and Grand River Avenue I-96 Business Loop to provide for safe non-motorized transportation. The most recent update of the Master Plan occurred in 2006. Of significance in this update was the addition of the following planned mixed use categories: Mixed Density Residential, Office/Research Park Land Use, and Mixed Use Commercial. This change helped to align the Master Plan and Loop Road Target Area Plan, and provide for greater flexibility of use in the planned mixed use areas. In 2008, the D-19 Corridor Concept Plan was created to encourage investment, improve the built environment, alleviate traffic congestion, and create a gateway to the City of Howell from I-96. This Plan provides the foundation for the City’s Michigan Avenue Form Based Code. In 2011, the Howell Main Street/Downtown Development Authority (DDA) commissioned a Downtown Howell Market Profile study to establish benchmarks and lay the groundwork for current and future enhancement and business development in the DDA district. The study includes a demographic snapshot and ESRI lifestyle profile, as well as focus group analysis and recommendations for the future. In the late 1990s, the City began feel the pressures of sprawling, suburban development patterns. Even so, the City desired to promote traditional neighborhood development in the large open space portions of the City, establish coordinated land use patterns within the context of a mixed use environment, 6 DRAFT City of Howell Community Profile protect natural features, and promote high-quality development. It was then that the City of Howell identified the need to prepare specific area plans to manage future growth and development. Northeast Area and M-59 Area Plan In 1999, the Northeast Area and M-59 Area Plan was created. The Study Area included proposed Planned Unit Developments (PUDs) within the City of Howell, as well as adjacent properties which could be annexed into the City. Loop Road Area Plan In 2002, the Loop Road Area Plan was created to establish a cohesive development plan for the area north of I-96 and west of Lucy Road in order to study to the impacts of the proposed Pinckney Road (D- 19) alternative truck route loop road. Also in 2002, the City’s Master Plan was updated and M- 59/Northeast Area and Loop Road Area Plans were incorporated in the Master Plan.