Livingston Township Otsego County Master Plan Adoption Date: Month X, 2018 Prepared by: Livingston Township Planning Commission With the assistance of: Northeast Michigan Council of Governments LIVINGSTON TOWNSHIP 2018 MASTER PLAN Livingston Township Otsego County Michigan prepared by: Livingston Township Planning Commission Steve Dipzinski, Chair Joyce Slivinski, Secretary Richard Carlson Michael Mang Steve Bauman prepared with the assistance of: Northeast Michigan Council of Governments PO Box 457 Gaylord, MI 39734 Master Plan Adoption Date: Month X, 2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................ 1 Rationale of a Master Plan.............................................................................................. 1 Legal Jurisdiction ............................................................................................................ 1 Location and Description ................................................................................................ 1 Historical Efforts of the Livingston Township Planning Commission .............................. 4 Description of Planning Approach................................................................................... 4 Regional Description and Goals ..................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER 2 – SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS .............................................. 7 Population Data and Trends ........................................................................................... 7 Racial Distribution ........................................................................................................... 7 Age Distribution .............................................................................................................. 7 County Population .......................................................................................................... 8 Township Population ...................................................................................................... 8 Projected Population Growth .......................................................................................... 9 Personal and Family Income ........................................................................................ 10 Employment and Unemployment .................................................................................. 11 CHAPTER 3 – NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. 13 Climate .......................................................................................................................... 13 Topography ................................................................................................................... 13 Soils .......................................................................................................................... 14 Vegetation ..................................................................................................................... 17 Wildlife .......................................................................................................................... 17 Water Resources .......................................................................................................... 19 Oil and Gas Development ............................................................................................. 19 CHAPTER 4 – EXISTING LAND USE ...................................................................................... 23 Residential Land Use .................................................................................................... 23 Commercial Land Use .................................................................................................. 24 Industrial Land Use ....................................................................................................... 24 Recreational Land Use ................................................................................................. 25 Forests, Agriculture and Open Space ........................................................................... 26 CHAPTER 5 – COMMUNITY SERVICES AND FACILITIES .................................................... 29 Township Government .................................................................................................. 29 Transportation ............................................................................................................... 29 Communications ........................................................................................................... 32 Telephone ..................................................................................................................... 32 Internet Access ............................................................................................................. 32 Radio ......................................................................................................................... 32 Television ...................................................................................................................... 32 Newspapers .................................................................................................................. 33 Energy Supplies ............................................................................................................ 33 Water .......................................................................................................................... 33 Sewer and Septic Systems ........................................................................................... 34 Solid Waste Disposal .................................................................................................... 35 Public Safety ................................................................................................................. 35 i Law Enforcement .......................................................................................................... 35 Fire Protection .............................................................................................................. 35 Ambulance Service ....................................................................................................... 36 Health Services ............................................................................................................. 36 Community Services and Organizations ....................................................................... 37 Educational Facilities and Programs............................................................................. 37 CHAPTER 6 – GATHERING COMMUNITY INPUT ................................................................. 39 Web Survey .................................................................................................................. 39 Other Public Comments ................................................................................................ 46 CHAPTER 7 – GOALS, OBJECTIVES, AND POLICIES .......................................................... 47 Goals .......................................................................................................................... 47 Local Government ........................................................................................................ 48 Transportation ............................................................................................................... 48 Public Facilities ............................................................................................................. 49 Health and Welfare ....................................................................................................... 49 Utilities .......................................................................................................................... 50 Residential .................................................................................................................... 50 Commercial ................................................................................................................... 50 Industrial ....................................................................................................................... 51 Recreation-Open Space ............................................................................................... 51 Agriculture ..................................................................................................................... 52 Environmental Preservation / Forestlands .................................................................... 52 CHAPTER 8 – FUTURE LAND USE RECOMMENDATIONS .................................................. 55 Environmental Conservation ....................................................................................... 55 Forestlands ................................................................................................................... 55 Agricultural .................................................................................................................... 56 Residential .................................................................................................................... 56 Commercial ................................................................................................................... 57 Resort 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