Summary
The document reviewed is the 2nd Draft (May 2024) of the Leelanau Township Master Plan, presented to the Leelanau Planning Commission on September 5, 2024. The draft compiles background, demographic, housing, natural features, coastal resiliency, community facilities, recreation, transportation, economic development, and land use chapters, building on community surveys and open houses conducted starting in 2021. The plan sets updated Township goals (revised from the 2010 Master Plan) and recommends numerous zoning and policy changes to address housing affordability, natural resource protection, coastal risk, and infrastructure needs.
Public Comments
No live public comment period is documented; instead, the draft incorporates results from a 2021 community survey (505 responses) and open house (about 40 participants). Residents identified affordable/workforce housing (12%), collaborative governance (5%), and non-motorized trails (5%) as top desired changes. On natural resources, 99% agreed Lake Michigan is a community asset, 83% supported more aggressive dune/bluff protection, 81% supported dark-sky preservation, and 67% favored adopting a Time of Sale/Transfer (TOST) septic inspection ordinance (11% opposed). On housing, residents strongly favored accessory dwelling units (97% support for internal/attached ADUs, 85% for detached) and micro-units (40.3% cited need). Regarding shoreline armoring, 35% viewed hard armoring as harmful, 25% disagreed, and 40% were neutral/unsure. These are resident-expressed preferences reflected in the draft, not Commission votes.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
The Housing chapter documents that median home value ($298,000) and median rent ($1,070) exceed county and state levels, with an estimated need for 39 additional rental units and 32 ownership units in the Township by 2025. Recommended strategies include reducing minimum lot sizes in R2, R3A, and R3S districts; permitting "missing middle" housing and co-housing; adopting individual and community micro-unit regulations; revising ADU/guest house rules; entering a local government agreement with the Leelanau County Land Bank Fast Track Authority; and pursuing brownfield-land bank funding partnerships for affordable development. No votes are recorded; these are draft recommendations ("Points to Consider").
Parks and Recreation Matters
The Township owns 285 acres across six parks (e.g., Braman Hill, Peterson Park, Buster Dame Park, Woolsey Airfield). The 2022 Parks and Recreation Master Plan is referenced as the current governing document, maintaining State grant eligibility. Recommended actions include implementing that plan's goals and providing conservation-easement information to property owners in partnership with the Leelanau Conservancy, which holds 48 easements (2,238 acres) and six preserves in the Township.
Infrastructure Projects
The plan addresses the joint Village of Northport–Township wastewater system (solar/wind powered, with expansion capacity), Wellhead Protection Areas, and broadband gaps (35% of surveyed residents reported inadequate internet). Coastal resiliency recommendations include redefining the waterfront setback datum to "582.35ft above sea level or the ordinary high-water mark, whichever is greater," prohibiting shoreline armoring, adopting a 100-foot deep water's edge setback, and pursuing Michigan Coastal Zone Management Program grant funding.
Financial Summary
Cited figures include: Leelanau Township median household income $55,517; median home value $298,000; wineries contributing $64 million and 700 jobs to the local economy (2017 study); a federal infrastructure bill directing roughly $100 million to Michigan broadband expansion; and a 0.5 mill library ballot initiative (2022) to create an independent library board.
Action Items
Numerous "Points to Consider" and implementation-table actions are listed for future Board/Planning Commission action, including: adopt a TOST ordinance, wetland setback, and solar energy zoning amendment; enter Land Bank and brownfield agreements; explore a Joint Planning Commission and joint master planning with the Village of Northport; discourage new commercial development in Omena while adding parking signage and a signalized crosswalk; and monitor pending state short-term rental legislation for potential permit caps. No specific deadlines beyond general 1–10 year timeframes are assigned in the implementation tables.