Summary
This document is a working draft (dated June 26, 2025, reviewed by the Leelanau Township Planning Commission on August 28, 2025) of the Leelanau Township Master Plan Update, prepared with consultant Beckett & Rader. It is not a record of a voted meeting but a comprehensive planning draft covering mission/goals, economic development, housing, zoning, future land use, natural features, coastal resiliency, community facilities, parks/recreation, and transportation. No formal votes or motions are recorded; the Commission is reviewing chapters before further public sessions and eventual adoption.
Public Comments
No named public speakers are recorded. Community input was gathered through a 2021 survey (505 responses; separately noted as "more than 400" in the summary) and a September 22, 2021 open house (~40 participants) at the Township Offices. Residents favored preserving open space/natural beauty (23%), water access/quality (17%), and recreation (15%); 12% wanted more affordable/workforce housing. At the open house, 97% supported internal/attached ADUs and 85% supported detached ADUs. 67% favored a TOST (Time of Sale/Transfer) inspection ordinance; 81% supported continued Dark Sky preservation; 83% wanted stronger dune/bluff protection. These are resident survey preferences, not Board decisions.
Affordable Housing Initiatives
The draft finds Leelanau County needs 39 additional rental units and 32 ownership units by 2025 (Housing North estimate). Strategies discussed include Missing Middle housing (duplexes, triplexes, townhomes), reduced minimum lot sizes in R2/R3A/R3S districts, co-housing definitions, ADU residency reforms, micro-unit/tiny-home regulations, cluster development (Article 13, OSRD), and public-private partnerships: development agreements, the Leelanau County Land Bank (formed 2008), brownfield redevelopment financing (Act 381 of 1996), and community land trusts (noting Suttons Bay Township activity). No board votes are recorded; these are proposed "points to consider."
Parks and Recreation Matters
The Township owns 285 acres across six parks (Braman Hill, Peterson Park, Buster Dame Park, Omena Beach Park, Christmas Cove Beach, Woolsey Airfield Park). The 2022 Parks and Recreation Master Plan renewed state grant eligibility. Leelanau State Park (1,550 acres) had 279,671 day visitors and 16,118 campers in 2018. The Leelanau Conservancy protects six properties and 48 conservation easements (2,238.26 acres) in the Township.
Infrastructure Projects
The Village of Northport and Township jointly operate the NLTUA wastewater system, currently with limited expansion capacity. Water quality priorities include Wellhead Protection Program enrollment (Township not currently enrolled), a proposed TOST ordinance (Leelanau County adopted one in 2023), and wetland/setback protections. Marinas are referenced under Northport's economic base (Village Marina) and Omena's small marina/Yacht Club, but no new marina project or vote is described.
Other Business
Chapters also address economic development (agriculture, agritourism, tourism, Northport Point, Omena commercial district), zoning updates (shoreline residential district, solar/wind energy standards, airport zoning near Woolsey Memorial Airport), transportation (137 miles of township roads, non-motorized trail planning, BATA transit), demographics, and coastal resiliency (shoreline armoring concerns, setback datum review).
Financial Summary
Key figures cited: median household income $55,517 (Township) vs. $65,249 (County) and $57,144 (State); median home value $298,000; median gross rent $1,070. Housing cost burden: 45% of renters and 71% of owners in "affordable" units. CZMP grant examples: Weko Beach Dune Restoration ($75,000), Grand Haven Lighthouse ($37,879), St. Clair Waterfront Plan ($25,000). Farmland Preservation Program (PA 116) covers 332 acres in 5 agreements. Library and Fire Department are funded via voter-approved millages.
Action Items
- Planning Commission/Board of Trustees to draft zoning amendments (reduced lot sizes, ADU rules, micro-unit and co-housing standards) — timeframe 1–3 years.
- Enter local government agreement with Leelanau County Land Bank (Board of Trustees) — 1–3 years.
- Assess Wellhead Protection Program enrollment and adopt TOST ordinance (Planning Commission/Board) — 1–3 years.
- Pursue CZMP funding and coastal wetland/armoring policy review — continuous.
- Explore joint planning/shared services and possible joint Planning Commission with Village of Northport — 1–10 years, flagged as an area of ongoing intergovernmental coordination given historic housing and infrastructure overlap.
- Form citizen non-motorized trail advisory group — under 1 year.