Riparian Ordinance Update
On Wednesday, February 15, 2023, the Planning Department held a public listening session for the purpose of learning more about current riparian challenges and discussing the upcoming riparian ordinance process. There were approximately 25 in-person attendees and over 30 Zoom attendees. We'd like to thank all who attended and provided input on this process. A summary of the meeting has been completed and a link to the summary is provided below.
The Township has been discussing the need for updates to the current riparian regulations since before the flooding in 2018, when groundwater and lake levels did not recede following rain events as they had in years past. Now that the Township is in the home stretch with final permitting and eventual construction of a long-term solution, the Township Board has directed the Planning Department and Planning Commission to resume work on updating riparian regulations to protect lakes, ponds, and streams within the Township, in addition to centralizing the regulations within the Zoning Ordinance for simplicity.
This is a multi-month process with the next step being the circulation of an online survey to collect additional information and validate feedback received at the listening session. The Planning Department is targeting distribution of the survey sometime in May or June of 2023. There is a strong possibility of a community workshop following the survey. The continued process is focused on engagement. It is unlikely that the Planning Commission will be reviewing any drafts of the ordinance until late Summer or early Fall of 2023.
If you were unable to make it to the listening session and would like to provide input, please email Zoning Administrator, John Lovely, or mail/drop off a letter to Township Hall at your convenience. If you would like to discuss specific details regarding this process, please call John at 269-548-4305.
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John Lovely
Zoning AdministratorPhone: 269-548-4305