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Work Session
Discussion Items
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Additional agenda items, or changes to
the Regular Agenda, to follow.
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Review of Potential Wetlands Ordinance
and Options
This discussion was
requested at the August 15th Work Session. A number of sample approaches were
researched. The way to protect
wetlands differs substantially depending on the community.
1. Spring
Lake Township’s ordinance (Code amendment)
2. Pinckney
Village’s (Code Amendment)
3. Grand
Haven’s Sensitive Area ordinance (Zoning Code amendment)
These approaches are
evaluated below:
1. Spring
Lake Township’s ordinance is 46 pages long. It’s advantages are being very specific
and broad pertaining to protection of wetlands and a twenty-five feet of
“buffer” area too. Its disadvantages
are the creation of a new board and enormously detailed processes. A special “Wetland Officer” needs to be
appointed that is evaluated annually by the Wetland Review Board. A Wetlands Inventory Map needs to be
created.
2. The
Village of Pinckney’s ordinance is much less detailed but somewhat
dated. It is streamlined
administratively, using the Zoning Administrator to make the discretionary
calls. It also includes a buffer
strip (20 feet). A use permit is
required. A Wetlands Map is used in
their review. The ordinance is 11
pages.
3. The
Grand Haven Sensitive Area ordinance has the beauty of being broader
in its protection of dunes, sensitive vegetation/habitat and slopes, as well
as the floodplain and wetlands/streams, yet it is only seven pages. The key is review by the Planning
Commission of site plans based on Sensitive Area maps that are created in
advance.
Your review and
discussion is requested before setting a public hearing. Copies of these ordinances will be
available at the meeting but are not duplicated here due to their length.
Another option is to
simply amend the Village’s existing Flood Plain ordinance, Chapter 38, to
include concerns about property on the fringe of the wetlands/flood plain
areas. The downside to this approach
is you might not want to preclude redevelopment in flood plain areas with a
FEMA flood plain amendment(West Savidge, for example). More consultation with the Village
Attorney will occur before the meeting on this option.
In any and all cases,
development potential could be restricted in now unforeseeable ways. This makes sense in rural areas but may be
undesirable in already built-up areas like our parcels that are in line for
redevelopment. Additional staff and
consulting expense will be necessary as well. Relying on the state’s procedures and contributing the
Village’s opinion as necessary is a less expensive and duplicative way to
proceed.
Status Reports
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Franklin and Longview Street Projects
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Maple Terrace Design Meeting
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Preview of Signage Ordinance Changes
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Preview of Private Road Ordinance
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Expansion of Municipal Services Garage
Status Report
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Parks Board and Grand River Greenway
Process
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Ambulance Service Potential Contract
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Ordinary High Water Mark Consultation
Requested for End of Alden Street
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Status of Indoor/outdoor pool discussion
Upcoming Agenda Items (Tentative)
November 7
Ambulance Service Contract (possible)
Review of Crosswalk Safety Enhancements Being
Suggested for Next Year at Lakeside Beach
Letter of Intent on Redevelopment of West
Exchange
Public Hearing on a Wetlands ordinance
November 21
TBD
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