Page 47 - Northville Township

Land Use Quantities on Future Table 1, Future Land Use Allocation
Land Use and Character Map Parks, Recreation and Open

Space 2,506.2 acres 23.6%
Tallied in Table 1, Future Land Use Allocation, are the
estimated acres within each future land use category as Estate Residential 726.6 acres 6.8%
shown on the map. Note that the Floodways and Flood Suburban Residential 4,540.2 acres 42.8%
Zones are not in themselves discrete future land use
categories and are not shown in Table 1. On the map, Small-Lot Residential 43.0 acres 0.4%
the areas encompassed by Floodways and Flood Zones Neighborhood Conservation 436.3 acres 4.1%
overlay the future land use categories to show how they
are related. Suburban Residential 1,137.3 acres 10.7%
Attached
Focused on the anticipated future uses and character Corridor Mixed Use 536.5 acres 5.1%
within Northville Township, Table 1 distinguishes each
future land use category by noting the approximate General Commercial 43.9 acres 0.4%
acreage and the corresponding percentage of which Suburban Commercial 100.6 acres 0.9%
that category covers the Township. Suburban Residential
covers approximately 40% of the Township and is the Suburban Business Park 226.9 acres 2.1%
largest category, followed by Parks, Recreation and Open Light Industrial 316.5 acres 3.0%
Space, which covers a quarter of the Township. Many
of the other future land use categories comprise less TOTAL 10,614.1 acres 100.0%
than 5% of the Township’s land. In total, over half of the
Township is dedicated to residential uses, and a quarter decisions may be made to foster a prosperous economy,
dedicated to parks. The percentages below compile the a sustainable environment and a high quality of life for
general categories of land uses: residents.
– Residential: 62% Although the Master Plan and associated future land
– Commercial: 5% use map provide only general planning guidance, their
– Mixed Use: 5% role is especially relevant as it can lead to rewrites and
– Industrial: 3% updates of the zoning regulations and district map. It is
only through the official zoning map and the ongoing
– Parks and Open Space: 25% zoning administration process that binding, legally
enforceable decisions are made about property uses and
Future Land Use Planning compatibility on a case-by-case basis. Adoption of this
Master Plan, including the future land use map, does not
Versus Zoning mean that the Township’s zoning approach or mapping
will automatically change. Instead, the future land use
The side-by-side comparison in Table 2, Future Land Use map provides a tool for ongoing evaluation of how
Map Versus Zoning Map, highlights the distinct purposes land uses in certain parts of the community may evolve
and uses of a future land use map relative to a zoning over time while some areas (e.g., established, stable
map. neighborhoods) are likely to stay much as they are over
the long term.
The Township’s development regulations are among the
primary tools for implementing the Master Plan. The
zoning regulations, in particular, play a significant role in CURRENT ZONING
establishing and protecting the physical character of the
community. These regulations delineate land use districts Provided in Table 3, Designations on Future Land Use
and the types of uses permitted within them, together Map Relative to Current Zoning Districts, is a comparison
with standards for buildings and site improvements. between the land use and character designations
As a result, the zoning regulations, together with the described above and the current districts in Northville
Township’s subdivision regulations where applicable, Township’s zoning regulations.
largely direct development outcomes. This is essential as
it provides a regulatory context in which local land use

Approved August 17, 2023 43