Page 78 - Northville Township

PLAN AMENDMENT PROCESS

The Northville Township Master Plan should be a flexible
document that allows for adjustment to changing
conditions over time. Shifts in political, economic,
physical, technological and social conditions and other
unforeseen circumstances, may influence and change
the priorities and fiscal outlook of the community. As
Northville Township evolves, new issues will emerge
while others will no longer be as relevant. Some action
statements will be found impractical or outdated while
other plausible solutions will arise. To ensure that it
continues to reflect the overall goals of the community
and remains relevant over time, the plan must be
revisited regularly to confirm that the plan elements
are still on point and the associated goals and action
strategies are still appropriate.

Revisions of the Master Plan are two-fold, with minor plan
amendments occurring at least every other year and more
sigificant updates and modifications occurring every five
years. As an example, a minor amendment could include
reivisions to certain elements of the plan as a result of the
adoption of another specialized plan. Major updates will
involve:
– Reviewing the community’s base conditions and
anticipated growth trends;

– Re-evaluating the plan findings and formulating new
ones as necessary; and
– Adding, revising or removing action strategies in the
plan based on implementation progress.

Annual Progress Report

Township staff should prepare an annual progress
report for presentation to the Board of Trustees and
Planning Commission. This ensures that the plan is
consistently reviewed and that any needed modifications
or clarifications are identified for the bi-annual minor
amendment process. Ongoing tracking of consistency
between the plan and the Township’s development
regulations should be an essential part of this effort.

The Annual Progress Report should include and highlight:
– Significant actions and accomplishments during the
last year, including the status of implementation for
each programmed task in the Master Plan.
– Obstacles or problems in the implementation of the
Annual Report examples from the City of Decatur, plan.
Georgia, and the City of Evans, Colorado. – Proposed content amendments that have come
forward during the course of the year.

74 NORTHVILLE TOWNSHIP Master Plan