Page 9 - Northville Township

Why Plan? Use of This Plan

Local planning allows Northville Township to better A master plan, if embraced by the community
control its future rather than simply react to change. and its leadership, has the potential to boost a
Planning enables the Township to manage future growth community’s livability and its opportunities for tangible
and development actively as opposed to reacting to accomplishments.
development and redevelopment on a case-by-case
basis without adequate and necessary consideration The plan is ultimately a guidance document for Township
of community-wide issues. The process for developing officials and staff, who must make decisions on a daily
the Master Plan involved major community discussions basis that will determine the future direction, financial
about Northville Township’s priorities and its capability health, and “look and feel” of the community. These
to provide the necessary public services and facilities to decisions are carried out through:
support these priorities. Such considerations led to pivotal – Targeted programs and expenditures prioritized
discussions about what is “best” for the community through the Township’s annual budget process,
and how everything from taxes to quality of life will be including routine but essential functions such as code
affected. compliance.
Long-range master planning provides an opportunity – Major public improvements and land acquisitions
for the Township’s elected and appointed officials to financed through the Township’s budgeting efforts.
step back from pressing, day-to-day issues and clarify – New and amended Township ordinances and
their ideas on the kind of community they are trying to regulations closely linked to Master Plan objectives
create and maintain. Through the plan development (and associated review and approval procedures
process, Northville Township’s leaders could look broadly in the case of subdivision and land development
at programs for neighborhoods, housing, economic activities).
development, parks and recreation, and provision of – Departmental work plans and resources in key areas.
public infrastructure and facilities and how these efforts
may relate to one another. The plan ultimately represents – Support for ongoing planning and studies that will
a “big picture” of the community and its near-term and further clarify needs, costs, benefits, and strategies.
longer-range future. In sum, the essential reasons for – Pursuit of external grant funding to supplement local
long-range planning are to: budgets and/or expedite certain projects.

– Provide a balance of land uses and services – Initiatives pursued in conjunction with other public
throughout the community to meet the needs and and private partners to leverage resources and
desires of the population. achieve successes neither could accomplish on their

– Ensure adequate public facilities to meet the own.
demands of future development and redevelopment.
Despite these many avenues for action, the Master
– Achieve and maintain a development pattern that Plan should not be considered a “cure all” for every
reflects the values of the community, and which tough problem the community faces. This plan focuses
ensures a balanced tax base between residential and primarily on the responsibilities of Township government
non-residential development. in the physical planning arena, where municipalities
– Ensure the long-term protection and enhancement of normally have a more direct and extensive role than in
the perception and image of the community. other areas that residents value, such as education and
– Involve local citizens in the decision-making process, social services. Long-range plans, as vision and policy
documents, also must remain relatively general.
provide a transparent planning process, and reach
consensus on the future vision for Northville The resulting plan may not touch on every challenge
Township. before the Township, but it is meant to set a tone and
motivate concerted efforts to move the community
forward in coming years.

Approved August 17, 2023 7