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 - Represents Completed Project

 - Represents Ongoing Project

Grand Traverse Commons Community

Two years ago, the City of Traverse City and Garfield Charter Township worked together to establish the Grand Traverse Commons Joint Planning Commission. The new commission was created to replace the oversight role of the Grand Traverse Commons Redevelopment Corporation. The new commission is taking a community-wide approach to planning, collaborating on land use issues of mutual interest. Home to the Munson Medical Center and the Village at Grand Traverse Commons (including Building 50), portions of the 484-acre campus lie within both the City of Traverse City and Garfield Charter Township. In fact, the jurisdictional boundary separating the two jurisdictions goes through the middle of one of the former state hospital buildings. Established under the Joint Municipal Planning Act, Public Act 226 of 2003 (MCL 125.131, et seq.), the commission is one of just a handful of such commissions in Michigan. One of the first tasks charged to the new commission is the development of a new comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance. With a grant of assistance from the Partnerships for Change Sustainable Communities Program, the Joint Planning Commission initiated the planning process in July. For more information please link to the Project Website.

Suttons Bay Community

Several years ago, the Village of Suttons Bay and the Township of Suttons Bay planning commissions met jointly to discuss mutual and regional concerns. During this discussion, the importance of coordinating planning and zoning decisions became clear. For this reason, in 2007 the two planning commissions formed a joint land use plan sub-committee. Through Partnerships for Change Sustainable Communities,  the sub-committee hopes to help the two jurisdictions form a joint planning commission under the Joint Municipal Planning Act, Public Act 226 of 2003 (MCL 125.131, et seq.) and develop a joint comprehensive plan. The joint planning commission will help establish an ongoing system of coordinated planning and the joint plan will help to assure the protection and enhancement of community-wide cultural and natural resources.  For more information please link to the Project Website.

Gratiot Community

The townships, villages and cities of Gratiot County have a history of cooperation through intergovernmental agreements and county-wide entities, such as their Economic Development Corporation, Chamber of Commerce and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) Authority. However, the jurisdictions of Gratiot County wish to take these cooperative efforts a step further by coordinating local planning efforts on a county-wide basis. By doing so, Gratiot County communities hope to ensure high quality social and economic opportunities for area residents in addition to preserving the rural and natural characteristics of the county. The proposed plan, the Gratiot Regional Excellence and Transformation (GREAT) Plan, will be a document that is written and adopted by all of the participating local jurisdictions. This may be the first locally developed plan in the state that will be shared, adopted and implemented by all of the local governments in a county.  For more information please link to the Project Website.

Fife Lake Community

The Village of Fife Lake and Fife Lake Township were awarded a First-Step Service Grant to develop a joint omprehensive recreation plan for the community - with an emphasis on non-motorized pathways (including a path around Fife Lake). After an extensive public planning process that included two public forums, the local municipalities adopting the recreation plan in March. The plan was recently submitted to the DNR-E for approval - making the local municipalities eligible for state grant funding. 

North Central State Trail Community

The participating jurisdictions (Village of Mackinaw City, Cheboygan County, Otsego County, Tuscarora Township, Corwith Township, and the Village of Vanderbilt) in cooperation with a number of economic development/community/trail organizations were awarded a First-Step Service Grant to create a sustainable partnership of trail stakeholders and educate the trailside communities on profitable development options to enhance the economic vitality of trailside communities on profitable development options to enhance the economic vitality of trail communities.

Boyne Community

The City of Boyne City, Boyne Valley Township and Wilson Township were awarded a First-Step Service Grant to develop a shared vision for the M-75 Corridor.

Heart-of-the-Lakes (Brooklyn) Community

The Village of Brooklyn, Columbia Township, Napolean Township and Norvell Township were awarded a First-Step Service Grant to to coordinate the development of a non-motorized trail.

Hillsdale Community

The Village of Hillsdale, Village of Jonesville, Hillsdale Township and Fayette Township (all part of the Hillsdale Regional Planning Group) were awarded a First-Step Service Grant to establish a formalized regional group that has the authority to undertake planning, construction and maintenance of a regional non-motorized trail system throughout the community.

East/South Manistee Community

The Village of Kaleva, Dickson Township, Maple Grove Township, Norman Township, Stronach Township and the Charter Township of Filer were awarded a First-Step Service Grant to develop a new regional strategic economic develop plan for the community -  a plan that addresses strategies for Michigan's "new economy."

Farmington Community

The Cities of Farmington and Farmington Hills were awarded a Small-Scale Service Grant to help develop a joint Corridor Improvement Authority & TIF Plan for a portion of Grand River Avenue.

Tri-County (Lansing) Community

The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission, on behalf of the Urban & Rural Districts/Urban Service Boundaries Committee (a group made up of representatives from 19 municipalities/organizations throughout greater Lansing) was awarded a Small-Scale Service Grant to develop a comprehensive study for the potential of an urban service boundary in the greater Tri-County area.

Three Rivers Community

The City of Three Rivers and Fabius Township (in conjunction with the St. Joseph County Land Use Council) were awarded a "first-steps" project to establish consensus arourd a proposed pathway connection between the two jurisdictions and develop a plan for implementation.