As Clark Township takes another look at how it wants to grow, 103 citizens, cottagers, and a couple of neighbors from Pickford came out Monday, July 30, to record some of those ideas. They will help shape the new master plan and zoning ordinances that will be crafted over the next year.

Ideas that came out of the Monday forum were consistent with what residents called for about 15 years ago, when the first master plan was drafted. Master plans are public documents that describe what residents want their town to be. The plan is like a wish list identifying things like infrastructure, public facilities, environmental and economic goals, appearance, architecture, and character. A zoning ordinance is the regulatory document that expresses those ideas as legal guidelines to shape the town into what people envision.

Participants of the Monday night session envisioned Clark Township having active business districts without empty storefronts. With a shrinking student population at the local school, having job opportunities and things for young people to do were other priorities. Ensuring there are suitable places and opportunities for businesses to grow outside of the downtown areas are also important. A recurring suggestion at the Monday meeting and in the current master plan is a boardwalk. Residents believe a boardwalk could give appealing access to the scenic views of the water and islands from Cedarville's and Hessel's shorelines. It could give people more reasons to visit the downtown areas of the two villages, where people are setting their sights on revitalization.

"We talked a lot about Cedarville and Hessel becoming a destination, instead of a thoroughfare," Dana Leach said of the discussion of downtown areas.

Brad Kaye of Gourdie-Fraser in Traverse City led the discussion, asking residents to give their opinions on four key areas in the township's old master plan that are too vague and need more definition from residents. Those four topics that became four discussion groups are "core areas" or village centers, waterfront development, public access to water, and water quality.

Participants were split into four groups to make lists of priorities for each of the four topics.After the lists were made, participants went around the room and ranked items on the lists. The top concerns that emerged include providing public access to water, low water levels, opening views to the water in downtown areas, keeping things the same as they are now, ensuring personal property rights, creating walk-able communities with a pleasant, "small town" feel, expanding the sewer system and communications infrastructure, making Cedarville and Hessel destinations, and making the communities more boater friendly.

Among other comments heard, participants said they want to ensure individual property rights remain intact, and that planners consider the property owners who live next to public access points when creating guidelines for those places. At the same time, however, residents said they want to see plenty of public access to the water, and more public fishing sites.More parking should be provided to give site users and the island residents a place to leave their cars.

In fact, "parking, parking, parking" was one of the recommendations made by the "public access to water" discussion group.

"Overnight parking, finding it, providing it, and having parking for island residents is very important," said Shawn Merritt, spokesman of the group, noting there are several historic public access points to the water in Clark Township, but some are blocked from public use.

"There are [approximately 13 identified] public access points in Clark Township," Mr. Merritt said. "Only four are open to users, and we would like more of these opened up to public use, whether to boats or to kayaks."

On the environmental end of things, participants emphasized the shoreline is a precious commodity, and want to see more parks, no storage buildings on the shoreline, better septic system management, and "buffer zones" of trees and shrubs to help reduce pollution and runoff.

"If we do these things right, we will have a more vibrant community, and by definition, that means a better economy," said Bob Smith of the water quality discussion group's recommendations, as well as the community planning process.

Clark Township Supervisor Linda Hudson said she is hopeful that this time the recommendations made in the township's master plan will become enforceable guidelines.

"We have professional assistance, now. I hope that will make the difference," Mrs. Hudson said, responding to a question about how this planning will differ from the last time Clark Township made a master plan. "Four years ago, when I was on the Planning Commission, they were struggling to mesh the zoning ordinance with the master plan on their own. Now, Gourdie- Fraser is going to write the zoning ordinance updates."

Clark Township's current master plan is from 1994. The zoning ordinance book is 16 years older, drafted in 1978, and amended nearly 20 times since then.

Master plan reviews are now required by state law every five years. To give them legal basis, zoning ordinances should be based on the community wishes expressed in the master plan.

Mr. Kaye invited participants and the public to the Clark Township Planning Commission's workshops every third Tuesday of the month, at 7 p.m. at Clark Township Hall in Cedarville. He hopes to have information on the process on Clark Township's or Gourdie-Fraser's Web site, and there will be other public forums and opportunities for people to weigh in and review tentative documents. The next master plan workshop will be Tuesday, August 21.

Because the planning process started later than expected, Mr. Kaye expects the master plan and zoning ordinance updates to be done next summer.

Public recommendations made by discussion groups Monday night include:

Cedarville and Hessel Town Centers Recommendations:

• Create walkable communities that are more boater-friendly.

• More two-story buildings with apartments or offices upstairs.

• Reduce congestion in downtown Hessel, and conflicts between cars and people.

• Create walking paths around Hessel, rather than forcing residents to walk in the street.

• Reduce noise levels and speed limits in downtown areas to create friendlier atmosphere.

• Encourage down-turned lighting to reduce light pollution.

• Create parking solutions. Determine whether parking should be in front or behind businesses; consider parking lot in center of Cedarville block so people can walk to businesses.

• Encourage mixed uses of different kinds of business and living options.

• Establish a historic district to encourage appreciation and preservation of old buildings.

• Revisit community theater idea proposed by Les Cheneaux Community Library planners.

• Establish "folk art" center to teach art classes, crafts, and other interests.

• Create a boardwalk.

• Make Cedarville and Hessel destinations for tourists and new residents.

Public Access to Waterfront Recommendations:

• Open public access to water through public access points.

• Parking: overnight parking, finding more parking, providing more parking, parking for seasonal users and island residents.

• Establish waterfront walkway along a boardwalk.

• Create public fishing sites. Causeway to Hill Island is there, but dangerous; need more public fishing places; handicap fishing access; public parking for fishing spots.

Waterfront Development: • No matter what's done, we need to protect personal property rights.

• Allow tree cutting and weed cutting along shoreline.

• Allow variability: One size can't fit all, and ordinances should be variable and adjustable.

• Information should be more accessible to residents, including who is involved, who dictates what, what agencies or authorities have jurisdiction over what land uses?

• Downtown areas should be more appealing; downtowns are crucial to community development.

• Establish boardwalk along waterfront.

Water Quality Recommendations:

• Better septic system maintenance.

• Find solutions to problems, pollution, algae blooms created by low water levels; is there a solution to low water levels?

• Create waterfront "buffer zones" of trees, shrubs, vegetation, and natural materials.

• Discourage fertilizing right down to the waterfront to reduce phosphorus levels in lake water.

• Better management of stormwater runoff.

• Control weeds in Cedarville Bay (and other areas).