Clark Planning Commission Sets Schedule for Master Plan, Zoning Process
By Amy Polk

Clark Township Planning Commission will work on master plan and zoning ordinance updates at 7 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month, and started June 19 with a review and critique of the township's master plan. The public can attend any of the workshops, as they are public meetings. A Tuesday, July 31, community forum has been tentatively scheduled specifically to get public opinion.

The township's planning firm is Gourdie-Fraser of Traverse City. Dave Dunning and John Grenier are the liaisons between the commission and Gourdie-Fraser.

On June 12, commissioner Selma Edsinga's resignation was accepted. Clark Township Board of Trustees appointed Joe Eger of Cedarville to finish her four-year term, which started in January. Mr. Eger owns Eger Beaver canvas works and upholstery in Cedarville, and was a longtime seasonal resident before moving to the area permanently. He joins commissioners Jeff Davis, Mr. Dunning, Mr. Grenier, Marti Hart, Steve Honnila, Dana Leach, Mike Miller, and Mike Patrick.

Commissioners met with Gourdie-Fraser planner Bradley Kaye Thursday, May 24, for an interview and discussion about the updating process. He said updating the comprehensive plan will be the easier task, as it needs refinement more than it needs revision.

Updating the zoning ordinance will be a more exhaustive task, and Mr. Kaye discussed the options available to Clark Township. The easiest would be adopting amendments to existing ordinances and repealing the old ordinances, or an entirely new ordinance book could be drafted by using the new master plan as its foundation. If a new zoning ordinance is adopted, all the land use rules of the old ordinance would be replaced by new or revised rules.

Mr. Kaye asked several questions of commissioners, including their visual impression of Clark Township. Commissioners generally agreed that Clark Township looks best from the water, along the shoreline of its two waterfront villages and more than 30 islands. During his review of several township documents, including the comprehensive plan, community visual preference survey, and highway corridor enhancement recommendation, Mr. Kaye said he detected a strong desire to improve Clark Township's appearance. People at public input sessions have repeatedly said they want the downtown areas of Cedarville and Hessel to reflect the views from the water that visitors find attractive. Commissioners said if they were to describe the area to someone who has never been there, they would probably mention the islands and the waterfront first.

"The visual standards [for Clark Township] are very weak in your ordinance," Mr. Kaye noted.

He also heard from planners a lot of interest in more development and a better economy, with the belief that growth should be regulated and have guidelines.

Commissioners further cited the declining tourist economy in Clark Township, and the lack of enough permanent and seasonal residents to support new and existing businesses. They said several businesses in Clark Township have closed over the years, and high real estate prices were mentioned as a limiting factor, among a lack of options for growing the economy.

During discussion about zoning ordinance enforcement, Mr. Kaye recommended commissioners determine the importance of land use rules and how they will be enforced.

"One of the things you, as a commission, will have to do is decide how hard you want to bite the bullet and enforce these things," Mr. Kaye added.

Answering commissioner questions, Mr. Kaye said electronic copies of the new documents will be provided for easy updates, and he recommended they be posted on the township's Web site. Gourdie-Fraser also wants to post future meeting announcements, progress reports, and public input opportunities on Clark Township's Web site as the updating process moves along.