Revisions on Draft Master Plan

italics = text from Master Plan
plain text = Dan's comments

The planning challenge of the Township is to properly manage seasonal growth pressures while providing growth management programs to maintain long term environmental quality. That is the purpose and guiding principal of this Plan

“Maintaining.” What about restoring environmental quality?

This Plan is created as a “Future Land Use Plan”

Where is the future land use map?

Due to poor soil conditions agriculture was not sustainable...

This assertion is inaccurate as it does not reflect the historical record or the current agricultural operations in Lake Township. It should be struck from the Master Plan.

although orchards were developed in the 1920’s. The largest one in Lake Township was Crystal Highlands Orchards.

I am intimately familiar with the history Crystal Highland Orchards, my family bought the operation from Dayton Willard in the 1970s. As a child, I was in charge of the 'you pick' cherry stand at Crystal Highland Orchards. Cherry operations were not ended because of “poor soil conditions” but because of short sighted ag practices mandated by the state combined with the pressure of development. Crystal Highlands Orchards converted ~150 acres to residential housing and trails, not because the orchards weren't productive, but because development was more profitable.

What remained of Crystal Highland's Orchards became White O Morn Farms, my father's livestock and hay operation with Belted Galloway (Oreo cookie cows), sheep, and chickens. Eventually he focused just on the Belted Galloways. In 2020 White O Morn became Love Farm. Our 30 or so antique apple trees are the surviving remnant of Crystal Highlands Orchards, and STILL produce delicious fruit after almost 100 years. Love Farm's produce and herb garden was wildly productive last summer without the use of industrial soil amendments. Our soil is rich and operations are better than sustainable, the farm is thriving.

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I suggest removing “Due to poor soil conditions agriculture was not sustainable, although”

The text would then be...

Orchards were developed in the 1920’s. The largest one in Lake Township was Crystal Highlands Orchards.

There are a few businesses or other non-residential uses, including Crystal Downs country club, Point Betsie Lighthouse and Museum, Chimney Corners resort, canoe rentals, and party stores. The rest of the Township is owned primarily by families:

Why are farms not mentioned? Farms are also businesses, especially farms with farm stores and farm stands. Lake Township has 390 acres of active ag operations, the Lake Township Agricultural District (LTAD) 😉 This is approximately the size of Crystal Downs.

The new text could read as follows...

There are a few businesses or other non-residential uses, including Crystal Downs country club, Point Betsie Lighthouse and Museum, Chimney Corners resort, farms, canoe rentals, and party stores. The rest of the Township is owned primarily by families:

Other cultural attractions that serve the Township residents are the Benzonia Historical Society in Benzonia, the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort, and the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen.

Again, farms are not mentioned. Jim Kelly's cows were definitely an attraction, hardly a week goes by when someone doesn't tell us how they loved visiting the Oreo cows. Farm visitors can learn about how agriculture can be synergistically integrated with the wilds of Lake Township. Farms provide opportunities to buy fresh local produce, meat, maple syrup, honey and other ag products.

New suggested text.

Other cultural attractions that serve the Township residents are numerous farms of Benzie County, Benzonia Historical Society in Benzonia, the Oliver Art Center in Frankfort, and the Interlochen Arts Academy in Interlochen.

But since 1990, Lake Township’s population has remained very close to 4% of the total county population.

How does the perspective of Lake Township's population differ from the rest of the county? Where is there consensus? Re: with due regard to its relationship to neighboring jurisdictions.

Second is agriculture with 12 percent, and urban uses at about 6 percent. Approximately 76 percent of the total watershed is publicly owned by either the National Park Service as the SBDNL or the State of Michigan as the Pere Marquette State Forest.

First mention of existing ag in draft Master Plan, unclear how much of that 12% is in Lake Township.

Surface Water – The Platte River Watershed is some 193 square miles in area and extends into Leelanau, Grand Traverse, and most of the Northern half of Benzie County. The Platte River Valley is about 14 miles in length. The predominant land cover in the total watershed is forest, open space, and wetlands at approximately 82 percent of the land area. Second is agriculture with 12 percent, and urban uses at about 6 percent. Approximately 76 percent of the total watershed is publicly owned by either the National Park Service as the SBDNL or the State of Michigan as the Pere Marquette State Forest – within Lake Township or the entire Platte Watershed?

This is confusing. How much of Platte River Watershed is within Lake Township? How much of the Crystal Lake Watershed is within Lake Township?

Maps would be helpful but not critical in understanding land use patterns.

Putting the LTAD on the map helped show how significant agriculture in Lake Township is compared to other land use. On February 14, 2023 Mary Reilly, Government and Community Vitality Educator at MSU, opined that Lake Township should have a future land use map to go with the Master Plan.

In Lake Township, the authorized acquisition area is generally along Cooper Road. The National Park Service continues to acquire land in the corridor, but only when a willing seller exists. Property records indicate that still more than half of the corridor is in private hands and park service officials do not anticipate acquiring all, or even most of the corridor for many years to come. Based on the public input obtained for this Master Plan, there is strong opposition against completing the scenic drive for motor vehicles.

Is Lake Township taking steps to prevent the road?

Throughout Lake Township, maintain a rural atmosphere, ecological balance, open space, high levels of sanitation and low levels of pollution by providing for the rational control of Township development growth through proper zoning, subdivision and land division regulations, development standards, code enforcement and administration.

What about environmental education, demonstrations and promotion of good practices, encouraging of alignment with nature through riperian buffers, residential meadows, deemphasizing the suburban lawn aesthetic? Protecting and restoring the natural character is not primarily a matter of law and enforcement. The creative energy of our community has not yet been effectively leveraged to restore Lake Townships natural beauty and ecosytems.

Suggested revision.

Rural atmosphere, ecological balance, open space, high levels of sanitation and low levels of pollution comprise Lake Township's aesthetic. This aesthetic is maintained both by enforcement of laws and the active engagement of residents.

Lake Township staff and trustees provide for the rational control of Township development growth through proper zoning, subdivision and land division regulations, development standards, code enforcement and administration.

The active engagement of Lake Township residents to educate themselves on how to best protect and restore the natural environment, and their taking responsibility and action through practices such as riperian buffers near shorelines, deemphasizing the suburban lawn aesthetic in favor of native meadows, etc. is vital to maintaining Lake Township's aesthetic.

Maintain an open channel of communication with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore management personnel. At a minimum meet annually to discuss the Park Service’s plans for the portion of the park within Lake Township and discuss areas of mutual interest, activity, or support, as well as express concerns or opposition where appropriate.

Any future contact should include landowners within corridor.

Suggested revision.

Maintain an open channel of communication with Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore management personnel and Lake Township land owners within the proposed corridor to discuss the Park Service’s plans for the portion of the park within Lake Township and discuss areas of mutual interest, activity, or support, as well as express concerns or opposition where appropriate.

and when appropriate provide support where action of the Township can assist efforts to preserve and protect our resources

See 'education, demonstrations of good practice, encouraging of alignment with nature' above

The 2010 Master Plan stated: Lake Township will consider this planning effort a success if there is very little change in the Township land use over the next twenty years

The farms are still here, so that's a success. And they are becoming wilds resonant, an alignment with the stated goals of the plan.