RAISIN CHARTER TOWNSHIP
ZONING and LAND USE Maps

Township Planning and Growth

As the township continues to grow we as members of the board and planning commission have heard the following statements from several residents.  "We have to slow down the growth", "Why are we growing so fast", "We need to preserve our rural culture and our farmland", some are more straight forward in telling u s to stop the growth.  Believe me we are aware of your concerns but the problem is in that it is not that straight forward or simple.  There are several issues that guide or in some cases dictate through law how a community will grow and how fast.  We are blamed for the growth and a lot of residents believe we are allowing it to generate a larger tax base.  It is true that there are a lot of taxes generated when a new house or several in a subdivision are built.  What most folks don't know is that most taxes go elsewhere and very little is retained in the township.  It is not the township, the board or the planning commissions goal to build as many houses as fast as we can in the name of more taxes.  In fact more taxes remain in the township and at a higher rate for businesses and industry.

The laws referred to earlier are contained in Township Zoning Act and the two largest lobbying groups in the state for growth is the Michigan Home Builders Association and the Michigan Municipal League.  The zoning act literally dictates to the planning commissions how they will go about dividing up and looking at their townships for any future growth.  In planning for your township you must categorize sections for growth of high density residential, low density residential, manufactured housing, commercial, industry, parks and recreation, public/quasi-public, and airport.  The land use map of the township is a 10-20 year plan.  I would encourage anyone interested to obtain a copy of this map or click on the images below. 

I have only put a very small bit of information here to hopefully spark an interest in those that feel we are growing to fast.  There is much more information to be had on this subject.  Many of your township board members and planning commission members have this knowledge.  They are very informed on the laws and have kept the township out of court law suits with developers but remember we have very few tools (laws) that favor us.  If you would be interested in a workshop or presentation on township growth please contact t he township by clicking HERE, or you call 517.423.3162.  There may be a  small fee to attend to offset coast for the workshop  presenter.

THANKS....