Bear Lake Township Master Plan & Zoning Ordinance Update

bear lake township master plan & zoning ordinance update

Bear Lake Township will coordinate with Community Planners from Networks Northwest to make updates to its 2014 Master Plan. This planning effort, which will be conducted through the Bear Lake Township Planning Commission, will involve monthly meetings in addition to a larger public input open house. The Master Plan, sometimes referred to as the Comprehensive Plan, is a municipal document that describes the various intricacies of the community: its past, present and future. The Master Plan is a community input-driven guidebook that considers the many interests represented in the community and attempts to reconcile these varying viewpooints into a single text. For Michigan communities utilizing zoning to regulate its land use, the master plan is required under the Michigan Planning Enabling Act (MPEA) (Act 33 of 2008) and is updated every 5 years.

The Master Plan, the prerequisite for zoning, will be completed in late 2022. Upon completion the Bear Lake Township Planning Commission will continue to work with Networks Northwest to udpate its Zoning Ordinance. The Zoning Ordinance is a set of land use regulations that balance property owners' rights with the community's standards meant to protect public health, safety and well-being. This part of the planning process will begin in late 2022 and will be completed by January 2024. 

Upcoming Meetings

The Bear Lake Township Draft Master Plan is going through the required 63-day public review period prior to the Public Hearing. Please click the plan link below to view the draft plan. The Public Hearing to finalize edits to the plan will occur at the Bear Lake Township Office: 7771 Lake St., Bear Lake, MI 49614 at a time TBD.

Click the image below to view the draft plan

Questions and comments can be directed to:

Zach Vega, AICP, Community Planner
Networks Northwest
E: zach.vega@networksnorthwest.org
P: 231-342-0903