Planning commission approves review methodology, advances three sections of Grosse Hill master plan draft

At a meeting of the Grosse Hill Township Planning Commission, members approved a method to review and vote on edits to the draft master plan text and voted to advance three sections of the draft to the consultant for consolidation and a future public hearing.

The master plan, the commission’s policy document that underlies zoning ordinances, was described at the meeting as a document that “documents what Grosse Hill is today and what the vision is for our community in the future” and which must tie to zoning to be legally effective, according to the commission chair. The commission approved a time-limited review process — considering the Introduction, Land Use & Housing, and Big Ideas sections separately, limiting commissioner remarks to five minutes per person for each section — then voting on each section in turn.

The commission chair said the planning effort started in late 2023 and that the SmithGroup planners conducted the public engagement and prepared the draft. The chair said the comment period originally was 60 days and was later extended by the township; written comments were included in the materials provided to commissioners. Commission officers worked as a subcommittee to reconcile action items and the text, then returned recommendations to the full commission.

Commissioners voted to approve the three text sections presented: the Introduction section, the Land Use and Housing section, and the Big Ideas section. Each vote was recorded as carried with no opposition. After the meeting the chair said the commission will send the color-coded edited draft to the SmithGroup; the consultant will “clean it up,” produce a single consolidated document, and the commission will schedule the legally required public hearing before issuing a recommendation to the township board, which has final authority on adoption.

Commissioners discussed a small number of targeted wording and policy clarifications during the review. One commissioner objected to a line referencing the number of resident real-estate agents and asked that it be removed as not relevant; the commission reported that the specific “vacancy rate” line had been removed in the current draft. Commissioners also flagged the R1E zoning discussion and agreed the commission should reexamine R1E language carefully because R1E includes provisions (for example, allowances for certain housing types) that could have broader implications if changed.

Ross, planning staff, confirmed he will meet with the SmithGroup the day after the meeting to start consolidation and will circulate proposed dates to schedule the public hearing once the consultant returns the cleaned draft. The commission chair said the SmithGroup is managing multiple municipal master plans and the timetable will depend on the consultant’s availability.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to adopt the review methodology for the master plan text (three sections, five-minute speaking limit per commissioner): motion carried, all in favor. - Motion to approve the Introduction section as presented: motion carried, all in favor. - Motion to approve the Land Use and Housing section as presented: motion carried, all in favor. - Motion to approve the Big Ideas section as presented: motion carried, all in favor.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the commission will forward the edited text to the SmithGroup for consolidation into a single document, publish the consolidated draft, hold the legally required public hearing at a future planning commission meeting, then vote on a recommendation to the township board. If the commission approves the plan after the public hearing, the planning commission’s action will be a recommendation for township board consideration.