Commission urges Hayes Township to tighten master plan on housing, utilities and shoreline risks

The Charlevoix County Planning Commission on Dec. 4 reviewed Hayes Township’s draft master plan and unanimously recommended the township revise the document to fill key technical gaps and clarify how it will meet future housing, infrastructure and shoreline management needs.

Roy Griffits, chairman of the Hayes Township Planning Commission, presented the draft and told the county body the Township was seeking feedback on “the substance (content), not particularly the style, of the plan.” Planning Director Kiersten Stark said county staff found that the draft lacks a complete list and descriptions of the future land‑use categories shown on its map and that “significant work is still needed on the draft plan before it’s ready to go through the approval process.”

The commission pressed several interrelated concerns. Commissioners said the plan must clearly demonstrate how it satisfies the Michigan Planning Enabling Act requirement to address both existing and forecasted housing demand. Marshal Bakker asked whether the housing assessment on page 33 meets that standard; Stark said that text “would probably meet the statutory requirement,” but that the deficiency had been overlooked in her first review.

Commission members highlighted infrastructure constraints that limit options for denser or smaller‑lot housing. Mike Ritter and others noted large minimum lot sizes, soils and the lack of municipal sewer and water in much of Hayes Township, and warned that per‑lot septic permitting would constrain smaller lot development and duplexes unless substantial infrastructure changes occur. Roy Griffits said the Township has been pursuing zoning changes to increase housing availability but repeatedly runs into the same constraints: “The Township could allow duplexes, but the cost of the necessary infrastructure to go with it would make it unaffordable,” he said.

The commission also urged the Township to address coastal erosion and shoreline nonconformities. Pam Grassmick said Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) staff told her that most Lake Michigan shoreline parcels are privately owned and that limited buildable parcels mean future sales could occur on challenging lots. Carey Cuddeback told the commission EGLE has not designated any High‑Risk Erosion Areas in Hayes Township yet and that EGLE will evaluate Charlevoix County next year.

Sherm Chamberlain raised economic and demographic issues that should be reflected in the plan, urging the Township to consider data‑center development in its zoning because properties such as Big Rock Point meet many siting attributes and to plan for the area’s aging population. “We’re an aging community,” Chamberlain said, noting the community survey respondents skewed older and may not reflect younger residents’ needs.

Bakker and others recommended improving the plan’s data presentation — for example, adding consistent comparison years in housing tables and including home‑sales turnover to better forecast demand and tax‑revenue impacts. Chair Nancy Ferguson suggested distributing the community survey to high‑school government classes and students at North Central Michigan College to capture younger perspectives.

By motion, the commission voted to send the Planning Department staff report and the County Planning Commission’s comments to Hayes Township and to recommend the Township resubmit the plan after further revisions. The motion was moved by Marshal Bakker, seconded by Dave Wheeler and approved by voice vote.

The County planning staff and commissioners encouraged Hayes Township to work with a professional planner to tighten the draft, improve statutory compliance and flesh out implementation timelines before the Township advances the plan to public hearing and formal local approvals.