MSU Extension Planning

Communities must change and adapt to the times to continue to be welcoming places for existing and prospective residents and businesses. This means local government plans, regulations, and budgets must also adapt to envision the preferred future and enable it through appropriate amendments to local ordinances and investments in infrastructure and amenities.

It can be challenging to residents and local government officials alike when there is limited public awareness of the local government tools available to facilitate positive community change, or the opportunities for meaningful public participation are missed or not fully utilized because of limited knowledge of how the public can effectively participate.

Michigan State University Extension provides a citizen education webpage that includes several resources to help educate Michigan residents on the planning and zoning tools and related processes of local government. The page is intended for community residents who wish to become involved in a planning or zoning process or decision in their community. The webpage and resources are also available in Spanish.

One of the citizen education resources is a “Planning and Zoning Primer" presentation. The presentation is a basic introduction to planning and zoning in Michigan. It is a helpful guide for residents and citizen groups or other organizations that wish to understand planning and zoning better. The resource covers: why plan; planning; implementing the plan; government coordination; zoning; and training resources.

A companion resource is the presentation, “How to Influence Zoning Decisions.” The resource is for residents and citizen groups, neighborhood organizations, or lake associations wishing to be more effective in influencing local zoning decisions, whether at a township, village, city, or county level. The presentation is intended to help individuals make constructive and effective comments at zoning hearings that address the issues that local officials must consider.

The MSU Extension citizen education webpage also includes three factsheets for the average community resident, including How to Participate in the Zoning Process: For Special Use Permits; For Appeals and Variances; and For Zoning Amendments. Each factsheet details the type of government decision and guides the reader on how to respond to a local government public hearing notice, outlining how to be most effective when submitting written comments or making public comment for or against the proposal.

When local governments seek to implement plans through ordinance amendments or respond to property owners with requests to develop property, residents can feel assurance that local, state, and federal laws require notice, open meetings and records, and unbiased decision makers. Upon receiving notice of such changes, a community resident’s duty is to become familiar with the proposal and provide meaningful input to positively affect the local government decision(s) and the community outcome(s). The MSU Extension citizen education resources are helpful educational tools to inform community residents on the nature of local government planning and zoning decisions.

MSU Extension government and community vitality programming

MSU Extension’s government and community vitality educators help individuals and local and tribal governments build capacity to support thriving communities by sustainably leveraging their land-based resources for the benefit of current and future generations; supporting locally elected and appointed officials and their staff in the stewardship of human and financial resources; and using our individual talents, interests, and expertise to meet the needs of our audiences. Learn more about the impact of these efforts by visiting canr.msu.edu/community/impacts.