Minutes Planning Commission

Master Plan Open House / Visioning Meeting

May 14, 2009

 

 

The meeting in the Baroda Township Hall began at 5:30 p.m. with an informal session where residents, Planning Commissioners and Township Board members could enjoy refreshments and look at and discuss informational posters placed throughout the room which contained much of the Draft Community Profile done by Williams and Works. 

 

Planning Commissioners attending; Madeleine Carroll, Tom Lippert, Dean Schmaltz, and Wendie Shafer.  Absent: Ed Heyn, Tom Shafer, David Schultz. Township Board Members present: Jim Brow, Susan Newcomer, and Amy Hemphill. Absent: David Wolf. About 15 Baroda Township and Village citizens attended the workshop.  

 

Brian Wegener from Williams and Works opened the formal part of the meeting at 6:20 p.m.  He instructed participants to answer a 10 question questionnaire involving planning issues.  These issues were discussed in an open forum. 

 

The participants were then divided into three groups. Each group along with the assistance of a Williams and Works associate, was given the assignment of listing existing strengths (opportunities) and weaknesses (threats) in the Township on a large tripod mounted paper. 

 

The next assignment was for each to group to rank the three most important opportunities and the three most important threats in the Township.

 

After the opportunities and threats were discussed, the groups were instructed to show on the zoning map, their vision for farm land preservation, wet land preservation, industrial, commercial and residential changes based on the likelihood that about 200 new homes would be needed within the next 20 to 30 years.  Each group elected a spokesperson to who gave a report to the rest of the participants of their findings, thoughts and reasons for why they chose their plans.  The plans the three groups developed differed considerably from one another.  There was much room for discussion. The meeting was closed at 8:30 p.m. by Brian Wegener of Williams & Works. 

 

Wendie Shafer, Planning Commission Secretary