Highland Township is characterized by a wide range of land uses, from commercial corridors, to suburban-style residential developments, to agricultural land and horse farms. Its location in western Oakland County has placed it on the edge of the intense development of the previous decade, and the Township now wants to prepare for future development while preserving its rural districts.

The Township staff had begun to re-write their Zoning Ordinance, and asked Carlisle/Wortman Associates to review the draft and make recommendations. CWA met with the staff and Planning Commission on a number of occasions to discuss the various options available under Michigan’s enabling legislation and other laws on dealing with PUDs, cluster developments, environmental conservation, and other topics. The Zoning Ordinance was also improved through the generous use of graphics to illustrate concepts. The Township and CWA worked together to develop a modern zoning ordinance that will serve the Township well into the future.

Contact Richard Carlisle for more information. pdf