By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Ortonville — During the regular meeting on June 26, the Ortonville village council approved a resolution to adopt an updated future land use map into the village master plan, 7-0.
The main changes include the properties for the old Brandon Fletcher Intermediate School and the current Harvey-Swanson Elementary School. The BFIS property is currently on the map as M-15 Corridor Commercial, and Harvey-Swanson is currently listed as single family residential on the future land use map.
“A future land use map shows the direction of development the village wants to see,” said village manager Ryan Madis. “It’s not legally binding on current residents, but shows if they want to change the use in the future, the map will show what the master plan calls for in the future.”
The updated map shows that the BFIS and Harvey-Swanson future land use would be for Special Planning Area. Various other changes include changing a few properties for future land use as mixed residential to village residential, and a few properties from residential to natural preserve.
“Down the line, in the event that sewers come in, without having some designations on the properties, pretty much anything could go in there,” said planning commissioner Bob McArthur. “The land-use map somewhat protects the property so when any requests are made, it can be approved or rejected. It gives guidelines of how the property can be used in the future.”
The reason for changing is so if one of the properties were to close in the future, the large plots of land would need some kind of approval for what they could be used for.
“Underneath special use, commercial and industrial is not a use, it would be residential,” said McArthur. “It’s protecting the uses of the property.”