Navigating area roads twists and turns, drivers know Independence Township is filled with lakes and woods.
With new Green Infrastructure maps, now they can see where, and how they’re connected.
‘It is so important for planning commissioners and elected officials to study ecology,” said Planning Commission Chairman Sam Moraco.
As part of continuing education classes through the Michigan Association of Planning, planning commissioners took the course ‘Green Infrastructure: Linking communities to the environment,? last year.
‘One of the things we learned was that Independence Township had never done a greenways plan like other neighboring communities,? Moraco told the township board, April 7.
Moraco said Waterford and Springfield townships’ greenway plans showed connections from one green way to the next.
‘The greenways plan we had (as a part of the master plan) was weak, it just showed where the dedicated spaces were, the public spaces, wetlands, lakes and rivers, and utility easements,? he said.
This past May, commissioners set up a workshop with the county planning department to work on the map.
‘It was then that we realized that ecological boundaries transcend political boundaries,? Moraco said. ‘We connected to all the other communities that had already done it. We went around to the neighboring communities and got copies of their greenways plan. Then we tried to get our properties to hook up with their properties.?
The connectivity is through tree rows, utility easements, and river beds.
Members of the planning commission also worked with residents from Clarkston and Springfield Township, Independence Township planner Dick Carlisle, and members of North Oakland Headwaters Conservancy.
‘I think it was a great collaboration of great minds,? said NOHLC Executive Director Katie Anderson. ‘Those are a lot of people with a lot of good knowledge about what’s important to preserve in the township and I’m a big fan of the county procedure that you go through to identify what you want to preserve.?
Independence Township Trustee Mark Petterson was glad to see so many people come forward to help out.
‘This is just another thing that the planning commission has been doing without costing us (the township) anything and its leaps and bounds, it’s huge,? Petterson said. ‘I just think the planning commission has been doing a wonderful job and their volunteerism is above and beyond what anybody could expect.?
Trustee Larry Rosso said ‘it’s exciting? and ‘adds another attractive feature for residential living in this township.?
‘We win all the way around on this,? Rosso said. ‘It brings an economical benefit, it brings an environmental benefit and I think in general it’s good for the ecology.?
Moraco said the county planning department said they would supply the township with framed copies of the maps that they hope will be displayed in the township building department to aid future developers in identifying parcels that are important to the communities green way, but he is glad to see another thing accomplished.
‘It was just something that needed to be done and everybody stepped up and got it done,? he said.