[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]
CITY OF SAUGATUCK COMPREHENSIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... . . . Prepared By The City Of Saugatuck Planning Commission CITY OF SAUGATUCK COMPREHENSIEVE PLAN Prepared by the City of Saugatuck Planning Commission in cooperation with the Saugatuck City Council to in cooperation with: Qr- Coastal Zone Management Program Land and Water Management Division Department of Natural Resources LNC kp and with the assistance of- Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. 302 S. Waverly Road Lansing, MI 48917 (517) 886-0555 November 1989 This document was prepared in part throughfinancial assistance provided by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. US Department of Commerce NOAA CoaiW Services Center Librva7 0 2234 South Hobson Avenue Charleston, SC 29405.2"AM Thefollowing individuals participated in the preparation of this plan: CITY OF SAUGATUCK Planning Commission Cynthia McKean, Ernest Evangelista, Robert Lord, Dan Wilson, Don Wobith, Lloyd Hartman, Richard Crawford, Robert Berger, and Elsie Christenson. City Council Robert Berger, Mark Bekken, David Mocini, James Christenson*, Sue Kurrasch. Richard Crawford, Margaret Sanford, and Linda Kinnaman. City NEanager Laverne Serne no longer serving] PLANNING & ZONING CENTER, INC. Staff of Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. who assisted with the preparation of this plan are: Mark A- Wyckoff (President), Kristine M. Williams (Community Planner), Timothy J. McCauley (Community Planner/ Geographic Information System Specialist), William Bogle (Graphic Artist), Carolyn Freebury (Office Manager), and John Warbach (Environmental Planner). Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES LIST OF MAPS LIST OF TABLES INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................. i Chapter I GOALS, OBJECTIVES & POLICIES: THE AREAWIDE POLICY PLAN ..................................................................... 1-1 Chapter 2 DEMOGRAPHICS ......................................................................................... 2-1 Chapter 3 THEECONOMY ............................................................................................ 3-1 Chapter 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT ....................................... 4-1 Chapter 5 EXISTING LAND COVER AND USE ............................................................... 5-1 Chapter 6 PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES ............................................................ 6-1 chapter 7 RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE ................................................................. 7-1 Chapter 8 WATERFRONT .............................................................................................. 8-1 Chapter 9 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS ..................................................... 9-1 Chapter 10 FUTURE LAND USE .................................................................................... 10-1 Chapter I I INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION ..................................................... 11-1 Chapter 12 STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................... 12-1 APPENDIX A References APPENDIX B Demographic, Economic and Housing Data APPENDIX C Public Opinion Survey Responses APPENDIX D 0 Soil Types - Tri-Community Area City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan LIST OF FIGURES NUMBER TITLE PAGE 2.1 Age Cohorts (1960 & 1980) - Area 2-2 2.2 Age Cohorts (1980) - Allegan County 2-2 2.3 Age Cohorts (1980) - City of Saugatuck 2-2 2.4 Educational Background In 1980 - Persons 25 2-3 and Over, Tri-Community Area 2.5 Saugatuck Public School Enrollments 2-3 Grades K- 12 2.6 Saugatuck Public School Enrollments 2-4 Elementary and High Schools 3.1 Employment By Sector in 1980 - Tri-Corrimunity 3-2 Area and Allegan County 3.2 Average Annual Employment - Tri-Community Area 3-4 3.3 Monthly Employment - Tri-Conunnity Area, 1988 3-4 3.4 Tourism Related Employment, 1988 - Allegan 3-4 County 3.5 Real Property SEV, 1988 - City of Saugatuck 3-5 3.6 Annual Real Property SEV - Tri-Community 3-5 Area (1980-1987) 3.7 Percent In Poverty By Age - Tri-Community 3-6 Area (1980) 4.1 Kalamazoo River Basin 4-2 8.1 Linkage Plan 8-7 9. IL Retiree Migration Trends 9-2 9.2 Population Trend - Saugatuck Township 9-2 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan LIST OF MAPS NUMBER TITLE PAGE Introduction Location ii Streets and Roads v Lot Lines vi 2.1 School Districts (note: all maps arefound at the end of each Chapter) 4.1 Topography 4.2 Watercourses 4.3 Floodplains 4.4 Wetlands 4.5 Basement Limitations 4.6 Septic Limitations 4.7 Septic Limitations 4.7a On-Site Wastewater Limitations 4.8 Most Suitable Soils 4.9 Hydric Soils 4.10 Groundwater Vulnerability 4.11 High Risk Erosion Areas 4.12 Critical Dune Areas 4.13 Woodlands 5.1 Land Use/Cover 5.2 Eidsting Land Use By Parcel 5.3 Planning Areas 5.4 Historic District 6.1 Public Facilities 6.2 Water System 6.3 Sewer System 6.4 Gas Mains 6.5 Street Classifications 6.6 Act 51 Roads 7.1 Outdoor Recreation Sites 7.2 Proposed Bike Paths 8.1 Watersheds 8.2 No-Wake Areas 8.3 Saugatuck Harbor 8.4 Marinas 8.5 Street Ends/Parks 8.5a Street Ends/Parks 10.1 Future Land Use 10.2 Entry Points City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan LIST OF TABLES NUMBER TITLE PAGE 2.1 Population (1950-1980) 2-1 2.2 Educational Status - Persons 25 and Over 2-2 2.3 School Enrollments - Saugatuck School District 2-3 3.1 Impact of Travel On Allegan County, 1986 3-1 3.2 Major Employers 3-1 3.3 Employment By Industry - 1980 3-2 3.4 Employment By Occupation - 1980 3-3 3.5 Average Annual Unemployment Rate 3-3 3.6 Per Capita Income, Allegan County 3-6 3.7 Income and Poverty Characteristics 3-6 Tri-Community Area 4.1 Summary of Relevant Climate Conditions 4-1 4.2 Land Cover Codes for Protected Wetlands 4-3 5.1 Existing Land Use 5-1 5.2 Saugatuck Condo Projects Since 1980 5-1 5.3 State Historic Sites 5-4 6.1 Non-Park Public Facilities and Public 6-2 Property Inventory 6.2 Existing Traffic Counts 6-4 6.3 Tons Generated per Day By Land Use 6-6 6.4 Solid Waste Composition 6-6 6.5 Per Capita Waste Generated 6-6 7.1 Summer Recreation Programs 7-1 7.2 Inventory of Outdoor Recreation 7-2 7.3 Parkland Inventory 7-4 7.4 Proposed Recreation Projects - Tri-Community 7-6 Area 7.5 Planned Acquisitions/Improvements to Parks and 7-7 Open Spaces 7.6 Recreation Needs In The Tri-Community Area 7-7 1988 Public Opinion Survey 8.1 Kalamazoo River Exceedance Flows (1929-1985) 8-2 8.2 Kalamazoo River Water guality 8-3 8.3 NPDES Permits Issured In The Tri-Community Area 8-5 8.4 Lake Michigan Lake Levels 8-5 9.1 Rate of Population Change 9-1 9.2 Projected Population - 1970-1980 Trend 9-3 9.3 Projected Number of Households 9-3 9.4 Percentage of Population By Density Type 9-4 0 9.5 New Households By Density Type 9-4 9.6 Future Residential Land Needs 9-4 9.7 Available Acreage By Land Use I)rpe 9-4 9.8 Population 2010 - Build-Out Scenario Under 9-4 Zoning In Effect 12.1 Recreation Facilities - Minimum Size 12-4 0 0 INTRODUCTION - to maintain and enhance the employment OVERVIEW and tax base of the area; The purpose of this Plan is to provide a - to promote an orderly development process policy and decision making guide regarding all by which public officials and citizens are future land and infrastructure development given an opportunity to monitor change within the City of Saugatuck. Within the Plan, and review proposed development; and key planning issues are identified, a clear set of - to provide information from which to gain goals and policies are outlined; future land uses a better understanding of the area, its are described and mapped; and specific imple- interdependencies and interrelationships mentation measures are recommended. and upon which to base future land use All future land uses and policies presented and public investment decisions. in this Plan were developed based on a blending of the natural capability of the land to sustain This Plan is unique in that it was prepared certain types of development; the important nat- concurrently with plans in Douglas and ural functions played by unique land and water Saugatuck Township. It was prepared in light of resources in the area-, the relative future need the issues, problems and opportunities that the for residential, commercial, and industrial uses; three communities face together, rather than the existing land use distribution; and the de- being done in isolation as is more frequently the sires of local residents and public officials as norm. While the City of Saugatuck Planning expressed through direct interviews, a public Commission oversaw the production of this opinion survey, town meetings, and public hear- plan, the City Council was also involved in its ings. preparation. Chapter 11 proposes that the Joint This Plan was prepared by the Planning & Planning Conunittee established to prepare a Zoning Center, Inc., under the direction of the Joint Plan for Saugatuck, Douglas, and City of Saugatuck Planning Commission. Finan- Saugatuck Township (tri-community area) be cial support was provided by the Michigan Dept. continued and that it be updated at a minimum of Natural Resources, Coastal Zone Manage- of every five years. ment Program. The contents of this Plan draws directly There are three critical components to from previously adopted plarming documents. using this plan as a decision making guide. There has been no effort made to explicitly foot- First, are the goals, objectives and policies in note when material has been so used. Instead it Chapter 1. Second, is the future land use map is intended that the content of those documents and associated descriptive information pre- continue to carry forward where they were found sented in Chapter 10. Third, is the supporting to be helpful in addressing the curTent and documentation found in Chapters 2-9. projected issues facing the tri-community area. Although this Plan states specific land use In particular, the City of Saugatuck Land Use development policy and proposes specific land Plan of 1979 was frequently relied upon in draft- use arrangements, it has no regulatory power. ing portions of this Plan. A number of engineer- It is prepared as a foundation for and depends ing and technical documents prepared by primarily on the City zoning ordinance (and outside consultants over the past decade have other local tools) for its implementation. This also been relied upon. They are referenced in Plan is intended as support for the achievement Appendix A. of the following public objectives. among others: � to conserve and protect property values by preventing incompatible uses from locat- SPATIAL LOCATION ing adjacent to each other; The map on the following page show the � to protect and preserve the natural re- location of the City of Saugatuck on the shores sources, unique character, and environ- of Lake Michigan. This location along 1-196 mental quality of the area; makes it easily accessible to travelers from across City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan Kent County Ottawa County Grand Rapids Holland Allegan County Barry County Saugatuck Van Buren County Gmazoo Kalamazoo -County __j SAUGATUCK 0 C t 0 CGrand Holl City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan III across North America. The shoreline along the character of the area. This character. often de- Kalamazoo River, Lake Kalamazoo, and Lake scribed as "cute" or "quaint" by tourists, is Michigan and the beautiful sand dunes and highly favored by visitors and deeply cherished wide beaches make this a tourist mecca and an by local citizens. As a result, any intensive or attractive place for retirement. poorly planned alterations to the natural envi- The trade area for commercial businesses ronment, or homogenization of the character of in the three communities is quite small. Local the individual communities is likely to have a residents tend to only do daily and weekly shopping potentially negative effect on both tourists and locally as Holland, Grand Rapids, and residents. This Plan proposes keeping the scale Kalamazoo are nearby for wider selections of and intensity of such future changes low and consumer goods. Three school districts serve the proposes a variety of mitigation techniques to area but all of the students in Saugatuck attend prevent adverse impacts on the environment or the Saugatuck School District. on the character of the area from these kinds of changes. KEY FACTORS GUMING TEEIS PLAN Third, a balance of future land uses is necessary to enhance the stability of the com- Three considerations played prominent munity during poor economic times and to roles in fashioning the contents of this Planjust broaden the population base. Presently there is as they do in the Joint Plan. These are based on a significant lack of housing in the area that is widely held public opinions, past and present affordable for families with children. That, in investment by public and private entities and a concert with a decline in children generally (and growing recognition among citizens of the inter- an increase in the elderly) has severely impacted dependence of the three communities. the Saugatuck School District. If all future land First, Saugatuck, Douglas and Saugatuck use decisions were made based exclusively on Township function as a single economic, and minimal alteration of the natural environment social unit. Many people live in one of the three or maintenance of the existing community char- communities and work in another of the three. acter, then over time, the community would Most people live in one and shop with some become more vulnerable to economic downturn, frequency in another. School children, by in which usually hits tourist communities very large, attend the same schools. Local cultural, hard. Thus, a balance must be sought between conservancy and retiree activities are jointly what otherwise become competing goals (eco- supported by residents of all three communities. nomic development and environmental protec- Several public services are jointly provided in- tion/community character). This will present a cluding the Interurban bus service, sewer and serious challenge in the future. The pressure water (at least between Douglas and Saugatuck) will be great to "sell the farm" for developments and fire protection. The Kalamazoo River and which promise new jobs/tax base. And while Lake Kalamazoo connect all three communities, these are important, the long term impact of as do the local road network. Sometimes it such proposals (in a particular location) could seems, only the three units of government are be very negative and not worth the tradeoff. All separate. Yet despite these interrelationships, such decisions need to be made primarily based each community maintains a strong separate on long term considerations, rather than short identity among many citizens of the three enU- term ones. ties. Even many neighborhoods have strong sep- arate identities (e.g. the hill. the lakeshore, Silver Lake, etc.). This provides an important MAPS richness and depth to the area, but it can also Except as otherwise noted, all the full page be politically divisive. maps presented in this Plan were produced Second, tourism is the primary engine driv- using C-Map software. This is a PC based com- ing the local economy. Despite several industrial puter program initiated by William Enslin, Man- employers that provide important diversity to ager of the Center for Remote Sensing at the area's economy. it is the dollars brought in Michigan State University. All the data on the by tourists and seasonal residents that fuel maps was digitized either by TIm McCauley of most of the local wages and local purchasing. the Planning & Zoning Center, Inc. or was The environmental splendor and wide range of downloaded from the Michigan Resource Inven- activities open to tourists are the primary attrac- tory Program (MRIP) database maintained on tion. But no less significant is the small town City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan tv the State's mainframe computer system by the area first (e.g. as would be desirable when ex- Department of Natural Resources. amining a specific parcel). Several advantages are realized by comput- While the accuracy of all of this data is very erizing this data. Typically, geographic informa- satisfactory for land use planning purposes (es- tion is only available on paper maps at widely pecially when contrasted with traditional tech- varying scales, which makes it difficult to com- niques), none of it is sufficiently detailed to be pare data sets for planning purposes. With C- absolutely reliable at the parcel level. As a result, Map, all of the maps can be viewed and printed detailed site analyses of soils, topography, at any scale via a variety of different media (color drainage, etc. are still necessary any time spe- plotter, laser or ink jet printer, or dot matrix cific site designs are being prepared. printer). Information can also be combined (or All computerized data is on file locally and overlaid) so that composite maps can be created accessible via C-Map for local use and updating. and compared in a fraction of the time and Contact the zoning administrator or clerk for expense normally required to obtain the same further information. results. Another major advantage of computer mapping is the ability to update maps continu- ously, so that an up-to-date map is always available. There are three different base maps that have been used in mapping this information: 1) a base map prepared by the DNR which was digitized from the United States Geological Sur- vey (USGS) topographic map series for the area-, 2) a lot line map created by digitizing the lots of record used for assessing purposes in the three communities: and 3) a soils base map derived from the SCS Allegan County Soil Survey. None of these base maps are exactly identical as they originate from different sources. All of the land cover and use based information and topogra- phy is keyed to the DNR/USGS base map. All of the soils related data Is keyed to the soils base (which was interpreted and mapped by the SCS from nonrectifted aerial photos, so there is some distortion at the edges of each photo frame). The existing land use, sewer and water line maps are keyed to the lot line base map. A transparent copy of the DNR/USGS base map and the lot line base map follow. These can be overlaid on any of the maps in this Plan, but the"fit"will be bestwhen overlaying information that it was used as the base for. Please note that the extent of the Kalamazoo River on each base is noticeably different and is related to the water levels at the time the inventory or survey was conducted. On the maps showing all of Saugatuck Township, we have "corrected" the DNR/USGS base map to include Silver Lake, which is merely shown as a wetland (not an open water body) on USGS maps. A transparency can easily be made by photocopying any of these maps in order to overlay several levels of infor- mation. Using C-Map on a color monitor, up to ten levels of information can be overlaid on the screen at once, including "zooming" in on any City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan OD C rq ST. rn KALAMAZOO LAKE CAMPBELL RD. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan v CD r C rq > 4f AV STO rq F- < KALAMAZOO LAKE CAMPBELL RD. Cz, City of Saugatuck Comprehemlve Plan vi MEF- too nEMEH =.i-' I N EMEREE OPMEBEREEJ= -T F m rr_ 1 I I I 17TTT-1- City of Saugatuck Comprehenstve Plan Vi too rTri [E EB ER EE ED uL City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan Chapter I GOALS, OBJECTIVES, & POLICIES: THE CITY OF SAUGATUCK POLICY PLAN G oals. ob ectives, and policies are the foun- prepare of list of their "prouds" and "sorries" in dation of a comprehensive plan. They ad- Saugatuck, and things from the past which they dress the key problems and opportunities of a would like to preserve. The lists were compared community and help establish a direction and and then all engaged in an imaging exercise strategies for future community development where groups were established according to and growth. Goals establish general direction, topic area and were asked to Imagine that ele- objectives represent tasks to be pursued, and ment of the Saugatuck in the year 2000. This policies are decision guides. The goals, objec- futuring process identified key issues and com- tives, and policies embodied in this plan were munity elements which were pulled together to prepared through an extensive process of lead- form a vision and direction for the City in the ership surveys, public opinion surveys, meet- year 2000. ings with local officials, and town meetings. A draft policy plan, with defined goals and The first step in this process was a survey objectives. was then prepared based on this of area leaders- including members of the City futuripg process and the survey results. The Planning Commission, City Council, prominent draft was refined through a series of meetings members of the private sector, and other citizens with local offlcWs and then presented to City identified in the individual surveys. Leaders citizens in a second town meeting. Citizen com- were asked their views on the major problems ments were reviewed by City officials and incor- and opportunities facing the City and the tri- porated into the policy plan. community area, and the results were tabulated Following completion of the draft policy and presented to City officials. These results plan. data and trends in the City were analyzed. served as the basis for initiating a public opinion This analysis supported the direction of the survey. policy plan and was first evaluated by the City Citizen views on local planning issues were Planning Commission, and then by City citizens obtained through public opinion surveys mailed at the third town meeting. Next, key elements of to every property owner in the City and distrib- the plan and proposed strategies to carry it out uted in each rental complex. Survey questions were first reviewed by the City Planning Com- were prepared for the City through consulta- mission, and then by City citizens at the fourth tions with the City Planning Commission and and final town meeting. City Council. Dr. Brent Steel, Oakland Univer- These goals and policies also look beyond sity, conducted and tabulated the survey. local boundaries to the issues which affect the The response rate of 5 1 % in Saugatuck was region. This was accomplished through theJoint very high considering the length (about 1 hour comprehensive planning process, where repre- completion time) and type of survey and thus sentatives of the Village of Douglas and responses probably represent the majority view. Saugatuck Township participated in the prepa- Most respondents were homeowners in their ration of joint goals and policies for the region. mid-fifties, registered to vote, who are long-term Thus, these goals and policies are premised on residents and plan to live in the area for ten or a pledge to mutually cooperate In guiding devel- more years. Survey results are shown in Appen- opment consistent with the adopted goals and dix A. objectives of the Joint Plan. Results of the citizen opinion survey and Thus, the broad based input of area offi- leadership survey were used to identify issues cials, leaders, and citizens, plus detailed analy- for discussion at the first town meeting. This sis of local trends and land use characteristics meeting was a "futuring" session where partici- have formed the goals, objectives, and policies pants were asked to imagine how theywould like that comprise the policy portion of this compre- is the community to be in the year 2000. Partici- hensive plan. These goals and policies will serve pants were separated into groups and asked to as a guide for land use and infrastructure deci- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 1-2 sions in the City of Saugatuck. With time, some elements may need to be changed, others added, GROWTH 11LANAGEMENT and still others removed from the list. Before Goal: Guide development in a manner amendatory action is taken, however, the im- which is orderly, consistent with the planned pact of the proposed changes should be consid- expansion of public services and facilities. and ered comprehensively in relation to the entire strives to preserve the scenic beauty, foster the plan, and the joint plan. It is intended that the wise use of natural resources, protect environ- goals and policies be consulted whenever con- mentally sensitive areas, and enhance the spe- sidering future land use decisions. cial character of each community. Policy: Encourage development in locations CM CHARACTER which are consistent with the capacity of exist- Goal: Retain and enhance the scenic, small ing and planned public services and facilities, town, resort oriented character of Saugatuck. and cost effective in relation to service exten- sion. Policy: Encourage new land uses and den- sities/ intensities of development which are con- Policy: Review all plans by other public sistent with and complement the character, entities for expansion and improvement of exist- economic base, and image of the area, and ing transportation networks for impacts on which are consistent with this plan and zoning growth patterns and for consistency with the regulations. goals, objectives, and policies of this plan. Policy: Promote site planning and design of Policy: Consider the impact of land use new development which is consistent with the planning and zoning changes on Douglas and established character of the City and compatible Saugatuck Township, and discuss proposed with existing neighborhoods. changes with the affected J urisdiction(s) prior to making such changes. A common procedure for Objective: Improve the visual appearance of such communication shall be established and entrances into the city through landscape de- followed. signs, signs, and land development which pro- mote the vitality and character of the City, LAND USE & CO?MdUNnT FAC=IES without cluttering the area or creating safety hazards. Goal: Promote the balanced, efficient. and economical use of land in a manner which min- Objective: Explore the -possibility of estab- imizes land use conflicts within and across mu- lishing a sign ordinance which is consistent with nicipal borders, and provides for a wide range of SaugatuckTownship and the Village of Douglas. land uses in appropriate locations to meet the diverse needs of area residents. Policy: Encourage the preservation and res- toration of historically significant structures. Policy: Insure compatible land use planning and zoning across municipal borders and mini- Policy: Discourage designs which would mize land use conflicts by coordinating planning block significant views and vistas, especially and zoning, separating incompatible uses and from the ridgeline to the water. requiring buffers where necessary. Policy: Manage the trees lining City streets Policy: Discourage sprawl and scattered de- to provide a continuous green canopy. velopment through planned expansion of roads and public utilities and through zoning regula- Objective: Increase enforcement of existing tions which limit intensive development to areas ordinances and regulations to better preserve where adequate public services are available. the established character of the City and pro- mote official goals, objectives and policies. Policy: Provide for necessary community facilities (i.e., schools, garages, fire halls, etc.) Policy: Preserve wetlands, woodlots, and consistent with this plan and capital improve- other wildlife areas wherever feasible. ment programming. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 1-3 Policy: Coordinate Capital Improvement Policy: Encourage new comrnercial develop- Programming with the City of Saugatuck and ment to locate adjacent to existing commercial the Village of Douglas. areas. Policy: Encourage approaches to site design Policy: Preserve the quality, vitality, and which take natural features of the property, value of City commercial districts through sign such as soils, topography, hydrology, and natu- regulations which control the design and loca- ral vegetation, into account and which use the tion of signs. land most effectively and efficiently by maximiz- ing open space, preserving scenic vistas, con- Policy: Avoid separate parking lots for each serving energy, and any other public policies business where feasible and encourage centrally identified in this plan. placed parking lots which serve several busi- nesses. Policy: Advise developers during site plan review to contact the State Archaeologist, Bu- DOWNTOWN SAUGATUCK reau of History (517-373-6358) to determine if the project may affect a known archaeological Goal: Protect and enhance the appearance site. of downtown Saugatuck and promote design and activities which enhance the festive atrno- sphere and foster tourism. ECONOPMC DEVELOPMUM Goal: Strengthen and expand upon the Objective: Pursue state and local programs area's economic base through strategies which aimed at planning, organizing, and financing attract new businesses, strengthen eidsting downtown improvement projects. businesses, and enhance the tourism potential of the area consistent with the character of the Policy: Continue to promote the preserva- City and its ability to provide needed public tion and renovation of historic structures and services. districts in accordance with the Saugatuck His- toric District regulations, in order to preserve Policy: Identify potential sites for industrial Saugatuck7s historic character. development and alternative means of ftnancing necessary public improvements and marketing Objective: Identify alternative solutions to of the sites (i.e. tax increment financing, special the parking problems and traffic congestion assessments, state grants and loans, etc.) which occur in downtown Saugatuck during the tourist season which do not detract from the Policy: Support efforts to foster tourism by unique character of downtown, and do not pe- preserving the scenic beauty of the environ- nalize the community for the rest of the year. ment, expanding recreation opportunities, im- proving tourist attractions, and preparing Objective: Explore the possibility of estab- promotional materials which highlight the at- lishing a shuttle bus to transport visitors down- tractions of the City. town from an outer parking area. Policy: Promote better communication and Objective: Implement parking improve- cooperation between the public and private sec- ments and expansion through a variety of tor. planned financing approaches including capital improvement programming, public/private COMNERCLAL partnerships, special assessments, a Downtown Development Authority, and others as appropri- Goal: Encourage the development of com- ate. mercial land uses in appropriate locations which serve the current and future needs of Policy: Encourage prospective developers to residents and tourists, are of a character con- include off-street parking or alternatives in their sistent with community design guidelines, and site design which help solve existing parking which promote public safety through prevention and circulation problems. of traffic hazards and other threats to public health, safety, and general welfare. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 1-4 Policy: Discourage signs and advertising more affordable, such as zoning regulations and which are inconsistent with the established other programs which are designed to reduce character of the downtown area. the cost of constructing new housing. Policy- Maintain Butler Street's pedestrian Policy: Discourage the development of high character with attractive landscaping and intensity residential uses along the waterfront. benches to encourage shopping and social ac- tivity, and design improvements to reduce traffic Policy: Provide land through zoning for congestion. apartments, duplexes, and medium density sin- gle family residential uses. Policy: Preserve and expand parks, green- belts, benches, and landscaping in the down- Policy: Maintain the present mix of housing town area. types (i.e. single family, multiple family, duplex, etc.). INDUSTRIAL Policy: Allow only quiet, low traffic, low The City has little roomfor industrial devel- intensity home occupations in residential areas opment. Thefoltowing goats and policies rejlect to preserve their stability and tranquility. the City's position on industrial growth beyond its borders, or within the City ff it expands Policy: Provide street lights and sidewalks through annexation in thefuture. in residential areas where there is a demon- strated need and according to the ability of Goal: Increase the amount of non-polluting residents to finance such improvements. light industry in the area without damaging the environment, spoiling the scenic beauty of the area, or overburdening local roads. utilities, or SPECIAL EmmONPUENTS & OPEN SPACE other public services. Goal: Protect special environments and open spaces, including but not limited to sand Policy: Encourage new industries to locate dunes, wetlands, and critical wildlife habitat, in small industrial parks near major transpor- from the hannful effects of incompatible devel- tation routes, and in locations with existing or opment activity by limiting the type and inten- planned sewer, water, electric, and solid waste sity of land development in those areas. disposal services to minimize service costs and negative impacts on other Land uses. Objective: Identify development limitations on special environments through a tiered clas- Policy: Implement site plan requirements sification system which classifies these environ- for light industries which incorporate open ments based on their value to the ecosystem, space, attractive landscaping, and buffering unique attributes, the presence of endangered from adjacent non-industrial uses. plant and wildlife species, and other character- istics deemed significant. Policy: Require the separation of industrial sites from residential areas through buffers Objective: Devise regulations for land devel- made up of any combination of parking, com- opment In special environments which permit mercial uses, parks, parkways, open space, or development in a manner consistent with pro- farmland. tection objectives and which complement state and federal regulations for special environ- HOUSING/RESMENTIAL ments. Goal: Encourage a variety of residential Policy: Require development projects types in a wide range of prices which are consis- deemed appropriate in and adjacent to special tent with the needs of a changing population environments to mitigate any negative impacts and compatible with the character of existing on such environments. residences in the vicinity. Policy: Encourage acquisition of special en- Policy: Explore alternative measures to re- vironments of significant public value by public duce housing costs and make home ownership City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 1-5 agencies or nonprofit conservancy organizations Objective: Identify and explore opportuni- for the purposes of preservation. ties to cooperate with other jurisdictions and agencies, including Allegan County and the De- WATERFRONT partment of Natural Resources Recreation Divi- sion, on recreation projects which would benefit Goal: Protect and enhance the natural aes- area residents and strengthen the tourism in- thetic values and recreation potential of all wa- dustry. terfront areas for the enjoyment of area citizens. Objective: Develop an areawide bikepath Policy: Promote the preservation of eidsting through local funds, grants and loans, and cap- open space and natural areas along the ital improvement programming. Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo Lake, and Lake Michigan to protect and enhance the scenic Objective: Develop a system of cross-coun- beauty of these waterfront areas and permit the try ski trails together with the Village of Douglas, continuity of these existing open spaces to re- Saugatuck Township, and other Jurisdic- main. tions/agencies if possible. through the use of local funds, grants and loans, and capital im- Policy: Some waterfront lands may be de- provement programming. veloped to meet residential and commercial needs, enhance local tax base, and contribute Policy: Encourage local government partic- to paying for local public service costs associ- ipation in activities designed to enhance the ated with their use and development, consistent area's seasonal festivals. with environmental protection policies in this plan, where such development would contribute Policy: Retain, maintain, and improve all to local quality of life. e--dsting publicly owned parks so that they con- tinue to meet the diverse recreation needs of Policy: Maximize public access, both phys- area citizens and tourists. ically and visually, by acquiring prime water- front open space whenever feasible. Objective: Explore the possibility of devel- oping a joint public marina and launch facility Policy: Acquire scenic easements wherever where federal and state funding is available to public values dictate the maintenance of visual assist with financing such a venture. access to the waterfront and the property is not available for purchase. TRANSPORTATION Policy: Limit the height and intensity of new Goal: Maintain a safe, effective, and efficient development along waterfront areas to preserve road network and improve roads to promote visual access and the natural beauty of the growth in a way that is consistent with land use waterfront for the broader public. goals, objectives and policies. Policy: Preserve street ends which abut Goal: Encourage a wide variety of transpor- water bodies for public access to the water. tation means, such as walking, biking, and public transportation, to meet the diverse needs Policy: Encourage additional boating re- of area residents. lated activities, such as transient slips and a municipal marina. Policy: Promote pedestrian and bike travel through a coordinated network of bikepaths, RECREATION trails, and sidewalks. Goal: Enhance the well-being of area resi- Objective: Survey the transportation net- dents by providing a variety of opportunities for work and identify need for maintenance and relaxation, rest, activity, and education through improvements. a well balanced system of private and public park and recreational facilities and activities Objective: Prepare a capital improvement located to serve identified needs of the area. budget for financing transportation mainte- 0 nance and improvements. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 1-6 Objective: Prepare a capital Improvements when necessary to meet an identified need in the program to schedule and prioritize improve- area rather than on a speculative basis. ments and maintenance. Objective: Regulate deliveries and keep POLICE, FIRE, & ENERGENCY SERVICES them off of main streets in the downtown area. Goal: Provide police, fire, and emergency services consistent with a public need and the Policy: Promote regularly scheduled, afford- ability to finance improvements in the most cost able, and dependable public transportation to effective manner. increase the mobility and quality of life of those who depend on public transportation. Policy: Explore the feasibility of consolidat- Ing police services across the three communities Policy: Maintain the sidewalk system and to eliminate overlap in service and expenditures require developers to provide sidewalks in ap- and improve service delivery. propriate locations through subdivision regula- tions. Objective: Evaluate the feasibility of 24 hour medical service which serves all three ju- Objective: Encourage expansion of the in- risdictions to be provided by a public or private terurban system consistent with municipal entity. means to finance the increased service and an identified public need. SOCIAL SERVICES Goal: Those social services which are effi- WATER AND SEWER cient to provide at the local level should be Goal: Insure a safe and adequate water provided to meet the needs of area residents. supply for the area, and environmentally sound sewage treatment, which is efficiently provided Objective: Explore the possibility of estab- and cost effective. lishing support programs for older adults through the use of volunteers for assistance Policy: Provide a reliable supply of safe, with household chores, personal care, and home clean, and good tasting drinking water. repair to help them remain independent, shorten hospital stays, and lower health care Objective: Devise alternative mechanisms costs. for financing sewer and water expansions which are financially sound and equitable. Policy: Support efforts to establish conunu- nity day care center(s) in appropriate locations Policy: Minimize the potential for ground- to provide quality and affordable day care to water contamination through planning and zon- working parents. ing which is consistent with the capacity and limitations of the land. WASTE LANAGENMW Policy: Promote a joint agreement with the Goal: Insure the safe, effective, and efficient Village of Douglas and Saugatuck Township to disposal of solid waste and toxic substances. plan and implement areawide sewer and water Policy: Encourage the reduction of solid service, including full participation by each in waste through recycling, composting, and the Kalamazoo Lake Sewer & Water Authority. waste-to-energy projects. Objective: Upgrade and provide adequate Policy: Manage disposal of solid waste and mains and lines within the eo-dsting sewer and location of solid waste facilities in accordance water service. with the Allegan County Solid Waste Manage- Policy: Insure that the expansion of sewer ment Plan prepared under PA 641 of 1978. and water service into an area is consistent with Objective: Adopt regulations for on-site the planned intensity of land use for that area. storage and transportation of hazardous waste scheduled when affordable, and implemented which require: City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 1-7 Secondary containment for on-site storage of hazardous waste; No transfer of hazardous waste over open ground; � Arrangements for inspection of, and mon- itoring underground storage tanks; � Existing underground storage tanks must provide spill protection around the fill pipe by 1998 in accordance with 1988 EPA standards. � All existing underground storage tanks must install leak detection systems within 5 years in accordance with 1988 EPA stan- dards; Objective: Encourage the development of a biodegradable container ordinance. ENERGY Goal: Promote site design and building which is energy efficient and encourage energy conservation through good land use planning and wise public building management. Objective: Prepare energy guidelines or standards which address landscaping, solar ac- cess, solar energy systems, sidewalks, subdivi- sion layout, proximity to goods and services, etc., and encourage or implement these through zoning and subdivision regulations. Objective: Establish an educational pro- gram (i.e. "energy awareness week") in coopera- tion with the local school system. Objective: Pursue funding or financing techniques to retrofit public buildings to reduce heating -and cooling costs. Objective: Explore the possibility of estab- lishing a low interest, revolving loan fund for retrofitting private homes where improvements would be paid off through savings in heating costs. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 2-1 Chapter 2 DEMOGRAPMCS POPULATION SIZE HOUSEHOLDS AM AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD SIM The City of Saugatuck has grown by 40% Until recently, the average household size since 1950, reaching an estimated 1,090 people in the United States has continued to shrink. in 1986 according to U.S. Census population due to an aging population, higher divorce rates, estimates. The City grew only 5% between 1970 postponed marriages, and lower birth rates. In and 1980- slow compared to the 40% increase keeping with state and national trends, the av- experienced by the Township. (see Table 2. 1). erage household size in the tri-community area declined, going from 2.98 in 1960 to 2.39 in SEASONAL POPULATION 1980. The average household size in the City in The population of the each community in 1980 was the lowest at 2.0, indicative of the high the tri-community area swells during the sum- proportion of "empty nesters" and retirees. mer when seasonal residents and tourists re- The number of households is an excellent turn. The 1980 census estimates that 26% (203) gauge of the demand for land and services. of the City's 772 total housing units are vacant, Smaller household size means a greater number seasonal, and migratory. Nearly all of these (143) of households. If the average household size in are detached single family units. Although 3 or 1960 held true today, there would be about 300 more unit condominiums make up about 23% fewer individual households in the area. As of the total seasonal units. household size decreases, the additional house- An engineering study prepared by holds create further demand for land, housing, Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber for the transportation, and public utilities. Although Kalamazoo Lake Sewer & Water Authority household size has declined substantially over (KLSWA) estimates that the total tri-community the past few decades, national trends suggest area population is comprised of one-third sea- that it will soon cease its decline. Nationwide the sonal residents and two-thirds permanent resi- average household size has reached a plateau dents and that the weekend daytime population and state demographers predict that Michigan during the summer is about 2,500 persons. will follow suit. Although sewer and water demand typically grows with population, the study found that AGE DISTRIBUTION demand for sewer and water in the tri-commu- Historical age cohort data is available on a nity area increased about 30% between 1980- regional basis and a comparison of age cohorts 1986, whereas population Increased by an in the tri-community area between 1960 and average of 20%. This reflects the impact of the 1980 reveals a large drop in the proportion of seasonal and tourist population on local ser- young children, with a corresponding increase vices. in the childbearing cohort (20 to 30 year olds) and 45-54 year olds. The proportion of retirees to the total population, however, has remained TABLE 2.1 POPULATION (IL950-1980) COMMUNITY 1950 1960 1970 1980 CHANGE Saugatuck 770 927 1,022 1,079 40% Saugatuck Township 845 1,133 1,254 1,753 107% Douglas 447 602 813 948 112% AREAWIDE 2,062 2,662 3,089 3,780 83% sour= Us. Census Bureau City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 2-2 FIGURE 2.1 FIGURE 2.2 AGE COHORTS (1960 & 1980) AGE COHORTS (1980) AREA ALLEGAN COUNTY P 17- P 15. E is- E R 13. C 1:. C 11 E E N N s T T 7. S. 3@14 0.4 5-14 1544 2" 3-44 45:54 &44 5-14 15-24 AGE GROUP AGE GROUP age groups. The City also has a large cohort of FIGURE 2.3 45-54 year olds. In regional terms, the City of Saugatuck comprises 37% of the area's senior AGE COHORTS (1980) population (despite its small size): Saugatuck 20. CITY OF SAUGATUCK Township comprises 39%; and the Village of is. Douglas, 24%. P 16. E R 14. EDUCATION C 12- E Saugatuck has a well educated citizenry. An N analysis of those aged 25 and older in 1980 T reveals that 43.6% have completed 1 or more 6. years of college. The City has the highest relative 4" 5:14 15@24 2" 35:" 45:54 &5!64 6;+ proportion of college graduates in the region (see AGE GROUP Figure 2.4). Table 2.2 contains complete infor- mation on the educational status of persons 25 constant (see Figure 2. 1). This is out of keeping years old and over by jurisdiction. with statewide trends and suggests that the area has experienced high in-migration of retirees through time. Retirees are attracted by the SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS area's special resort quality, small town charac- The Saugatuck Public School District ter, and scenic beauty, serves the City of Saugatuck (see Map 2. 1). Figures 2.2 and 2.3 depict the 1980 age School enrollment data for Saugatuck High cohort distribution in the City, in comparison to School and Douglas Elementary, the two Allegan County. The City has a small cohort of schools which comprise the Saugatuck Public infants and toddlers compared to even the School system. illustrate the impact of areawide County. But its most striking characteristic is demographic trends on the local school system. its huge cohort of senior citizens relative to other Between 1973 and 1989, enrollments in the TABLE 2.2 EDUCATIONAL STATUS PERSONS 25 YEARS OLD AND OVER SAUGATUCK SAUGATUCK TOWNSHIP CITY' DOUGLAS AREA Elementary 185 57 73 315 1-3 years HS 199 97 84 380 4 years HS 373 276 213 862 1-3 years College 157 137 123 417 4+ years College 188 196 84 468 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 2-3 FIGURE 2.4 EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IN 1980 PERSONS 25 AND OVER, TRI-COMMUNITY AREA 40 35- TOWNSHIP CITY 30- VILLAGE 25- E R C 20- E N 15- ....... ...... ...... ...... T .... ...... 10- ...... 5 ...... ...... ...... .. ... 0 .... ...... ELEMENTARY 1-3 YRS H.S. 4 YRS H.S. 1-3 YRS COLL. 4 YRS COLL. FIGURE 2.5 (see Figure 2.6). School enrollment data appears in Table 2.3. Future elementary and high school enroll- SAUGATUCK PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS ments were projected by the Saugatuck Public GRADES K-12 School system. These projections show an up- turn in high school enrollments in 1991 with a E 750-.. N R 700- TABLE 2.3 0 SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS L 650- SAUGATUCK PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT L M E 600. YEAR K-6 7-12 TOTAL N T 550- 79-80 326 329 655 80-81 307 322 629 500 73-74 75-76 T7-78 7 80 81-82 &I-U 85-86 87-N 81-82 306 299 605 YEAR 82-83 252 290 542 83-84 232 303 535 84-85 259 296 555 Saugatuck Public School system, grades K- 12, 85-86 250 277 527 have declined by 34% (see Figure 2.5). When 86-87 275 265 540 divided into elementary and high school enroll- ments, however, the data reveal a 17% increase 87-88 299 246 545 in elementary school enrollments since the 88-89 296 215 511 1983-84 school year, and a 28% decrease in high school enrollments over the same period City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 2-4 FIGURE 2.6 SAUGATUCK PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENTS ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOLS 360- 340- E 320 N R 300- ........ 0 nn 280- L L 260- PROJECTIONS M E 240- N T 220- 200 1801 7@80 81-82 8@84 8@86 87-88 8@90 91-92 '93-94 YEAR continued climb in elementary school enroll- housing and nearby employment opportunities. ments (see Figure 2.6). Total projected 1994 in the meantime, schools must use space and enrollments, however, are still 23% less than resources efficiently as they experience tighter 1973-74 levels. budgets and small enrollments. Many of the demographic characteristics FUTURE TRENDS shown here have been analyzed based on 1980 census information. These trends should be If local demographic trends follow those updated when the 1990 census information is projected for the county as they have in the past, available. Other useful demographic indicators then the overall proportion of retirees in the area are summarized in Appendix B. will expand much faster than that of school age children. The Michigan Department of Manage- ment and Budget projects that Allegan County's school age population will grow only 3% by the year 2000, while senior citizens will increase by 30%. The area's small cohort of infants and children, large cohort of middle aged to elderly, and high rate of retiree in-migration suggest this will be equally true in the City. These figures reveal the need to plan for the needs of an aging community, as well as initiate efforts to attract families with children into the area. The impact of demographic trends on the school system could be lessened by the large cohort of individuals in their childbearing years in the Township and the Village, but because couples are having fewer children, school enroll- ments will probably expand only slightly. The Saugatuck Public School system is not likely to meet its potential capacity for enrollments un- less a sequence of events or actions attracts new families with young children into the area. Two key factors will be the availability of affordable City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan HOL LAN _j MAP 2.1 PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICTS Saugatuck Fennville Hamilton MF DATA SOURCE: FWspective School Districts Planning & Zoning Centerft, Lansing, k4l August 1989 SAUGAI j ;t (i 3-1 Chapter 3 THE ECONOMY ECONOPMC BASE large wetlands abounding with wildlife, or- chards and specialty farms; and a scenic loca- Tourism tion on Lake Michigan encompassing Silver, Tourism fuels the economy of the tri-com- Goshorn, Kalamazoo and Oxbow lakes, and the munity area, with associated boating, restau- Kalamazoo River. The City also has a reputation rant, lodging, and strong retail sectors. Of the as a cultural center which serves as an artists' three jurisdictions, the City of Saugatuck relies retreat. The Ox Bow Art Workshop and the Red most heavily on tourism. The Village of Douglas Barn theater add to the area's cultural ambi- has boating and lodging facilities which capital- ence. ize on tourism, but its commercial sector is Although it is located in Laketown Town- primarily oriented towards local clientele. The ship, the Saugatuck Dunes State Park serves as Township has a small commercial sector which another tourist attraction to the tri-community compliments that of the Village, but it is primar- area. The Park offers no camping and thus many ily seasonal residential and rural, with a large visitors stay in the tri-community area. Visitor agricultural area to the south. Although the City counts from the Michigan Department of Re- of Saugatuck is seen as the resort center of the sources, Parks Division, reveal that the park has area, the entire area benefits from and contrib- increased in popularity since the 70's. Visitor utes to the tourist trade. counts performed by the Parks Division show The area's resort flair is defined by: historic that 47,463 people visited Saugatuck Dunes buildings- including quaint bed and breakfast State Park in FY 1988 a 300% increase in park inns; the many festivals; outstanding boating; attendance since 1979, when it attracted only Oval Beach, downtown Saugatuck; sand dunes; 11,714visitors. TABLE 3.1 IMPACT OF TRAVEL ON ALLEGAN COUNTY. 1986 TOTTRAVEL TRAVEL TRAVEL STATE TAX LOCALTAX EXPENDITURES GENER. PAY- GENER.EM- RECEIPTS RECEIPTS ROLL PLOYMENT $/Jobs $42,413,000 $7,689,000 869jobs $2,191,000 $363,000 % of State Total .56% .49% .62% .71% .49% % change 29.52% 37.87% 18.39% 27.98% 32.48% 1983-86 Source: U.S. Travel Data Center, 'The Economic Impact of Travel on Michigan Counties." TABLE 3.2 MAJOR EMPLOYERS PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES Hansen Machine Metal Stampings 43 Haworth Office Furniture 238 Harbors Health Facility Nursing Home 78 Enterprise Hinge Manufacturing 12 Douglas Marine Marina 21 Tafts Supermarket Supermarket 32 Paramount Tool Co., Inc. Machinery 24 Rich Products Pies 85 Source: Allegan County Promotional Alliance City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 3-2 FIGURE 3.1 EMPLOYMENT BY SECTOR IN 1980 TRI-COMMUNITY AREA AND ALLEGAN COUNTY PUBLIC CITY SERVICES VILLAGE FIN/INS/REAL EST E2 TOWNSHIP COUNTY RETAIL .......... WHOLESALE TRANS/COMM/UTIL .......... MANUFACTURING ...................... ............. ........ CONSTRUCTION AGRICULTURE 110 A @O .3'0 40 PERCENT rism generate in the tri-community area? Al- million for payroll. 869jobs, $2.1 million in state though current travel and tourism statistics are tax receipts, and $363,000 in local tax receipts. not available for the tri-community area, studies This ranks Allegan County 33rd out of conducted forAllegan County reveal the tremen- Michigan's 83 counties in travel and tourism dous impact of travel and tourism on local econ- revenues. Selected data from this study is repro- omies in the County. This is especially true for duced in Table 3. 1. Saugatuck-Douglas- the major resort center in the County. A study prepared for the Michigan Manqfacturing Travel Bureau by the U.S. Travel Data Center in Manufacturing is central to the year-round 1986 found that travellers spent $42.4 million stability of the area's economy. Although there in Allegan County in 1986, generating $7.7 are few manufacturing ftrms. they provide a high TABLE 3.3 EM[PLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY - 1980 CrIy VILIAGE TOVVNSHIP AREA COUN'IY TOTAL 547 433 689 1,669 34,025 Agriculture 9 16 37 62 2,041 Construction 30 27 75 132 2,009 Manufacturing 156 169 274 599 13,033 TCU * 25 10 17 52 1,407 Wholesale Trade 13 7 20 40 1,398 Retail Trade 146 67 106 319 5,017 FIRE ** 21 15 39 75 1,126 Services 125 96 107 328 7,105 Public Admin. 22 26- 14 62 889 Transportation, Communicatilon, Utillities Finance, Insurance, Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . ............ -- ....................... [E2 ES ...................... .... ......... ................ Source: 1980 U.S. Census of Population. General Social and Economic Characteristics. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 3-3 TABLE 3.4 EMPLOYMENT BY OCCUPATION - 1980 cny VILLAGE TOWNSHIP AREA COUNfY TOTAL 547 433 685 1,665 34,025 Manag. & Ad-min 77 34 43 154 2,315 Prof. Technical 87 62 74 223 3,319 Sales 63 24 83 170 2,696 Clerical 70 45 74 189 4,189 Service 72 73 73 231 4,300 Farm, Fishing 13 13 43 126 1,885 Crafts & Repair 66 70 144 210 5,447 Machine Operators 60 90 120 270 6,129 Laborers, Mat. Moving 39 22 31 92 3,745 Source: 1980 U.S. Census of Population, General Social and Economic Characteristics. TABLE 3.5 Employment by occupation in 1980 is AVERAGE ANNUAL UNEAUSOYPAENT RATE shown in Table 3.4. The highest proportion of Th-Community County State workers in Saugatuck are professional/techni- 1982 15.2 14.8 15.5 cal workers, followed by managerial and admin- 1983 14.7 14.3 14.2 istrative, service, and clerical workers. 1984 10.8 10.5 11.2 Average Annual 1985 11.3 10.9 9.9 Employment and Unemployment 1986 6.5 7.3 8.8 Unemployment has declined dramatically 1987 5.8 5.6 8.2 with Michigan's economic growth of the late 1988 5.2 5.1 7.6 80's. Table 3.5 reveals average annual unem- Source: NIE.SC, Bureau of Research & Statistics, Field ployment rates in the area since the last state- Analysis Unit wide recession. (Employment data is not available for individual communities in the tri- percentage of area jobs. Major area employers community area. The Michigan Employment Se- are listed in Table 3.2. curity Commission aggregates it for Saugatuck Township, the Village of Douglas, and the City of Saugatuck.) The tri-community area has a EAUSOYBUZIT slightly higher rate of unemployment than Al- Figure 3.1 illustrates 1980 employment by legan County, although since 1986 the unem- economic sector in each community as com- ployment rate has dipped below that of the state pared to the County. Manufacturing employs revealing local or regional economic growth. the most people in each of the three communi- Average annual employment in the tri-com- ties. Yet employment in other sectors varies. munity area bottomed out in 1986. This re- Twenty-nine percent of Saugatuck's labor force flected the loss of American Twisting, which are employed in manufacturing, but retail em- employed about 20 people, and the burning of ployment is also very high at 27%. This reveals Broward Marine (about 100 employees) and the dominant nature of the City's retail sector as Brighton Metal (about 10 employees). Yet in compared to that of the region (150/6) and the 1987, areawide employment jumped dramati- County (15%). The area's service sector employs cally. During that year Broward Marine re- 23% of Saugatuck's labor force. Five percent are opened its doors; Rich Products, Harbor Health employed in transportation, communication, or Facilities, Paramount Tools and other area busi- utilities. and another 5% are employed in con- nesses increased employment: a number of struction. Data on employment by industry ap- small businesses and two restaurants opened; pears in Table 3.3. and perhaps most significantly. Haworth Corpo- 0 ration expanded adding two new departments. Contributing to this was the state and regional City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 3-4 FIGURE 3.2 FIGURE 3.3 MONTHLY EMPLOYMENT AVERAGE ANNUAL EMPLOYMENT TRI-COMMUNITY AREA, 1988 TRI-COMMUNITY AREA 2700- 2.8. 2650- T 2.6- E H 2.4- M 2600- 0 2.2- P 2550. L U 2.0- 0 S y 2500- A N 1.6- M 2450- E D 1.4- N 2400- S 2 T 2350- '.01- 4 140 1982 19;M 146 196 1960 2300 YEAR MONTH economic boom, and corresponding increases in drinking establishments and various other rec- construction and spending. Figure 3.2 illus- reation-oriented uses. Figure 3.4 reveals the trates this trend. explosion in surnmer employment for tourism- related industries in Allegan County. This in- Seasonal Employment crease creates a high demand for teenage Local employment increases each summer employees. Tri-community area businesses note as tourists flood into the tri-community area. the difficulty of filling these jobs, and the need Figure 3.3 reveals the Impact of tourism on to import seasonal labor. This is yet another employment in the tri-community area during impact of the demographic make-up of the area the summer months. (i.e. the low number of teenage children). New The high number ofjobs created during the industry and affordable housing in the area summer months are primarily unskilled jobs in could attract families with children who, in turn, the service/retail sector, especially eating and FIGURE 3.4 TOURISM RELATED EMPLOYMENT, 1988 ALLEGAN COUNTY 1.2 E M 11.0 P ,0.8 L 0 0 U 0.6 Y s A 0.4 M N E D 0.2 s 0.0 EATIORIN X RECREATION LODGING /0', j F A M J J S 0 N 0 'BOAT & RV MONTH City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 3-5 FIGURE 3.6 ANNUAL REAL PROPERTY SEV TRI-COMMUNITY AREA (1980-87) 70- 60- M S L 50- - Saugatuck E - Douglas VO 40- N - Township* S 30- - Township" 20- 10. 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 YEAR not including Village(s) including Douglas through 1987 and Saugatuck through 1984. could staff area businesses during peak sum- $10,677,205. Industrial uses comprise 2% of the mer months. tax base, with an SEV of $1,126,200 (See Figure 3.5). TAX BASE Figure 3.6 illustrates changes in annual real property SEV between 1980 and 1987 for Residential uses make up the bulk of the the City of Saugatuck. Saugatuck was also in- area's tax base (65%), representing an SEV of cluded in the Township's tax base prior to 1985, $21,167,486. Yet commercial uses comprise when it became a city. This explains the sharp one-third of the City's real property SEV at drop in SEV for the Township between 1984 and FIGURE 3.5 1985. SEV's are also shown for the Township minus the Village(s). The figure shows ajump in REAL PROPERTY SEV (1988) the City's tax base between 1983-84 following CITY OF SAUGATUCK incorporation, with a steady increase since then. More complete information on annual SEVs and RESIDENTIAL 65% 1988 breakdowns can be found in Appendix B. INCOME According to 1985 census estimates, the City of Saugatuck has the second highest per INDUSTRIAL 20/6 capita income in the county- although the City has given up first place to Laketown Township since 1979. Table 3.6 shows this comparison. (Per capita Income in 1979 was $7,688 for the state and $6,744 for the county; in 1985 it was $10,902 for the state and $9,346 for the county.) COMMERCIAL 33% 1 City of Saugatuck Comprehenstve Plan 3-6 FIGURE 3.7 Table 3.7 reveals selected income and pov- erty characteristics by jurisdiction in the tri- community area. Although the per capita income in the area has been consistently higher than that of the county, the median household income is lower. The median household income is the point at which W16 of the households earn PERCENT IN POVERTY BY AGE more and 50% earn less. This statistic is more So- TRI-COMMUNITY AREA (1980) representative of local trends as it is less easily distorted by a few high income wage earners. TOMSHIP Poverty data correspond with median CITY household income. As median income goes up, P VILLAGE the proportion in poverty goes down. Although the City has a higher proportion of persons in R poverty C 40- than the Township, it also has a higher E proportion of individuals with earnings 200% or N 30- .... more above the poverty level. T Figure 3.7 depicts the proportion of persons in poverty by age. (The poverty level used by the 1980 census in recording this data was an annual income of $3,778 for those under 65, LESS TK@ 55 5r@se AGE W" and $3,689 for those 65 and over.) While some of the City's poor are elderly, the largest number are under 55. TABLE 3.6 PER CAPITA INCOME ALLEGAN COUNTY (TOP TEN) 1979 1985 Saugatuck 9031 Laketown Township 13,013 Laketown Township 8332 Saugatuck 12,631 Holland 8125 Holland 11,608 Gunplain Township 8074 Gunplain Township 10,947 Otsego Township 7437 Otsego Township 10,239 Plainwell 7396 Saugatuck Township 10,228 Saugatuck Township 7286 Douglas 10,150 Allegan Township 7170 Fillmore Township 10,120 Leighton Township 7051 Plainwell 9,886 Fillmore Township 7015 Leighton Township 9,539 Source: 1985 Per Capital Income Estimates, U.S. Census Bureau TA13LE 3.7 INCOME: & POVERTY CHARACTERISTICS TRI-COMMUNITY AREA (1980) TOANWSHIP crly VILLAGE COUN7Y Median HH income 16,412 15.182 14,963 17,906 % In poverty 7.1% 8.6% 11.3% 8.0% Income 200% of poverty 74% 75% 73% 71% level & above Source: 1980 Census of Population City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 4-1 Chapter 4 NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT CJMMTE TOPOGRAPHY Weather conditions affect Saugatuck's eco- The portion of the City on the east side of nomic base. Variations in average conditions, the Kalamazoo River (and Lake) has an escarp- especially during the summer months, can ment, from 20 to 40 feet high, separating two cause fluctuations in tourism and outdoor rec- relatively flat areas. The waterfront area, located reation activities, upon which the local economy below the escarpment, extends from the east is dependent. Prevailing winds determine bank of the river two to four blocks inland. The lakeshore and sand dune erosion patterns, "hill" area above the escarpment extends further which impose limitations on development along inland past the City limits and into Saugatuck the Lake Michigan shore. Township. The area on the west side of the Below, in Table 4.1. is relevant climatic Kalamazoo River consists entirely of sand dunes information for the area. These conditions gen- between the river and Lake Michigan, with a erally do not pose limitations on the area's narrow strip of flat land along the waterfront. growth except along the Lake Michigan shore, The highest point in this area is Mt. Baldhead, where natural forces can cause rapid and exten- which rises 3 10 feet above Lake Michigan. sive erosion of beaches and sand dunes. Steep slopes present impressive scenery and pose increased maintenance and construc- tion costs as well as safety risks. This is espe- GEOLOGY cially true with unstable landforms such as Saugatuck is located on the southwestern sand dunes. Generally, slopes exceeding 7% flank of the Michigan Basin, which is a bedrock should not be developed intensively, while feature centered in the middle of the Lower slopes of more than 12% should not be devel- Peninsula. The sandstone and shale bedrock is oped at all because of erosion and storm water overlain by glacial deposits from 50 to 400 feet runoff problems. On the topographic map (Map thick. There are no outcroppings of the bedrock 4. 1), steep slope areas are indicated by three or and the proximity of the bedrock to the surface more contour lines in close proximity. of the ground does not impose limitations for normal excavating or construction. Glacial de- posits consist primarily of sandy lakebed depos- DRAINAGE its east of the Lake Border Moraine, a major Saugatuck lies within the Kalamazoo River physiographic formation which is adjacent to Basin, which begins near Jackson and extends Lake Michigan. westward into Saugatuck Township, Douglas TABLE 4. IL SLThD&ARY OF RELEVANT CLRAATE CONDITIONS CLIMATE VARIABLES AVERAGE CONDIT10N EXTREME CONDIT[ON Coldest Months (January-February) 23.30 F - 25. 10 F -110 F - -350 F Hotest Month (July) 71.50 F 960 F - 1060 F Annual Average Temperature 48.30 F Average Rainfall 35.7 inches Average Growing Season 153 days Average Annual Snowfall 79.7 inches Elevation Above Sealevel 590 feet Prevailing Winds Westerly Source: USDA Soil Survey, Allegan County City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 4-2 FIGURE 4.1 ational or agricultural uses. Installation of pub- lic utilities and permanent construction for res- KALAMAZOO RIVER BASIN idential, commercial or industrial uses should not occur in floodplain areas. Several parts of the City are built in the Lake Huron floodplain. Among these are the blocks between Water Street and the Kalamazoo River, a narrow strip along the west bank of the river and an area near the Blue Star Highway bridge. A substan- tial portion of the undeveloped land in the north- eastern comer of the City also lies in the 41 floodplain. WETLANDS There are several wetlands within the City A of Saugatuck. Most are contiguous to or hydro .J logically connected to Lake Michigan, the Kalamazoo RIver or Goshom Creek. Wetlands A, are valuable in storing floodwaters and recharg ing groundwater. They are also habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals. Because wetlands are a valuable natural resource, they are protected by Public Act 203 Lake Erie of 1979. PA 203 requires that permits be ac- quired from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) prior to altering or ftlling a regulated wetland. The Wetland Protection Act and Saugatuck (see Figure 4. 1). Most of the City defines wetlands as " land characterized by the drains into the Kalamazoo River. The remainder presence of water at a _frequency and duration consisting of the west slope of the sand dunes sufficient to support and that under normal ctr- drains directly into Lake Michigan. A small area cumstances does support wetland vegetation or is drained by Goshom Creek, a short-run aquatic Itfe and is commonly referred to as a bog, stream that flows into the Kalamazoo River. All swamp, or marsh and is contiguous to the Great areas of the City drain fairly well due to adequate Lakes, an inland lake or pond, or a river or slopes and highly permeable soils. An exception stream." to this is the wetland area near Goshom Creek- Regulated wetlands include all wetland Watercourses in Saugatuck are shown in Map areas greater than 5 acres or those contiguous 4.2. to waterways. Wetlands which are hydrologi- cally connected (i.e. via groundwater) to water- ways are also regulated. Activities exempted FLOODPLAINS from the provisions of the Act include farming, Areas adjacent to creeks, streams and rtv- grazing of animals. farm or stock ponds, lum- ers are susceptible to periodic flooding that can bering, maintenance of eidsting nonconforming cause extensive damage to buildings and can structures, maintenance or improvement of ex- pose a substantial threat to public health and isting roads and streets within existing rights- safety. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has of-way, maintenance or operation of pipelines mapped the boundaries of the 100 year flood- less than six inches in diameter, and mainte- plain in Saugatuck. Those boundaries are de- nance or operation of electric transmission and noted by the shaded areas on Map 4.3 and is the distribution power lines. area that would be inundated during an Inter- Permits will not be issued if a feasible or mediate Regional Flood. The Federal Flood In- prudent alternative to developing a wetland ex- surance Program has established guidelines for ists. An inventory of wetlands based on the use and development of floodplain areas. Those DNR7s land use\cover inventory are illustrated regulations indicate that development in flood- on Map 4.4. Table 4.2 shows the land use\cover plains should be restricted to open space, recre- codes pertaining to regulated wetlands in the City of Saugatuck ComprehensIve Plan 4-3 area. Herbaceous and shrub rangelands may Basement Limitations not actually meet the statutory definition of Limitations for dwellings with basements wetland, so on site inspections will be necessary are shown on Map 4.5. Some soils impose severe to establish whether a wetland indeed exists in limitations on basements because of excessive such areas. wetness, low strength, excessive slope, or shrink-swell potential. These areas are found SOELS primarily in the west side of the City in the sand A modern soil survey was completed for dunes. which have excessive slopes. The escarp- Allegan County by the USDA Soil Conservation ment area, with excessive slope, the large area Service in March, 1987. The soil types present of open space near the high school. with wet- in the City of Saugatuck are shown on the map ness, and an area north of Allegan and Maple and table in Appendix D. Each soil type has Streets, with wetness and excessive shrink- unique characteristics which pose limitations swell potential, are other parts of the City with for particular uses. The most Important charac- severe limitations. teristics making the soil suitable or unsuitable Septic Limitations for development are limitations on dwellings Most of the soils in the City of Saugatuck with basements, limitations on septic tank ab- impose severe limitations on septic tank absorp- sorption fields, and suitability for farming. Soil tion fields because of excessive slope and rapid limitations have been classified into three cate- permeability. The remainder are sand beaches gories, which are described below. and excavated areas, which are not rated for � Slight: Relatively free of limitations or hm- septic limitations. The permeability of soils in itations are easily overcome. the City ranges from very poorly drained to � Moderate: Limitations need to be consid- excessively drained, with most being excessively ered, but can be overcome with good man- drained. Map 4.6 shows the septic limitations agement and careful design. for the City. This map suggests the need for � Severe: Limitations are severe enough to municipal sewers to accommodate new develop- make use questionable. ment in those areas not presently served (east Large areas of soils in Saugatuck have se- side). vere lirnitations on residential and urban devel- The degree of soil limitations reflects the opment. The degree of soil limitations reflects hardship and expense of developing that land the hardship and expense of developing the for a particular use. Those soils classified as land. .severe" have varying degrees of development potential based on the nature of the limitation. Map 4.7 provides this more detailed analysis of TABLE 4.2 severe limitations on septic tank absorption LAND COVER CODES FOR PROTECTED fields. The "severe" soils have been categorized WETLANDS IN TRI-COMMUNITY AREA as follows: CODE DESCRIPTION A. Sandy, moderate to rapid permeability 31 Herbaceous Rangeland* B. Rapid permeability, wetness and high 32 Shrub Rangeland* water table 412 Upland Hardwoods C. Wet, ponding, heavier (clay) soils. slow 414 Lowland Hardwoods permeability 421 Upland Conifers D. Very wet soils, organics, wetlands, flood- 429 Lowland Conifers plains, unable to support septic fields. 611 Wooded Swanps Soils in categories B and D are not able to 612 Shrub Swamps support septic fields because of extreme wet- 621 Marshland Meadow ness. Soils in category A are classified as "se- 622 Mud Flats vere" by the Soil Conservation Service, however Source: Michigan DNR Land Cover/Use Classification the Allegan County Health Department consid- System ers them to have only moderate limitations for Wetlands are sometimes, but not always associated septic systems. They can be made suitable for with these land cover types. development by increasing the distance between City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 4-4 the septic system and the water table. Soils with moderate and slight limitations also appear on GROUNDWATER Map 4.7. Soils that are most suitable for devel- Groundwater is an unseen resource and is opment, with respect to basement and septic therefore particularly vulnerable to mismanage- limitations, are shown on Map 4.8. ment and contamination. Prior to the 1980's, little was known about groundwater contamina- Standardsfor Septic Systems tion in Michigan, and some startling facts have The Allegan County Health Department has recently been revealed. established certain standards for septic sys- The leading causes of groundwater contam- tems. These standards apply somewhat differ- ination in Michigan are from small businesses ent site characteristics when determining the and agriculture. More than 500/6 of all contami- degree of limitations for septic systems, com- nation comes from small businesses that use pared to the Soil Conservation Service ap- organic solvents, such as benzene, toluene and proach, which focuses on soil types and slope. xylene, and heavy metals, such as lead, chro- Below is a review of these standards by develop- mium, and zinc. The origin of the problem stems ment type. from careless storage and handling of hazardous substances. On paved surfaces where hazard- Single Family Residential ous materials are stored, substances can seep Before a permit is considered, there must through or flow off the edge of the pavement. be at least four feet of dry soils between the Materials can get into floor drains which dis- bottom of the septic system and the water charge to soils, wetlands or watercourses. table. In addition, there must be one foot At present, groundwater is the only tapped between the existing ground surface and source of potable water for the City of the seasonal water table, and two feet be- Saugatuck. the Village of Douglas and tween the e@dsting ground surface and the Saugatuck Township. The glacial drift aquifers clay. Special permits will be considered only in the area are especially vulnerable to contam- if the site size Is at least two acres and the ination because of rapid permeability and high septic system is put on top of four feet of water table. In a local example, Douglas'munic- sand. Residential sites that fail to meet ipal water supply has been contaminated by those requirements will not be issued septic volatile organic compounds (VOC's), supposedly system permits. by an industrial site within the Village. Some areas without municipal sewer and water ser- All Other Residential, Plus Commercial vice are in danger of groundwater contamination These fall under State guidelines of at least because of septic systems, intensive develop- two feet between the existing ground sur- ment and a high water table. face and the water table and four feet of dry Protection of groundwater resources is soil between the bottom of the septic system problematic because of difficulties in locating and the water table. No special permits are aquifers. Well depth records indicate the relative issued for these uses. location of groundwater at particular points. According to well logs from Michigan Ground- Hydric Soils water Survey (MGS) data, well depths near the Hydric soils are another limitation on devel- City of Saugatuck range from 29 ft. to 215 ft., opment. They are very poorly drained, saturate with the municipal well being at 200 ft. Soils easily and retain large quantities of water. Map most vulnerable to groundwater contamination 4.9 shows where these soils are. In Saugatuck, are found on Map 4. 10. hydric soils are found near watercourses and correspond to present or former wetlands. There SPECIAL FEATURES are only two areas of these soils in the City; along Lake Michigan Shoreline and Beaches Goshorn Creek and north of Campbell Road The Lake Michigan shoreline in Saugatuck between River Road and Manchester Lane. Res- is very susceptible to wind and water erosion idential, commercial and industrial develop- during storms and high lake levels due to resul- ment in areas containing hydric soils should be tant wave action. The current closing of discouraged. Lakeshore Drive in Douglas and Saugatuck Township due to bluff erosion is a graphic ex- ample of the power of wave action. These natural City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 4-5 processes pose hazards to public health and WOODLANDS safety. The Shorelands Protection Act of 1970 The wooded areas of the Saugatuck are was enacted to Identify areas where hazards exist by designating them and by passage of primarily hardwoods. Large areas of upland measures to minimize losses resulting from nat- hardwoods are found in the sand dune area ural forces of erosion. High risk erosion areas between the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michi- are defined as areas of the shore along which gan, and in the undeveloped area in the eastern bluffline recession has proceeded at a long term part of the City. Woodlands in the City are average of 1 foot or more per year. The entire shown on Map 4.13. Mature trees represent a Lake Michigan shoreline in Saugatuck has been valuable resource in maintaining the aesthetic designated as a high risk erosion area, with character of the area, not to mention their over- some portions eroding at a rate of 1.7 feet per all importance to wildlife and the natural envi- year. Within the designated area, shown on Map ronment. In particular, the wooded sand dunes 4.11, alteration of the soil, natural drainage, along the Kalamazoo River and Lake Michigan vegetation, fish or wildlife habitat, and any should be managed to insure their long term placement of permanent structures, requires a existence. DNR review and permit. unless the local unit of government has an approved high risk erosion area ordinance; Saugatuck does not. Sand Dunes The sand dunes along Lake Michigan on the west side of the City represent a unique and fragile physiographic formation and ecosystem that is very susceptible to wind and water ero- sion, and destruction due to careless use or development. The dune area which is in the City of Saugatuck and Saugatuck Tovrnship has been identified by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as a critical dune area, subject to protection under the Michigan Sand Dune Protection and Management Act, PA 222 of 1976. The designated critical dune area is shown in the shaded region of Map 4.12. Recent legislation (PA 147 & 148 of 1989) provides for additional protection of critical dune areas. Under these Acts, all proposed com- mercial or industrial uses, multifamily uses of more than 3 acres, and any use which the local planning commission or the DNR determines would damage or destroy features of archaeolog- ical or historical significance must be approved by the State. Single family residential develop- ment is to be regulated at the local level. The law prohibits surface drilling operations that ex- plore for or produce hydrocarbons or natural brine as well as mining activities (except in the case of permit renewals). The legislation also imposes certain standards on construction and site design in critical dune areas. Site design and construction standards for sand dunes should be enhanced at the local level to prevent further deterioration of this frag- fie environment. Areas needing special attention in such standards are vegetation, drainage and erosion protection. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan N 0 6w 1200 1800 1,4 '17- -7A Scale I"= 1212 ft J ... ...... .............. f D . .......... . .... .............. MAP 4.1 TOPOGRAPHY Saugatuck Contour interval is ten feet Darker lines are 50 foot contours A Augusti989 DATA SOURCE: USGS CKadmngW Maps Planring & Zorting Con%w Inc. LanshV, MI N M M L-im-M 0 6w 12M 18M Scale 1" 1212 It a) r- C I'AV ST. V) (D (D CAMPBELL R D. KALAMAZOO LAKE Cb MAP 4.2 WATERCOURSES Saugatuck Lakes, rivers and streams 7/-' Drains and intermittent streams A August 1989 DATA SOURCE: MDNR PMnnkV & Zw*V C Inc. Lmnsing, MI 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1" 1212 ft ST. V) rrl CAMPBELL T. MAP 4.3 FLOODPLAINS Saugatuck 0 100 Year Flood Area 91 500 Year Flood Area A August 1M DATA SOtJRCE:MDNR Planning Zoning Canier Inc, Lansing, M) 0 6W 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft MAP 4.4 WETLANDS Saugatuck Lowland Hardwood In Shrub Swamp Marshland Meadow & Mud Flats Lowland Conder Mi Herbaceous Rangeland A Wooded Swamp Shrub Rangeland August 1981) DATA SOURCE: IVIDNR Planning & Zoning Conlor Inc, Lansing, MI ................ .......... ....................... ................. ............... 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft ......................... ............... .......... ............. . ................ ........ .............. .......... .............. .............. ......................... ................................ ........................ ............. I AV ............... --- ---- - ----- AOF ----------- MAP 4.5 BASEMENT LIMITATIONS Saugatuck Severe Excavated Moderate Wetland Soils A Slight Sand Dunes L. - J. AugustI989 DATA SOURCE: USDA Soil Survey, Allegan County: Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansinlj, MI 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft ............................. -------------------- ............ ............... .................. ................... I........ .......... ....................... ................................................................ . ........ .......... .. ............. .... ..... -- ------------------------- ............... - - - - - - - - ............. ................ ... ......... ; ................. .............. ..... . . .... ........................ ............. . ..... ................... .... : ' ......................... ........... ...... ... ........ . ............ . ...... ........... .... ........................................... ......... ....... .............. ....................................... ......................... ...................................................... ................................................................... ............ ............................................ .. .. ......... ------- ...................................... .. ......... .... .............. ......................................... ................... ..................... ................... .................. .................. ............. I................. ..................... ................ *-1 ........ ............. AV .... . ........... .7.77.1.1.1.1.1-1.. .................. MAP 4.6 SEPTIC LIMITATIONS Saugatuck 11 Severe 0 Excavated Em Moderate ME Wetland Soils I-r-3 A L-J.- Slight 15 Sand Dunes August 1989 DATA SOURCE: USDA Soil Survey, Allegan County: Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft ---------- ------------ - ----------- ffiffillsaft - ---------- ------- - - ------ MAP 4.7 SEPTIC LIMITATIONS Saugatuck Sandy, moderate to rapid Moderate Limitations Sand Dunes permeability am Rapid permeability, wetness r .... Slight UnitMions Wetland Soils of highwater table U J. A Wet, ponding, heavier Excavated Very wet soils, organics, clay soils,slow permeability wetlands, floodplains August1989 DATA SOURCE: USDA Soil Survey, Afleg. Only Htth Dept Planning & Zoning Center Inc. Lansing, MI ------------------ r --- ------- Uf a ID v Ion 11 nu --- --------- ----------- DOUM.A8 v 5 14 a ------------- ------ --------------------- --- -------- ---- 20 23 21 -------------------- - ------------------------- tmm 2ND v 26 w IN 32 34 35 36 LEGEND MAP 4.7 A Saugatuck PCM KWD I&CHAll ONSITE WASTEWATER TREATMENT LIMITATIONS FIM HM 2 imn 6 =-:70 firLh v"TM OU"A I= @=Illklflp@ 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft ok ---------------------- ---------- ---- ........ - ------ - ------ MAP 4.8 MOST SUITABLE SOILS Saugatuck Soils Most Suitable For Development Excavated Areas A AugustI989 DATA SOURCE: USDA Soil Survey, Allegan County Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 0 600 1200 im Scale 1 1212 ft MAP 4.9 HYDRIC SOILS Saugatuck m Hydric Soils mi Wetland Soils A August 1989 DATA SOURCE: USDA Sod Survey, Allegan County Planning & Zoning Genter Inc. Lansing, MI 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft ----------------- ----------- -A MAP 4.10 GROUNDWATER VULNERABILITY Saugatuck Areas most susceptible to contamination Excavated Areas A Wetland Soils August 1989 DATA SOURCE: USDA Soils Survey & Alleg. Hlth Dept. Planning & Zoning Center Inc. Lansing, MI 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1" 1212 ft 7. 4-/ 1 A,, ST. V1 KALAMAZOO LAKE 0 CAMPBELL RD. 0 0. MAP 4.11 HIGH RISK EROSION AREAS Saugatuck Accretion Area Numbers indicate accretion/recession rate in A feet per year Recession Area August 19,89 DATA SOURCE: IVIDNR Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 0 6w 1200 18W Scale 1" 1212 ft C W > ST V) KALAMAZOO LAKE A PBELL ST. MAP 4.12 CRITICAL DUNE AREAS Saugatuck m/ U/i Critical Dune Areas A August IM DATA SOURCE: MDNR Planning & Zooling Contw Inc, Lansing, Ml ............. An 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft -------------------- MAP 4.13 WOODLANDS Saugatuck IN Lowland Hardwood Upland Conder Upland Hardwood Im Wooded Swamp Lowland conffer EM Shrub Swamp August1989 DATA SOURCE: MDNR Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, M1 5-1 Chapter 5 EXISTING LAND COVER AND USE LAND USE/COVER DATA SOURCES The existing use of every parcel was recorded and evaluated in combination with low-level Land cover and use refers to an inventory aerial imagery available from the Allegan County of e-xisting vegetation, natural features, and land Equalization Department and the MIRIS land use over the entire City (see Map 5. 1). This data cover/use map to prepare the existing (parcel- was obtained in computerized form from the based) land use map (see Map 5.2). The following Michigan Resource Inventory System (MIRIS) description is based on these maps and data database, which is maintained by the Michigan sources and the USDA Soil Survey of Allegan Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The County. data came from photo interpretations of aerial Land use by category is shown in Table 5. 1. infrared photos by trained Interpreters at the This information was derived from the afore- West Michigan Regional Planning Comnlission. mentioned data sources and areas were calcu- The DNR will update this data every 5 years. lated using CMAP computer mapping software. Land cover and use categories included in the The predominant land use in Saugatuck is data are explained on the legend to Map 5. 1. The parks. This is followed by single family residen- wetlands and woodlands maps in Chapter 4 tial, commercial and multiple family residential, were also derived from this data. respectively. Vacant land comprises eighteen MIRIS data was supplemented by a thor- percent of the total land area (street ROWs ough land use inventory of Saugatuck, con- excluded) of the City. ducted in the surnmer of 1988. The inventory was based on ownership parcels and conducted both on foot and through a "windshield survey". RESIDENTIAL Most of the residential development in TABLE5.1 Saugatuck is concentrated around the center of EXISTING LAND USE the City. Other residential areas are along Campbell Road and along the west shore of LAND USE ACRES % Kalamazoo Lake. Most resort and seasonal res- T1"SR0W* idential development is located along Kalamazoo Residential Lake and the Kalamazoo River. Single family single-family 174 22.45% structures are the predominant residential type. multi-family 24 3.10 A number of large older homes have been con- Commercial 26 3.35 TABLE 5.2 Industrial 2 0.26 CITY OF SAUGATUCK Institutional 21 2.71 CONDO PROJECTS SINCE IL980 Parks 249 32.13 Boat Storage & 6 0.77 PROJECT UNITS Service Bridges of Saugatuck 8 Kalamazoo 29 3.74 Waterside 6 River Wetland Saugatuck Shores 16 Streets & Roads 106 13.68 East Shore Harbor Club 46 Vacant 136 17.55 Bay View + 4 single family 13 Commer- Saugatuck Harbors 24 cial /Residential Holland & Francis 6 TOTAL 775 100.04% Windjammer 8 % of total land area minus strret ROVIrs TOTAL 127 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 5-2 verted to two or three units or bed and breakfast the focal point of much of the City's activities. establishments. Multiple family structures are During the summer months, the City Center is found along Lake Street, in several condomin- heavily used by tourists. Much of the revenue ium developments lining the east shore of gained locally through tourist expenditures Kalamazoo Lake, and in other parts of the City. comes from this area. The City Center is known New condominium developments since 1980 are throughout the state for its excellent antique shown on Table 5.2. Apartment complexes in the shops and art galleries. The City Hall is an city include Ridgewood Oaks Apartments and historic building and also serves as a tourist Olde Mill Apartments on Maple Street in the attraction. This area expresses the style, activ- northeast comer of the City, and Harbor View ity, and scenic and architectural qualities that Apartments north of Campbell Road in the make the City one of the most unique in the southwest part of the City. region. Generally, the structures are small, simple, COAOdERCIAL and classical in design. They reflect turn of the century commercial demand for limited and ac- The major commercial area in Saugatuck is cessible retail space. Unlike most cities, much the City Center, which is primarily tourist ori- of the original architecture has survived. The ented, with some establishments serving local style remains simple, spare, utilitarian and ele- residents. Businesses include a bank, hard- gant. The atmosphere is informal. The scale is ware, furniture, restaurants. drug store, cloth- human and pedestrian and compliments the ing, tourist accommodations and many other surrounding natural environment without over- tourism related activities. Other commercial ac- powering it. This unique City Center preserves tivities are scattered throughout the City and the history of Saugatuck and establishes a sense along the waterfront. Boat storage and repair of comfort and place. facilities represent a different type of commercial use and line the waterfront throughout the City. Center Transition Area The largest of these is located between Holland The area immediately north of the City Cen- Street and the Kalamazoo River. ter along both sides of Butler Street Is occupied by 22 single-family structures. The homes are INDUSTRIAL typically old and large. Some are over a hundred Industrial activity in Saugatuck is limited years old, with historic qualities. Many of these to one site near Culver and Griffith Streets. The homes have become difficult to heat and keep in site is occupied by Rich Products, which pro- good repair because of their age and size. The duces food products (fruit pies). Another site orl homes are primarily white and wood frame and Water Street, formerly occupied by American are in good repair. Most structures are occupied Twisting Co.. is vacant. There are no other oc- on a year-round basis. cupied industrial sites in the City, nor are any Water Street Shoreline available. Most development along Water Street is waterfront oriented. This includes public and PLANNING AREAS private marinas, restaurants capitalizing on the Eight planning areas have been identifted waterfront view, tourist attractions offering boat within Saugatuck. These planning areas repre- rides, and charter boats. A number of substan- sent portions of the City within which particular tial commercial investments along the water- land uses or other characteristics give a distin- front have made this area one of the City's most guishable identity or quality. Some people may active. There are approximately ten single-fam- identify with these areas as "neighborhoods". ily homes, four multi-family structures, includ- Following are brief descriptions of existing land ing a new twenty-four (24) unit condominium, use. These descriptions are based on the plan- and transient lodging facilities, the largest of ning /neighborhood areas depicted on Map 5.3. which has forty units. The water line is almost entirely lined with City Center bulkheads and utilized for boat docks. The wa- The City Center is the most intensely devel- terfront area is a natural extension of the City oped area of Saugatuck. It includes the central Center in terms of tourist activity. Tourists visit business district, restaurants and shops, and is the shops and galleries in the City Center, then City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 5-3 walk the boardwalk along the water and perhaps Park Street eat there. Both areas are closely related in terms Park Street follows the west bank of the of contribution to the City's economic base and Kalamazoo River. There are approximately 100 tourism orientation. single-family structures in this area, most of which are occupied by seasonal residents. Other Lake Street land uses include tourist lodging facilities and The Lake Street area follows the shoreline waterfront oriented commercial uses. Approxi- of Kalamazoo Lake between Griffith Street and mately twenty new single family homes have Blue Star Highway. Land uses in this area in- been built along Campbell Road. clude approximately 35 single-family homes, Much of the area was platted in an uncoor- several condominium developments, several dinated and unplanned manner. Many of the transient lodging establishments, a marina, plats along Park Street are either long and nar- some commercial facilities, and the City's larg- row, or are small in overall square footage. Plat- est industry. Rich Products. Many of the single- ted lots range in size from 6,000 square feet to family homes are seasonal dwellings occupied 25,000 square feet. only during the summer months. Mt. Baldhead The "Hill" The Mt. Baldhead area is one of the most This area is located 'on the hill" above the unique, scenic, and beautifully preserved ma- City Center, Lake Street and waterfront areas ture dune areas along the Lake Michigan shore. and consists primarily of single-family homes. Most of the dune area is vegetated, forested and The homes are typically 30-60 years old and in stable. There are some "blow-out" areas free of good repair. The area is uncongested and is vegetation through wind disturbance and some affected by tourist activity only at the fringes, areas that have been cleared for recreational where traffic enters the City along Holland purposes. The area is recognized by the Michi- Street, the City's main entrance. This area con- gan State Department of Natural Resources as tains most of the City's permanent (year-round) an Area of Particular Concern (APQ. residents The dune area covers approximately 300 acres, 150 acres of which is owned by the Pres- Holland Street byterian Church, 75 acres by the City of Holland Street is the main entrance into the Saugatuck. and the remainder in large private City from the north. The street is lined with trees holdings. The only development is the Oval and residences and gives visitors a favorable Beach Lakefront swimming and recreation area. impression as they enter the City. Most of the The Mt. Baldhead area is an important residents are year-round, although there are component of the City's attractive natural envi- some seasonal residences fronting the ronment, and enhances the City Center and the Kalamazoo River. waterfront. With those areas, the forested dunes and Mt. Baldhead complete an attraction that Maple Street provides unparalleled visual quality, contribut- This area is underdeveloped, except for city- ing to a vital active tourist economy. Mt. Bald- owned utilities (water wells) and approximately head is not only an important natural resource eight single-fan-ffly homes. Additional homes are for the entire state and country, but also a being built above a deep and scenic ravine which "display case" for the City itself and therefore traverses this area. The area contains some has a direct and positive influence on the eco- wetlands and areas with development limita- nomic vitality of the community. tions. This area is the last substantial tract of vacant property in the eastern part of the city, HISTORIC & ARCHAEOLOGICAL FEA11MES covering approximately 60 acres. Ownership is Some archaeological sites and historic sites in large tracts. There are no recorded subdivi- can be found in Saugatuck- Historic and archae- sions. Across from Maple Street in Saugatuck ological sites are designated by the Michigan Township are commercial uses including ware- Bureau of History. houses and storage sheds. Historic Buildings and Sites The Michigan State Register of Historic Sites was established in 1955 to provide official City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 5-4 TABLE 5.3 architectural detail, however several stylistic el- STATE HISTORIC SITES ements are present including italianate cornices and brackets, and Greek revival entablatures DESCRIPTION LOCATTON end pediments. Other particularly interesting Saugatuck: features include press-tin ceilings and cornices All Saints Episcopal 252 Grand St. and lead-glass transoms. Church Saugatuck has taken local steps to preserve its historic character and particularly the City Singapore (Village Hall) Marker on Vil- Center area. PA 169 of 1970 permits the legis- lage Hall on lative body of a local government to regulate the Butler St. construction, demolition and modification of all Clipson Brewery Ice House - 900 Lake St. structures within a designated historic district. TWin Gables Hotel (Singa- The City of Saugatuck has established an his- pore Country Inn is com- toric district within the oldest part of the City. mon name) Within this district, construction, demolition Horace D. Moore House 888 Holland and modification of structures must comply St. with requirements set forth in the zoning ordi- Warner P. Sutton House 736 Pleasant nance. Historic districts provide a means for the (Beachwood Manor) St. community to protect its historic resources from Fred Thompson-Willharn 633 Pleasant development pressures. The Saugatuck historic Springer House Ist. district is shown in Map 5.4. Source: NUchigan bureau of History Archaeological Sites Archaeological sites are of particular scien- recognition for historic resources in Michigan. tific value to the fields of anthropology, ecol- Designated historic sites have unique historic, ogy. and biology and may have historic or ethnic architectural, archaeological. engineering, or significance as well. There are 120 archaeologi- cultural significance. There are six State historic cal sites scattered throughout Saugatuck Town- sites in Saugatuck, which are listed on Table ship, Saugatuck and Douglas, mostly related to 5.3. Singapore, Michigan's most famous "ghost Ottawa and Potawatomi cultures. Their exact town" and once a thriving lumber town, lies locations have not been disclosed by the Bureau buried at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. A of History in order to protect them from exploi- plaque commemorating its existence stands in tation. Recipients of Federal assistance must front of the Saugatuck City Hall. ensure that their projects avoid damage or de- State historic site designation does not in- struction of significant historical and archaeo- clude any financial or tax benefits, nor does it logical resources. The Michigan Bureau of Impose any restrictions upon the owner of the History reviews these projects to assess their property, unlike similar designations under fed- impact on archaeological sites. eral law. The Bureau of History also recommends that those proposing development projects in Historic Districts Saugatuck contact the State Archaeologist to Architecture in the City Center of determine if the project may affect a known Saugatuck is generally late nineteenth century archaeological site. This is particularly critical Victorian, with some commercial and residential given the existence of Indian Burial sites in the structures built forty years before the Victorian area. If an important archaeological site will be period. The oldest structures are characterized affected, archaeologists will negotiate a volun- by their wood frames, gabled roofs and false tary agreement to preserve those artifacts. The fronts. They are typical of early mercantile es- Bureau of History serves in an advisory capacity tablishments and reflect the area's lumber har- and has no legal authority to restrict develop- vesting industry. The later Victorian structures ment rights. are typical of small towns and are predomi- nantly of masonry construction. While none are larger than two stories, several have large floor areas due to long, narrow floor plans commonly used. Original facades are not elaborate in their City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan MAP 5.1 LAND USE/COVER Saugatuck URBAN WATER 113 Slngle Family F-1 52 Lakes 115 Mobile Home WETLAND 124 Neighborhood Business 611 Wooded Swamps 126 Other Institutional 612 Shrub Swamps 193 Outdoor Recreation 621 Marshland Meadow FARMLAND 622 Mud Flats 21 cropland BEACH 22 Orchards 72 Beach At Riverbank RANGELAND 73 Dunes 31 Herbaceous Rangeland EM 32 Shrub'Rangeland WOODLAND ovum* 412) 414)Broadleaf 421) 429)Conifers August 1989 DATA SOURCE: IVIDNR Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI City of Saugatuck LAND USE/COVER 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft % ME-z @It ...................... .. .................. ......................... ......................... ..................... .................... ..... .... ---------- ***** ........ ..... .......... ...... ........ ................... ............ ................... ............ .......... .......... ...... ------------------- ...... ................ - ------- - ------------- ...... ................ ................ ............. ..................... ..................... ................ ...... .......... ........ ... :: .......... ...................... --------------------------- ..... ------ -- :::: ----------------------------------------------- .................. ....... ---- -- ............ ........ ....... MAP 5.2 EXISTING LAND USE Saugatuck Single Family Residential E] Agricultural - Orchard 9 7 191, Mulltiple Family Residential RH Recreational Ham Reside nti al/Com mercial Mfl Junkyard Commercial pq Mobile Home Park Boat Storage/Marina Vacant Industrial Wetland Ell, Institutional Water us Agricultural August 1989 SOURCE: PZC Land Use Survey Planning & Zoning Center, Inc, Lansing, MI City of Saugatuck EXISTING LAND USE 0 sm 1000 isoo Scale 1" 1032' ...................... . ....... ........... ...... ...... .................... ....i................... ... ........ . ....... .... il . .................. ......... ................... ........... .............. ... .......... ............ .......... . .... ..... . .. ............ ............ ............................... ...... ........................... .......... .......... ........... ........... ........................ ......... ................ ;;,; ..... . ......... ............ ......... .......... .......... ..... ..... ................... ..... H.E. H.-L ......... . .. ..... . .. ........... ... .......... 7 ................. ............ ......... ............ ............... .................... ...... ................ A. ....................... .... 11 "-Z, I'll ....... 11 @, I I ............ ......... .............. -11 L . ..... ... ...... zz .............. .............. .......... p ................................ Ujim 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft OLD CHANNEL fill I I I I III I I"F-I ................. .............. ............. ............ . . ............ ............. ............... ........... * ............... . ......... ..... ........... ... . LJ ............. ........... . . .... .. ................ . ................ ............ qjuw ..... ...... IV . ................ .................. ........... ...... ....... ...................... KALAMAZOO LAKE n MAP 5.3 PLANNING AREAS Saugatuck City Center Lake Street Parlk Street Center Transition The Hill Mount Baldhead EEffl A /Z- U@ Water Street Maple Street El Holland Street Augustigag DATA SOURCE: Saugatuck Planning Commisssion Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 0 4,000 8,000 12,000 tt Scale 1" 9060 ft Hit I I -C Etu F-n MAP 5.4 SAUGATUCK HISTORIC DISTRICT Saugatuck Historic District A August 1989 DAT A SOURCE: City Of Saugatuck Ordnances Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 6-1 Chapter 6 PUBLIC FACILITIES AND SERVICES NON-PARK PEMUC FACUZrMS chlorination and iron sequestering. Parts of the current water system date back to 1907 in A listing of all non-park public facilities in Saugatuck, and to 1914 in Douglas. In addition, the City of Saugatuck is found on Table 6. 1. This the water mains are old, small and substandard, includes police and fire stations, municipal gov- leaks are a problem on older service lines and ernment offices, vacant lands and other public there may be some unmetered taps. Growth is facilities. All are found on Map 6. 1. restricted in areas not serviced by the system and is limited overall at present because of LrZUXrIES insufficient pumping capacity. Sewer and Water The existing water system also has many The Saugatuck-Douglas area sewer and dead end lines, which are susceptible to water water systems are managed by the Kalamazoo discoloration and development of tastes and Lake Sewer and Water Authority, which is re- odors due to stagnation. The best arrangement sponsible for operation and maintenance and for water mains is the gridiron system, where all provides water production and wastewater primary and secondary feeders are looped and treatment. Each participating community is re- interconnected, and the small distribution sponsible for providing and financing their own mains Ue to each loop to form a complete grid. infrastructure. The KLSWA performs the con- If an adequate number of valves are inserted, struction work or contracts it out. only a small 1 block area will be affected in the The service areas for the sewer and water event of a break A primary feeder from the systems, shown on maps 6.2 and 6.3, extend Saugatuck wells to the system's primary 12" only for very short distances into Saugatuck feeder loop has been installed, and all of the Township. Most of the developed part of the City primary 12" feeder loop has been completed, is served by both water and sewer, and the including two river crossings. system is designed to accommodate expansion In 1984 and 1985. a one million gallon and addition of new lines. above ground storage tank was constructed, Numerous engineering studies have been which allowed Saugatuck and Douglas to meet conducted which discuss various alternatives normal and fire protection demands. If for improvement of utilities. These include using Saugatuck Township is included in the system, Lake Michigan for the municipal water supply the storage tank is adequate for fire protection and extending pubhc utilities into the Township. for the near future, but additional capacity is Proposals must take into consideration the per- needed if service were extended to the southern manent population. seasonal population, num- portions of the Township. ber of daily visitors, and future industrial flow. Recent chemical contamination of the Peak periods for public utilities in the area are Douglas municipal water supply has led to an more pronounced than in typical communities overburdening of the City of Saugatuck water due to the relatively high seasonal and daily system, which is presently serving the entire visitor population, especially pronounced in the network and is working at full capacity, 24 City of Saugatuck. hours per day during peak months. This has led to restrictions on non-essential uses such as Water System lawn sprinkling, car and boat washing, and has reduced the minimum reserve needed (600,000 The reliability of the water system depends gallons) for fire protection down to 2/3 of the on water supply sufficient to meet peak de- needed amount. A moratorium has been im- mands, storage capacity to provide fire flows for posed on new development other than one or two sufficient duration, adequate water pressure family dwellings. The pumping capacity of both and distribution system loops. The existing sys- wells has dropped due to depletion (drawdown) tem is deficient with respect to meeting peak of groundwater. demands. The water is not treated. except for City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 6-2 TABLE 6.1 (NON-PARK) PUBLIC PROPERTY & PUBLIC FACILITIES WVENTORY CITY OF SAUGATUCK NAME LOCATION USE SIZE CONDITION VALUE City Hall 102 Butler City offices, Built 1882, $475,000 council remodeled chambers 1989 Mainte- 3338 Wash- Public works Built 1985 $275,000 nance bldg. ington Rd Sand & salt 3338 Wash- Built 1985 $25,000 storage ington Rd. Pump Maple St. Water $65,000 House #1 Pump Maple St. Water Built 1973 $80,000 House #2 Mt. Bald- Park St. Residence Remodeled $94,000 head Park 1978 Butler St. Butler & Restrooms Built 1988 $97,000 comfort Main statoin Park St. com- Mt. Bald- Restrooms Fair $6,400 fort station head Water St. Wicks Park Restrooms Fair $13,000 comfort sta- tion Beach stor- Oval Beach Storage, Poor $4,000 age bldg. restrooms, concessison Land = acres or square feet (Building = Square feet) Communications from the Michigan De- pumping 3 million gallons per day, which could partment of Public Health have demanded that serve the needs of all three communities well substantial progress be made towards a solution into the future. This, combined with a desire to to the water supply problem in the near future. retain local control over the water system, The Health Department has also questioned the makes using Lake Michigan water the favored usefulness and reliability of both Douglas wells alternative. because well # 1, which is out of use, is contam- inated, and well #2, which is used for emergency Sewer System purposes only, may become contaminated Wastewater treatment is provided at a treat- through further use. As a result, alternatives for ment plant located in Section 10 of Saugatuck additional water sources are currently under Township. The facility was constructed by the review, with Lake Michigan and the City of City of Saugatuck and the Village of Douglas in Holland water system being considered the most 1980. The treatment system provides biological viable options. Engineering studies have indi- and clarification processes for the reduction of cated a cost of nearly $4.5 million for construc- BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) and sus- tion of a Lake Michigan water treatment facility pended solids, including chemical precipitation which would provide a clean and abundant for the reduction of phosphorus from fertilizers source of water. A large service area, formed by and detergents. The plant has two aerated la- including large portions of Saugatuck Town- goons and was designed for incremental addi- ship, would reduce the per capita cost burden tion of lagoons to accommodate increased on users. This facility would be capable of wastewater flow. The facility was designed for City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 6-3 heavier BOD loading than other facilities its size, removed. Efforts are currently underway to im- in order to accommodate a pie factory, and thus prove stormwater drainage. may not need more capacity of that type for many years. The discharge is to the Kalamazoo County Drains River on the north side of Saugatuck. There is one County drain locted within In 1957, many of the storm sewers in the Saugatuck. The Golf drain follows Goshorn City of Saugatuck were converted to sanitary Creek and aids in removal of water from a low sewers. This system was expanded in 1979 with bring wetland area in the northeast portion of PVC pipe. and some improvements were made the City. to the old system. Douglas and Saugatuck merged their facilities in the late 1970*s to form Gas, Electric and Telephone the KLSWA. The capacity of the sewer system is There are no major gas or oil pipelines in sufficient to meet the needs of Saugatuck and Saugatuck. Gas service is provided by the Mich- Douglas until approximately 2008. The capacity igan Gas Utilities Company and approximate of the wastewater treatment facility would have locations of gas mains are shown on Map 6.4. to re-rated to 1.2 MGD for the Township to use Electricity in Saugatuck is provided by Consum- the system until 2008. ers Power Company. Telephone service is pro- The treatment facility was designed for a vided by General Telephone and Electric Co. twenty year planning period through 1998, (GTE). based on a population tributary of 7,695 and a wastewater flow of 0.75 million gallons per day (MGD). The treatment facility is rated at 0.8 TRANSPORTATION million gallons per day by the Michigan Depart- Transportation facilities within the area in- ment of Natural Resources (MDNM. The facility clude streets and roads and a public transpor- was designed for a peak flow of 2 MGD. The tation system (Interurban). Saugatuck is served present average flow is 0.4 MGD. A larger flow by a major Interstate highway (1- 196), with ac- can be accommodated by increasing hours of cess two miles away in Saugatuck Township, operation, provided that the lagoons can treat and by a State highway (M-89), located four the sewage well enough. An engineering study miles to the south in Saugatuck Township. Blue in 1987 determined that August (maximum day Star Highway, part of the Great Lakes Circle was Aug. 14) is the month of peak flow for Tour, is the other major highway serving the wastewater, with 0.598 MGD. Based on the area. The nearest railroad is the Chesapeake study, the treatment facility operated at 75% of and Ohio R.R., which runs north and south five flow capacity, 55% of BOD capacity, and 30% of miles east of the City boundary. Kent County suspended solids capacity. Existing effluent International Airport is within 50 miles and is quality and treatment efficiency was found to be served by 3 major airlines, with 126 flights per excellent. Increasing the rated capacity of the day. Parking is an important issue in the City facility to 1.2 MGD with two aerated lagoons Center because of the daily and seasonal tourist would accommodate all three jurisdictions economy. It is crucial that adequate parking through 2008 and possibly beyond. Pursuing facilities be provided to stimulate and maintain this option would require detailed preparation the vital tourism in the City. The area is also of data accompanied by a formal request to the served by Greyhound Bus Lines. DNR from the KLSWA. Further capacity could be obtained by adding another aerated lagoon, Streets and Roads estimated to cost $900,000 in 1987. Streets and roads are classified according to the amount of traffic they carry and the Storm Sewers nature of the traffic. Four common categories There are very few mapped stormwater are local streets, collectors, local arterials, and drains in Saugatuck. Drainage has not been a regional arterials. Local streets typically provide significant problem in most developed areas access to residences, with speeds from 20 to 25 because of sandy, high permeability soils and mph (Mason St.). Collectors connect local lack of large paved areas. However, there are streets to arterials and speeds average 25-35 some problems in low-lying areas. There are mph. (Holland St.). Local arterials facilitate suspected to be some stormwater drains, indi- larger volumes of traffic which originates and vidual residential and business gutters flowing terminates within the area, with a trip length of into the sanitary sewer system which need to be ten miles or less and an average speed of 35-45 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 6-4 mph. (Blue Star Hwy.). Regional arterials are based on the number of miles of streets by class, typically used for high speed through traffic, and within each community. Saugatuck has 3.03 access to the roadway is usually limited (1- 196). miles of Major Streets and 8.94 miles of Local Locations of collectors, local arterials and re- Streets under Act 5 1 designation. glonal arterials are shown in Map 6.5. Each class of street has an important function in Parking maintaining the efficient flow of traffic and It is The scenic natural setting of Saugatuck, its essential that adequate transportation facilities reputation as a haven for artists, unique com- exist or can be efficiently provided. mercial and residential character, and its prox- Some up-to-date traffic counts for Blue Star imity to major metropolitan areas, make it an Highway are available. A recent count for Blue attractive resort center. With this comes over- Star Highway at two intersections in the Town- crowding of the City Center with automobiles on ship only considers northbound traffic, missing surnmer weekends. Several recent studies indi- traffic entering Saugatuck from exit 41 on 1- 196. cate that most of the congestion occurs in an Other existing traffic counts for area roads are area along Butler and Water Streets. The down- inadequate for planning purposes. Accurate and town area has become saturated and alternative up-to-date traffic counts are needed in order to parking facilities have been suggested as a re- make some decisions pertaining to priorities for sult of those studies. One alternative is a park road improvements, monitoring of flows, evalu- and ride system, which utilizes a parking lot at ating impacts of proposed new development, the periphery of the City and a shuttle from that and projecting future traffic conditions. Table lot to the downtown area. The existing Interur- 6.2 shows what very limited iriformation is pres- ban system could be used for such an alterna- ently available from the County Road Commis- tive. This concept, if implemented, could also sion. relieve some of the congestion from the City PA 51 of 1951 provides for the classification Center area and make it an even more attractive of all public roads, streets and highways for the place to visit. Other alternatives suggested in purpose of managing the motor vehicle highway recent years include construction of additional fund. The two classifications which pertain to parking lots or parking ramps, and changes to the City of Saugatuck are "Major Street" and existing parking spaces, including downsizing "Local Street". These roadways are shown in and reducing the permitted parking period. Map 6.6. Funding is provided to cities and vil- Each alternative has proponents and detractors. lages for street maintenance and construction A mechanism to resolve the current impasse is being sought. TABLE 6.2 EXISTING TRAFFIC COUNTS Entrances Into the City DATE LOCA110N VOLUME_ Holland Street to the north and east is the main entrance into the City from the north (from 4/3/78 Blue Star & 64th 5,319 1- 196). It is typical for vehicles to enter the City 1959 & 1968 130th E & W of 368 on Holland, then turn onto one of three east- (same count) Blue Star west streets and proceed into the City Center July 1987 (2 Blue Star & 129th 10,575 along Butler. Holland is heavily travelled for a different days) 8,256 two lane residential street and has remained 1969 Old Allegan, east 336 primarily residential from the City limits to Mary of Blue Star Street. A restaurant and the City's largest ma- 1982 130th & 70th, east 285 rina are located along Holland Street. Butler of Lakeshore Dr. Street serves as the "main street* for the Center July 1987 North 135th at 7,018 City area, with commercial development on both Blue Star (north- sides of the street. It is heavily travelled during bound) the tourist season. Lake Street at Blue Star Highway is the July 1987 129th at Blue 6,192 City's second major entrance. Trafric volumes Star (northbound) result from traffic going to the City Center area October 1985 Center at Blue 10,861 and from traffic associated with the industrial Star use, Rich Products. The industrial location gen- erates a significant amount of truck traffic. The City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan intersection with Blue Star Highway, while aes- vices occurs during the summer, particularly thetically pleasing, raises safety questions be- during festivals and holidays. cause of a combination of high speed traffic, Police protection is also provided by the poor visibility due to vegetation and curvature Allegan County Sheriff Department and the of the Highway, and lack of signaling. However, Michigan State Police. The State Police main- current traffic volumes do not justify further tains the Saugatuck Team post north of the action at this time. Township on 138th Avenue in Laketown Town- ship. The facility has one lieutenant, one ser- Street Conditions geant, seven troopers and eight patrol cars. The Many streets in the City are built on an Allegan County Sheriff Department operates a unstable clay base, which causes pavement to satellite post in Ferinville. crack and deteriorate because of excessive shrink-swell potential. Storm water drainage is Fire also inadequate many places, and water re- Saugatuck is included In the Saugatuck mains along the sides of some roads or runs Fire District. This district is managed by a five across the roads, eroding the base and pave- member Fire Authority. Saugatuck, Douglas ment. Recently paved roads, including Elizabeth and Saugatuck Township each appoint one per- Street in 1988 and East, West, Takken and son to the board. These three then appoint two Taylor Streets in 1989, have had a sand cushion other people from the area at large, subject to and underdrains installed. Some roads in the approval by the three communities involved. The northern and western parts of the city are un- Saugatuck Fire District has 35 volunteer per- paved, but are not used frequently or only in the sonnel, including the fire chief There are two summer. In the 1988 Public Opinion Survey, fire stations, one located in downtown Douglas 46% of City respondents rated street mainte- (47 W. Center) and another in Saugatuck Town- nance as "poor", while 68% rated street resur- ship near the intersection of Blue Star Highway facing as "pooe. and 134th Avenue. The latter is a new building designed to house six vehicles, offices and a Interurban meeting room with 9,600 square feet. It is lo- The Interurban is the area's public trans- cated ad acent to the existing Maple Street facil- portation system and is funded in part by a 1 ity. mill assessment. The service was started in May The Fire IDistrict maintains eight vehicles 1980 as a two year experimental project and was and one vessel: initially funded at 1000/6 by the State. Following -1975 Chevy Pumper the experimental period, some of the cost bur- -1981 International Pumper den was borne by the tri-communities through -1968 International Pumper the 1 mill assessment. The system has four -1959 Ford Pumper buses and in 1988 there were approximately -1949 Seagrave Aerial 37,000 riders. A new maintenance facility in - 1977 GMC Step Van Douglas, to be completed in the spring of 1990, -1985 FWD Tanker is being constructed at a cost of $2 11,000 en- -1985 Karavan Trailer tirely with state and federal funds. It is possible - Boston Whaler boat with pump that the Interurban could be used to shuttle people to Saugatuck from remote parking facil- Emergency Services itates and ease the parking burden there. The Ambulance services are provided by the Interurban is governed by a board consisting of Fennville Fire District and by Mercy Hospital in members from all three communities. Grand Rapids, dispatched from Holland. The Saugatuck Fire District maintains a first re- POLICE, FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES sponder unit with 11 volunteers because of the distance from ambulance services. The first re- Police sponder unit appears to average about 10 calls The City of Saugatuck maintains Its own per month. police department, which is housed in the City Hall at 102 Butler Street. The department has two patrol cars and two full time police officers. SCHOOLS Including the Police Chief. There are also five Saugatuck is served by the Saugatuck part-time police officers. Extra demand for ser- school district. The school system operates two City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 6-6 facilities. Douglas Elementary School accommo- TABLE 6.3 dates grades K through 6, and Saugatuck High TONS GENERATED PER DAY School accommodates grades 7 through 12. In BY LAND USE addition to being used for educational purposes, the schools also have indoor and outdoor recre- SOURCE QUANTYIY (PER DAY) ation facilities. Enrollment Is approximately 550 Residential 6.5 students. Commercial 2.8 Industrial 1.8 OTHER COAMMONITY FACUXITES Other 0.7 There is more than 97 acres of public land Not Collected -0.5 in Saugatuck, most of which is parks (see Chap- NET TOTAL 11.3 ter 7). Other publicly owned facilities are listed in Table 6. 1. Source: Allegan County Solid Waste Plan SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL TABLE 6.4 PA 641 of 1978 requires that every county SOLID WASTE COMIPOSITION prepare both a short term (5 year) and long term (20 years) solid waste management plan. The IYPE POTSW plan must be approved by the County Planning Combustible Wastes Percentage Committee, the County Board of Comniissioners Paper 44.8 and by at least 2/3 of the municipalities In the Plastics 9.2 county. The Allegan County Solid Waste Plan dates from 1983 and covers a twenty year plan- Wood 3.5 ning period. It is presently being updated. Yard Wastes 4.1 The County generates about 220 tons per Textiles 4.2 day of solid waste and has to rely on landfills Food Wastes 11.5 outside of Allegan County. Solid waste removal Rubber 2.2 in Saugatuck is handled entirely by private Misc. Organics 3.0 haulers. The waste stream from the County, and TOTALS 82.5 thus from the City, is expected to increase due to population and tourist increases brought about by the area's shoreline, natural attrac- Noncombustible Wastes tions, and proximity to Grand Rapids. Glass 5.3 The Saugatuck area is defined in the Solid Ferrous 6.6 Waste Plan and encompasses Saugatuck Town- Aluminum 0.8 ship, Saugatuck and Douglas, as well as small Other nonFerrous 0.5 portions of the adjoining communities. The Saugatuck area currently generates 11. 3 tons of Misc. Inorganics 4.3 solid waste per day. In some outlying rural TOTALS 17.5 areas, 5- 100/6 of the residential waste generated Proportion of Total Solid Waste is disposed of or recycled on site. In urban areas, Source: Allegan County Solid Waste Plan approximately 5% of residential waste is being recycled or scattered by individual efforts. The - contributors to the solid waste stream by land TABLE 6.5 use are shown in Table 6.3. PER CAFITA WASTE GENERATED Table 6.4 shows the results of a study con- ducted by the Northeast Michigan Council of USE QPE - (LBS. PER DAY) Governments (NEMCOG) in the early 1980's. Residential 2.9 The study involved counties with both urban Commercial 5.75 and rural characteristics. much like the Industrial 10.6 Saugatuck Township, Saugatuck and Douglas area. Solid waste generated has been broken Average Overall 4.7 down into specific categories. The numbers * guantity Per Employee probably do not match the actual breakdown of Source: Allegan County Solid Waste Plan City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 6-7 solid waste components in the tri-community area, but give a rough estimate of the compo- nents. Per capita waste generated from various land uses is shown in Table 6.5. The Allegan County Solid Waste Plan pro- jects that solid waste output for the Saugatuck area will increase by 32% by 2000 to 14.95 tons per day due to projected population increase. The goals and objectives of the plan focus on reducing the waste stream through separa- tion and recycling, using private haulers for waste collection, recovering energy from the solid waste stream and providing the public with opportunities to develop solutions for solid waste disposal problems. A recycling center is currently in operation on Blue Star Highway adjacent to 1-196 and exit 41. The center is partially funded by Saugatuck, Douglas and Saugatuck Township and is very well used. Allegan County Resource Recovery maintains the facility, which collects newspapers, plastics, glass, aluminum and brown paper bags. Pickup of metal appliances and tires is also possible by contacting the center. The recycling center was started in 1984. State regulations prohibit operation of a new landfill on: � Land considered by the DNR to be a State recognized unique wildlife habitat. � Land in the 100 year floodplain. � Prime agricultural lands. � A DNR designated and officially mapped wetland. � So close to an historic or archaeological site that it can be reasonably expected to pro- duce unduly disturbing or blighting influ- ence with permanent negative effect. � In a developed area where the density of adjacent houses or water wells could be reasonably expected to produce undue po- tential for groundwater contamination. Due to the presence of wetlands in the City (Map 4.4), critical dune areas (Map 4.12), land in the 100 year floodplain (Map 4.3), and areas susceptible to groundwater contamination (Map 4. 10). not much is left for potential landfill sites. Furthermore, most of those sites which may be environmentally suitable for landfills have al- ready been developed. Thus it not possible for a landfill to be located within e--dsting City bound- aries. 0 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan /A!S E 0 600 1200 1800 Scale 1 1212 ft vZI] 4 M n 9H FE FE R ER ILI 11=1 91 m W9 U4 jm--r7 0 In - MAP 6.1 PUBLIC FACILITIES Saugatuck 1) City Hall 2) Public Restrooms 3) Waterwell 4) Fire Station 5) Saugatuck High School A 712ILTE August i9N Planning & Zoning Center Inc. Lansing. MI N 0 4.000 8.000 12.000 ft Scale 1" 9060 ft 1UL Boom MAP 6.2 WATER SYSTEM Saugatuck F*-]Water Mains FR] Reservoir Proposed Water Intake & Treatment area 00 1 Existing Well Locations A August 190 DATA. SWRCE: Williams & Works, Inc. Grand Rapids Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansirg, MI loss, t-li I Z1 I lilt$ to ZI .............. -i- TIM ..... To lot % Illorr '006100- lot lot, P z sell II 6.4iI* loll I it MAP6.3 SEWERSYSTEM Saugatuck F%N%-**]Sewer Lines P11 Discharge Line A U August IM DATA SOURCE: Widriams III Works, Inc. GrwW Rapids Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI L @4 0 4,000 8,000 12,000 ft Scale 1 9060 ft Lj I A ii @wd Af- j L J: MIN -'::MTMU -7, U- J" L Lj U MAP 6.4 GAS MAINS Saugatuck 11-0e] Gas Mains A August IM SOURCE:Michigan Gas Utilftles Company Planning & Zoning Center Inc., Lansing,MI A MAP6.5 STREET CLASSIFICATIONS Saugatuck FZ Regional Arterials Local Streets z Local Arterials A z Collectors August i9M DATA SOURCE: PZC Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI E 0 600 1200 18M Scale 1 1212 lit L--i LJ I i ITr F@=] ED MAP6.6 ACT51 ROADS Saugatuck v Major Street F001 County Primary A August 19M DATA SOURCE: MDOT Nvving & Zoring C"w Inc, LanskV, MI 7-1 Chapter 7 RECREATION AND OPEN SPACE P arks, recreation, and open space are esse'n- . two County Commissioners, and five members tial to the quality of life of area residents, appointed by the County Board of Commission- and are an important component of the local ers. The Commission meets on the first Monday tourist economy. They enhance property values, of each month. It sometimes provides financial as well as physical and psychological well-being. assistance for local recreational efforts which Parks and open space define the character of advance the County Recreation Plan. each area community, create the scenic atmo- sphere which stimulates tourism, and provide AREAWEDE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES the basis for popular local leisure activities. Recreation needs are regional in nature and Recreation can be separated into four main plans must view local recreational offerings as categories: physical, social, cognitive, and envi- part of a regional recreational system. Local ro=entally related recreation. The former cat- governments, schools, private entrepreneurs, egory focuses on sports and various physical the County, and the State each have a central activities. Social recreation looks at social inter- role in serving local and regional recreational action. Cognitive recreation deals with cultural, needs. educational, creative, and aesthetic activities. Environmentally related recreation requires the natural environment as the setting or focus for ADMI11GSTRATIVE STRUCTURE activity. Each of these categories in some way The City of Saugatuck's parks are main- relates to the others. tained by the City through its Department of Public Works. Park planning is done by a com- Physical Recreation mittee of three City Council members, who are Intramural athletics are popular for chil- overseen by the City Manager and the full Coun- dren and young adults in the area and are cil. offered through the summer recreation pro- Douglas parks are maintained by the gram. Activities include softball, baseball, Village's Department of Public Works under the rocket football, volleyball, bowling and others Village Council's Parks and Buildings Commit- (see Table 7. 1). The elementary school has a tee, which reports to the Village Council. newly expanded playground and Kid's Stuff The Township formed a Township Park and Park. Playgrounds are also found at River Bluff, Recreation Commission in November 1970, which is an independent governmental entity TABLE 7.1 charged with provision of parks and recreational SUMMER RECREATION PROGRAMS programs to area citizens. The Commission has ACTIV= 1989 six elected members, and is staffed by a part- PARTICIPANTS time maintenance person. Representatives from T-ball for kids 40 both Douglas and the Township may be elected Little League 46 to sit on the Commission. The Commission com- pleted the Saugatuck - Douglas Area Parks and Pony League 19 Recreation Plan in February of 1985 and up- Slow-pitch softball 10-18 dates the plan periodically. Revision of the plan Fast pitch softball (girls) 27 is currently underway. Semi-competitive softball (boys) 15-20 Allegan County prepares and periodically Rocket football 57 updates a countywide parks and recreation Swimming: beginner, advanced 66 plan. County parks are administered by a ten- beginner, intermediate, swim- member County Parks and Recreation Commis- mer, basic rescue & advanced sion whose members include the Chairs of the lifesaving County Road Comnlission, the County Planning Commission, the County Drain commissioner. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 7-2 TABLE 7.2 INVENTORY OF OUTDOOR RECREATION as v4 40 40 -C size 50 31 C r. (acres) 'a C o Locat Ion I-River bluff 27 X X )q X X 2.Sundown .4 X X 3-AmalanchLer 4 X X X 4-Douglas Beach 1.4 X X X X 5-H. Beery Field 1.2 X X x - A I X1 6.Schults Park 20 X X X A X )d X X X 7.Union St. Launch - X_ X B-Center St. Launcb - X 1O.Village Square 2.5 X X X II.Wlcks Park .5 X X X 12.Willow Park - X. 13.Cook Park .5 X 14.Spear St. Launch - . IX 15.Mc. Baldhead 51 X X A X1 X X X 16. Oval Beach 36 X X X1 X X1 Ix I X 17. Tallmage Woods 60* X1 I IX 18. Old "Airpor -0 154 X 19. Elementary Sch. 8.6 X 20. High School X X X 21. St. Peter's X 22. 63rd St. Launch X 23. West Wind-KOA 12 X X X X X X X 24. Blue Star Hiway Roadside Park X 25. Riverside Park Sundown, Schultz, and Beery Parks and the the High School, the Masonic Hall, and various Douglas Village Square. Aerobic fitness classes area clubs. are offered at the High school. Walking, hiking, biking, boating, golfing, swimming, and cross Cognitive Recreation country skiing are also popular, and enjoyed by The tri-community area is rich in cognitive a wide range of age groups. recreational pursuits. Festivals, art workshops, local theater. historic districts, an archaeologi- Social Recreation cal site, summer day camp, and community Avariety of local clubs and activities provide education programs provide cultural, educa- social recreation for people of all ages. Festivals, tional, and aesthetic enjoyment. The Saugatuck community education programs. and intramu- Women's Club, Rubenstein Music Club, the ral sports provide an opportunity to socialize. Oxbow. Douglas Garden Club, and the Douglas Senior citizens activities are organized through Art Club are among the local clubs which orga- the New Day Senior Citizens Club of Douglas, nize cultural activities. @X @X X City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 7-3 Environmentally Related Recreation ornmended bike paths in the tri-community Area lakes, the Kalamazoo River, and state area. Those recommended for Saugatuck are and local parks provide area citizens with shown below in order of priority: unique outdoor recreation opportunities. They - Park Streets from Campbell to Perryman. provide a location for a variety of outdoor activ- - Oval Beach road. Ities including boating, fishing, swimming, na- Those recommended for Douglas are shown ture study, camping, hiking, cross country below in order of priority: skiing, and nature walks. These areas also serve - Center Street from Tara to Lake Shore the cognitive needs of area citizens and tourists Drive. by their scenic beauty and relaxing affect. In - Ferry Street from Center to Campbell Road. fact, the most valued attribute of area water - Lake Shore Drive from Campbell Road to bodies and open space to area citizens, as iden- the Village limits. tified in the 1988 Public Opinion Survey, is not A path on Blue Star Highway from the physical recreation, but the scenic view they bridge to Center Street, which was the Village's provide. first priority, has already been completed. Those bike paths recommended in order of priority for Saugatuck Township are: RECREATION INVENTORY - Lake Shore Drive from 130th Avenue to Map 7.1 identifles parks and recreational M-89. facilities in the tri-community area. Table 7.2 - Holland Streets from Saugatuck to the Y. contains an inventory of these outdoor recre- - Old Allegan Road from Blue Star Highway ation facilities. There are also two eighteen hole to 60th St. and one nine hole golf courses in the area. This - Blue Star Highway from 129th Ave. to M- is much higher than typical for such a small 89. population (the standard is I golf course per The regional bike path system-would con- 50,000 people), and reflects the impact of tour- nect with Saugatucks chain link ferry to afford ism on local recreational facilities. A discussion bicyclists east/west access. This connection of the size, condition, and planned improve- runs down Holland Street and across Francis ments for selected area parks is shown in Table Street to the waterfront and will be served by 7.3. inner city streets, without the need for addi- Proposed recreation projects contained in tional right of way. At this juncture, bicyclists the Saugatuck-Douglas Recreation Plan are may ride the chain link ferry to Saugatucks listed in Table 7.4. Table 7.5 includes a schedule eastern border. Once on Saugatucles eastern of other planned park and open space acquisi- side, bicyclists could follow Saugatuck's pro- tions and improvements. posed bike path system down through Douglas and south out of the Township. Bike path right RECREATIONAL NEEDS AND USAGE of way would also extend north to Goshorn Lake The 1988 Public Opinion Survey high- along Washington Road, thereby connecting lighted those recreational facilities which resi- with Laketown Township. Another future exten- dents feel are inadequate in the tri-community sion could extend the system east along Old area. Table 7.6 lists these by jurisdiction. Allegan Road into Manlius Township. This is a scenic route, although somewhat hilly. Non-Motorized Trails and Bike Paths Bicyclists wishing to pass through Saugatuck and on south through Douglas Residents placed highest priority on addi- would need additional right of way from Lake tional bike paths, cross country skiing routes, Street to the bridge, thereby connecting with the and hiking trails. These needs are currently Douglas bike path network. Douglas in turn served by non-motorized trails in the Oval would extend its bike path south on Blue Star Beach/Mt. Baldhead area. The 1985 Saugatuck Highway to connect with the Township system. - Douglas Parks and Recreation Plan, identified Map 7.2 shows this proposed regional bike bicycle trails as a high priority and prepared a path network. schedule of capital improvements to achieve this objective. These improvements have not been Water implemented to date. firont Open Space A survey of waterfront usage revealed that In 1984, the Saugatuck Township Park and the most popular waterfront activity is viewing. Recreation Commission developed a list of rec- The second most popular use varied by water- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 7-4 TABLE 7.3 PARELAND MVENTORY PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS NAME OF PARK LOCA71ON USES SIZE CONDITION TYPENEAR Douglas Beery Field Center & Main basebalL play- pressbox-220 pressbox & wash- None Sts. ground, picnic sq.ft., dugouts- room poor, other- 350 sq-ft., land- wise good 52,000 sq-ft, 1 acre Douglas Beach Lakeshore Dr. public beach & beach-36,400 Fair None picnic sqft. nearly I acre, bathhouse- 280 sqft. Schultz 130th & softball, picnic, pavillion-1326 Good Acquisttion/'89 Kalamazoo River Playground, sqft., land- 20 launch ramp acres Union St. Union St. at Kal. launch ramp, 66'xI20' Good None Launch Ramp River picnic area Saug. Twp' River Bluff KaL River above hiking, picnic. 27 acres newly installed Pad for 1- 196 bridge; ac- boaters stop, na- entry road & Pic- dumpster/*89, cess from Old Al- ture study, swing- nic area. New more flowers/'89, legan Rd. ing & sandbox dock & picnic toilet improve- shelter ments/ 1990-92 Sundown Lake MI Bluff at picnics, watch- 66x 150* Very poor new fence; needs 126th Ave. ing lakes & sun- landscap- sets, scenic ing/1989-1992 tumout Blue Star Blue Star Hwy. picnics, resting 30'x2OO' new flowers; fence work/ 1989, south of Sky@ for travelers needs new bol- bollards/ 1989-90 Restaurant lards & fence re- pairs Center St. Park Eastem end of canoe launching, 3 acres Poor additional dock- Center at picnics. scenic ing, public Kalamazoo River viewing restrooms, gazebo Saugatuck Village Square Butler & Main tennis courts, 2.5 acres Good Streets drinking fountain, playgmund. benches, restrooms Wicks Park Waterfront be- bandstand, 1/2 acre Good tween Main & boardwalk, approx. Mary Streets benches,fish- ing. restrooms Willow Park Waterfront at viewing area, 132 ft Good Butler & Lucy benches Cook Park Waterfront on picnic tables 132 ft. Good Water Street Boat Ramp Spear Street boat launch 66 ft. Good streetend City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 7-5 TABLE 7.3 (continued) PARKLANDINVENTORY PLANNED IMPROVEMENTS NAME OF PARK LOCATION USES SIZE CONDITION TYPE/YEAR Mt. Baldhead Park Street picnic shelter, ta- 51 acres Good Park bles, restroorns, hiking trails, park- ing, stairway to observation deck on top of dune, two observation decks on rtver OvalBeach Lake Michigan beach house, con- 36 acres Good new concession Park cession stand, stand & parking, picnic restroorns/1990 area. BBQ grills, viewing deck, stairs to beach, observation deck, nature trails Tallmadge current use re- 100 acres Good Woods stricted body. Swimming was the primary use of Lake most heavily by City residents. Douglas Beach Michigan, powerboating for Lake Kalamazoo is also frequently used. Wicks, Schultz, and and Silver Lake (which also is popular for fish- Beery park are more frequently used by City and Ing), and nature study was the most popular for Village residents, than those in the Township. Kalamazoo River due to its large connecting It is important to note that survey re- wetlands and wide array of wildlife- including a sponses reflect the usage characteristics of older large population of Great Blue Herons which adults. The average age of survey respondents have established a rookery in the area. was 54 to 56 years old. As the age of respondents In accordance with usage, the overwhelm- increases, park usage tends to decrease- espe- Ing majority of residents in Saugatuck cited cially for parks which specialize in active sports. preservation of existing waterfront open space This reveals the need to orient recreation plans and increased access to the waterfront as their to the recreational needs of older adults. Thus, highest waterfront need. Acquisition of land and bike paths, waterfront open space/access, hik- provision of access to Lake Michigan was given ing trails, and cross country ski trails should highest priority for the waterfront. Open space probably receive precedence in future recreation along Lake Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo River enhancement projects, over more active park were also given high priority by the majority of facilities like ball diamonds. respondents, although the response was higher in the Village (64-69%) and Township (62%) Senior Citizens Center than in the City of Saugatuck (48-50%). A large Senior citizens in the area have been lobby- number of respondents also called for additional ing for a senior citizens center to serve the social boat launching facilities. and recreational needs of the area's elderly pop- ulation. SaugatucICs survey results do not re- PcLrks flect support for a senior center. Only 25% of Respondents were asked how frequently City residents called for a senior center-sur- they used various local parks and the over- prising, given the high proportion of seniors in whelming majority responded "never". Oval the City's resident population. Beach is used most frequently of the area parks by residents of each jurisdiction, and is used City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 7-6 TABLE 7.4 PROPOSED RECREATION PROJECTS TRI-COAdhnMTY AREA PROPOSED PROJECT LOCAT[ON VERY HIGH PRIORITY Willow Park preservation and improvement Downtown Saugatuck on the river Acquire extensive land areas Lake Michigan Shoreline New dug outs - football field Saugatuck High School Renovation of playground equipment Douglas Elementary School Convert weight room to storage & coach's offices Saugatuck High School Remodel Wicks Park restrooms On river in Saugatuck Acquire land to access to Oxbow Lagoon North of Oval Beach Park HIGH PRIORITY Acquire and improve land for marina and park Douglas riverfront near bridge Boat launching facility City of Saugatuck Develop bicycle trails Entire area Purchase park parcel on hill In Saugatuck Acquire additional land for River Bluff Park Adjacent to River Bluff in Township Construct additional public restrooms Downtown Saugatuck Clear and develop Moore's Creek Near Amalanchier Park in Saugatuck Town- ship Rehabilitate tennis courts Village Square Park - Saugatuck Update Village Square Park Village Square Park - Saugatuck Expand and improve Howard Schultz Park Village of Douglas Riverside Park equipment & improvements Village of Douglas MEDIUM Expand underground sprinkling system Village Square Park - Saugatuck Acquire land and develop tot lots All areas Develop archery range River Bluff Park - Township Beach House rehabilitation Saugatuck Oval Beach Acquire land for neighborhood park Campbell Road area - Saugatuck & Douglas Construct concession stand Saugatuck High School Athletic Field LOW Teen Recreation Center Downtown Saugatuck Install lighting for tennis courts Schultz Park Develop non-motorized trail Schultz Park Lighting for tennis courts Village Square Park - Saugatuck Construct additional locker rooms Saugatuck High School Source: Saugatuck - Douglas Area Parks and Recreation Plan, Feb. 1985. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 7-7 RECREATION AND LOCAL SPENDING Although they would like to have them, most respondents would not support a commu- In terms of priorities for spending current nity recreation center, a senior center, or a tax dollars, 42-48% of respondents in the tri- community pool if it meant an increase in gen- community area felt that parks and recreation eral property taxes. are a high priority. Waterfront improvement was rated high by City respondents. Senior pro- grams were given low local spending priority in the City, despite the high average age of respon- dents. TABLE 7.5 PLANNED ACQUISITIONS/RUPROVEMENTS TO PARKS AND OPEN SPACES ACQUISMON IMPROVEMENr NAME LOCATION USE SIZE COND111ON COST ($) FINANCING Esther McSic East side Public open 124,000 sq.fL Marshy 185,000 DNR Land property Union St. - space (portion under Trust Kai. Lake, water) vacant North of Blue Star (Douglas) Ruth McNa- Land locked Park 132,000 Dry NA NA mar-a property end of Schultz sq.ft. (vacant) Park (Douglas) Vacant Lot Blue Star & Future park land 18,000 Dry 65,000 NA Main St. sq.1; nearly (Douglas) 1/2 acres Old SE 1/4 Sec- Currently for- 154 acres Saugatuck tion 2 estry manage- Airport (Saugatuck) ment, possible future recre- ation TABLE 7.6 RECREATION NEEDS IN THE TRI-COMMUNITY AREA 1988 PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY CrTy VILLAGE TOWNSHIP Bike paths (68%) Lake MI open space (70%) Lake MI open space (67%) Hiking trails (62%) Lake Kal. open space (69%) Bike paths (64%) Cross-country ski trails (62%) Bike paths (67%) Lake Kal. open space (62%) Lake MI open space (6 1 %) Kal. River open space (64%) Kal. River open space (62%) Lake Kal. open space (50%) Parks (50%) Cross-country ski trails (60%) City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 134?*4 Avc. KC ZAUUAT-UC;Rw7Wr %39rm H. AN 3 1 2 17 15 0 4,000 8.000 12,000 ft 9 10 7%,XWO AVC. Scale 1" 9060 ft CAWPSCLL KALAMAZOO LAM SAT 15 14 13 KALAMAZO + 196 31 0 20 21 23 Ito. .......... a 2 27 25 29 28 7"T -C 26 ........... ........... ... Z tafTH AVC. P 33 34; 36 32 L' Tw"W M-89 SAUGATUCK TWP.j MAP 7.1 OUTDOOR RECREATION SITES SaugatuCk 1) - 25) See Chapter 7, Table 7.2 26) West Shore Goff Course 27) Clearbook Goff Course 28) Mi-Ro Golfcourse 29) Center Street A AugustlM DATA SOURCE:Saug. - Doug. Parks & Roe. Plan. 1985 Planning & Zordne Center Inc, Lansing, MI 0 600 1200 1800 1 Scale I" 1212ft OLD CHANNEL VA6 04 KALAMAZOO LAKE .**0 MAP 7.2 PROPOSED BIKE PATHS Saugatuck Proposed Bike Paths Chain Link Ferry A 5 . OLD Jr-HANN.L August 1989 DATA SOURCE: Saugatuck Township Park and Reaeation Commission planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, Ml Chapter 8 WATERFRONT S augatuck was the first settlement in Allegan and necessary. Ho ever. such development County. Its natural protected harbor along must be undertakenwearefully to maintain the the Kalamazoo River and proximity to Lake delicate balance between economic development Michigan gave it a ready means of water trans- and environmental protection. port- essential to the commerce of the day. It is both necessary and possible to manage Throughout its history, land use activities along the waterfront for a variety of purposes. Yet it is the Lake Michigan shoreline and the riverfront always difficult to manage for multiple uses. have continued to dominate the economic life of Some individuals value land management to the tri-community area. Lumbering, boat build- retain the necessary habitat for birds, fish and ing, basket making, fruit transport, and even wildlife. Others feel it should be managed to large Great Lakes passenger boats have, at dif- maximize surface water use, or for intensive ferent times, relied upon the River connection. waterfront dependent activities like ship build- Tourists have always been attracted to the area, ing or power generation. Based on some of the but tourism is now the number one economic technical data presented below, existing use activity. Today's waterfront activities are dorni- information, citizen opinions, and the goals and nated by tourist and pleasure craft needs, espe- objectives presented at the beginning of this cially sailboats, powerboats, charter fishing Plan, the waterfront in the tri-community area boats and other tourist boats. Consequently, can, and should, be managed to accommodate how the waterfront is used will be of crucial a wide range of land uses and activities. importance to the future of the tri-community This Plan seeks to define a balance between area. competing uses. It places protection of the nat- The primary issues concerning proper fu- ural environment as first and foremost in mak- ture use of the waterfront involve competition ing future land use decisions along the Lake between economic development and environ- Michigan and Kalamazoo River waterfronts. The mental protection. Waterfront lands represent ultimate goal is to minimize disruption of the the highest value lands in the tri-community natural environment so that new development area, and local officials are therefore concerned is in harmony with the environment. rather than about the potential tax base associated with use in conflict with it. Some destruction of the lim- of waterfront lands. In order to finance the ited remaining wetland areas along Lake service needs of local residents. the tri-commu- Kalamazoo is only justified where the public nities must balance taxable and nontaxable benefits of particular projects are very great (e.g. land uses. This presents a dilemma. Although a public marina or additional public access to waterfront lands have high revenue generating the waterfront). potential, a major attraction of both the Lake Michigan and Kalamazoo River waterfronts is Watersheds of the Kalamazoo River Basin their scenic, natural shorelines composed of forested sand dunes and large wetland areas. The Kalamazoo River extends from south of Should these natural areas be greatly damaged Homer in Hillsdale and Jackson Counties to its or destroyed through inappropriate develop- outlet at Lake Michigan in Saugatuck Township ment, then the "goose that laid the goklen egg" (see Figure 4. 1). With the exception of lands will be dead. adjoining Lake Michigan (which drain directly It is essential that the natural beauty of the into the Lake) and a small area in the southeast waterfront be maintained along the Lake Mich- comer of Saugatuck Township, all land in the igan shoreline, the Kalamazoo River from the tri-community area is part of the Kalamazoo channel to Saugatuck, and from the Blue Star River Basin. Highway bridge inland. Limited additional de- Eight small watershed areas lie within the velopment along the waterfront on Lake tri-community area and discharge into Lake Kalamazoo and the Douglas side of the bayou Michigan via the Kalamazoo River (see Map 8. 1). east of Blue Star Highway may be both desirable These include Goshorn, Peach Orchard, Tan- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-2 nery, Silver and "Cemetery" Creeks, as well as during April. CorTesponding estimates for the the Morrison Bayou at the eastern end of the mouth of the Kalamazoo River ranged from 1070 Kalamazoo River as it enters the Township. Most cfs during the summer months to 2510 cfs of Douglas and Saugatuck also drain separately during April. into the Kalamazoo River and Lake Kalamazoo. The 100 year discharge is estimated at Slopes in the area are generally less than 10 15,400 cfs at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River, percent though locally they may be in excess of and 12,500 cfs at the Fennville gage. 20 percent. Runoff erosion is taking place in the highlands, contributing sediment to back- PRIMARY ECOSYSTEMS swamp areas and Lake Michigan. Monthly (exceedance) flows for the The tri-community area has three basic Kalamazoo River, based on a 1649 square mile ecosystems, two of which parallel the water- drainage area near Fennville (#041OB500, T2n, front. The first ecosystem is comprised of hard- R14W, NE 1/4 Sec 5), were averaged from mea- woods holding the sand dunes in place along the surements taken between 1929 to 1985 by the Lake Michigan shoreline. These woodlots are Hydrologic Engineering Section, Land and inhabited by small game such as fox squirrels, Water Management Division, MDNR Estimates rabbits, raccoons, deer, wild turkey, and opos- based on these measurements were then pre- sums. This ecosystem is comprised of fauna pared for the larger drainage area of 2060 square common to most of Michigan, but its balance is miles at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River MN, easily upset by the disruption of its shallow R1 6W. Sec 4, Saugatuck Township). organic soils. Any ground cover that is damaged Ninety-five percent and fifty percent exceed- or removed should be quickly replaced with ance flows are shown in Table 8. 1. These are cover that will hold and prevent sand from blow- flows exceeded 95% or 500/6 of the time. The Ing or rapid wind erosion may occur. Michigan's lowest 95% exceedance flow in Fennville (nearly most famous ghost town, Singapore, once a drought level) was measured during August at thriving lumber town, lies beneath these shifting 410 cfs, and is estimated to be 520 cfs at the sands near the mouth of the channel. mouth of the Kalamazoo River. The 50% exceed- The second ecosystem is the marsh-wet- ance flow in Fenriville ranged from a low of 860 land ecosystem that covers the area along the cfs during the summer months to 2010 cfs Kalamazoo River, Silver Lake and Goshorn Lake, and the connecting tributaries. This area is TABLE S. I covered with marsh grasses, low shrubs, poplar KALAMAZOO RIVER trees, spruces, some white pine, and other soft- EXCEEDANCE FLOWS (1929-85) woods. The cover is inhabited by common Mich- MONTHLY AVERAGE igan marsh dwellers such as frogs, turtles, CUBIC FT/SECOND ducks, blackbirds, and snakes. The marsh eco- system is also populated by muskrat, mink, FENNVILLE RIVER MOUTH mallard duck, black duck, teal, wood duck, blue 500/6 95% 500/6 95% heron, Canadian geese, and mute swans. January 1350 710 1690 890 Golden eagle and osprey used to frequent the February 1400 790 1750 990 area. The marsh ecosystem is very sensitive to March 1950 1010 2430 1260 changes in water quality and disruption of veg- April 2010 1040 2510 1300 etation. Great care must be taken to limit silt- ation and disruption to vegetation when working May 1600 830 2000 1040 in this ecosystem. June 1250 630 1560 790 The third ecosystem covers the rest of the July 970 480 1210 600 Township and is predominantly agricul- August 860 410 1070 520 tural/forest with birds and wildlife common to September 860 480 1070 600 this dominant ecosystem in Michigan. October 980 520 1220 650 The entire Saugatuck/Douglas area is des- ignated as an area of particular concern by the November 1210 650 1510 810 DNR. Areas of particular concern are those hav- December 1300 750 1620 940 ing scarce resources. unusual scenic beauty, e unusual economic value, recreational attrac- r "HydrologIc Enfneerin tion, Land and u.. D Murc Ms on, Mic gan Department of W te Natural Pesoumes. tions, or some combination of the above. They are only located in coastal areas. Altering the City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-3 environment in an area of "particular concern" for cold water anadromus fish species (trout and could have a significant Impact on the quality of salmon). Kalamazoo Lake and Goshorn Lake are coastal and Great Lakes waters. designated to be protected for recreation (total body contact), and intolerant fish (warm water WATER QUALITY species). These water management objectives are nearly ten years old, but there have been no The Kalamazoo River watershed includes concerted efforts to update them and carry them many types of land uses and the River flows out. A push to revise the objectives is underway through several large developed urban areas statewide, but it could be years before any action including Kalamazoo and Battle Creek. When it plans are carried out for the Kalamazoo River. reaches the tri-community area, the quality of 1988 Public Opinion Survey results reveal this water is not good. Despite the water quality that citizens in the tri-community area feel that problem, the River from about one-half mile the water quality of the Kalamazoo River and downstream from the Hacklander Public Access Lake is poor to very poor (58%-70%), Lake Mich- Site (in Section 23), has been designated as a igan is rated fair to good (31-500/6), and most "wild-scenic river" under Michigan's Natural respondents familiar with the water quality of River Act, Public Act 231 of 1970. Land use Silver Lake felt that it was fair. The majority of restrictions have been imposed to retain its respondents who are familiar with these water natural character within 300 feet of the River's bodies, feel that the water quality of Lake Mich- edge. igan and Silver Lake has deteriorated slightly in The basic water management goal is the recent years, and Kalamazoo River and elimination of the pollution threat to surface and Kalamazoo Lake has deteriorated slightly to groundwater resources. The Kalamazoo River is greatly. Most respondents who reside in designated by the DNR to be protected for rec- Saugatuck, however, felt that the water quality reation (partial body contact), intolerant fish has stayed about the same. (warm water species), industrial water supply, Basic water quality data on the River ap- agricultural and commercial uses. Downstream pears in Table 8.2 for selected months in 1978, from the Kalamazoo Lake, the river Is protected TABLE 8.2 KALAMAZOO RIVER WATER QUALITY FECAL PHOSPHOROUS NrIROGEN SEDIMENrS HEAVY METALS COLIFORM TOTAL ORTEO N02 N03 LEAD MERCURY PER 100 ML MG/L MG/L MG/L MG/L TONS/DAY MG/L MG/L Fennville 1/27/88 - .05 .01 1.4 5 29 - 5/18/88 - .04 <01 0.5 26 102 <5 < 1 7/28/88 28 .08 <01 0.67 17 30 - 9/21/88 96 .07 .02 0.64 39 202 <5 < 1 Saugatuck 3/19/86 - .08 .02 1.6 21 161 <5 < 1 6/25/86 200 .11 .02 0.88 13 102 - 9/11/86 200 .14 .01 0.39 21 103 <5 < 1 Saugatuck 1/10/78 120 .07 NR 1.7 9 27 - <5 5/1/78 - .12 NR 0.34 20 123 20 <5 7/20/78 69 .12 NR 0.54 15 26 10 .5 9/11/78 - .15 NR 0.00 28 72 - - NR - Not Reported Source: USGS Water Resoume Data For Michigan, Water Resources Division, U.S. Geologic Survey. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-4 1986, and 1988. The sampling point was moved with private parties at two other sites (see from Saugatuck to Ferinville in 1987. This data MNSMP, November 7, 1988, p. 328). reveals an increase in sedimentation and a de- Efforts Initiated in the 70's to identify and cline in heavy metals. It also shows an increase require extensive treatment of pollutants prior in fecal coliform (intestinal bacteria) levels to to their dumping into the River will continue to 200/100 ml at the former testing site in slowly Improve the quality of the water. As the Saugatuck- the maximum level permitted nutrients like phosphorus and nitrogen are re- under rule 62 of the MDNR Water Resources moved from wastewater entering the River, less Conunission General Rules of 1986. Phospho- new plant life will be stimulated and more oxy- rous and certain nitrogen levels have not gen will be available for fish. changed appreciably in the past ten years. One of these efforts is the Michigan Water The Kalamazoo River between Calkins Dam Resources Commission Act, which requires all and Lake Michigan has been designated an Area discharges into the water to have discharge of Concern in the 1988 Michigan Nonpoint permits. In addition, the Federal Water Pollution Source Management Plan (MNSMP), due to con- Control Act established the National Pollutant tamination of fish from PCB's. The primary Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit source of contarnination was identified as PCB program. Under these laws, any public or pri- contaminated sediments upstream In the vate facility which will emit any point-source Kalamazoo River and Portage Creek. These sed- discharge into the water must first receive a iments continue to erode, resuspend, and dis- NPDES discharge pennit. The permit program solve PCB's into the water column where they sets forth limitations and monitoring require- are transported downstream. ments to protect water quality and meet treat- Due to the presence of PCB's, advisories are ment standards, and establishes strong in effect for consumption of fish caught in the enforcement actions for violations. The Surface Kalamazoo River or Lake Michigan. The advisory Water Quality Division, MDNR, administers warns against any consumption of carp, suck- NPDES permits. NPDES pennits issued in the ers, catfish, and largemouth bass taken from the tri-community area are shown on Table 8.3. Kalamazoo River downstream from the Morrow However, sedimentation and nonpoint Pond Dam to Lake Michigan and Portage Creek sources of pollution will remain a problem. In downstream from Monarch Millpond. Limited contrast to pipes that discharge directly into a consumption of other species (no more than one waterbody, nonpoint sources of pollution in- meal per week) Is considered safe for all except clude those pollutants that do not originate from nursing mothers, pregnant women, women who a single point- such as fertilizer and pesticide intend to have children, and children age 15 and runoff from farmers fields and petroleum based under. pollutants that wash off parking lots and road- In Lake Michigan limited consumption of ways. The most obvious pollutants are the phys- Lake Trout 20-23", Coho Salmon over 26", ical litter and debris that are carelessly dumped Chinook Salmon 21-32", and Brown Trout up to into the River or Lake and which typically wash 23" is considered safe for all except nursing up along the shore. mothers, pregnant women, women who intend Michigarf s 1988 Nonpoint Pollution As- to have children, and children age 15 and under. sessment Report concluded that 99% of Individuals should not consume carp, catfish, Michigan's watersheds have at least one water- or Lake Trout, Brown Trout, or Chinook which body with a non-point source pollution problem. fall outside of the acceptable size for limited In-place contamination and atmospheric depo- consumption. sition were listed as the primary non-point To address the PCB problem, the MNSMP sources of pollution for the Kalamazoo River. has devised a Remedial Action Plan with the goal Stronger efforts to improve water quality of reducing human exposure to acceptable levels will have a positive affect on tourism, recreation, (1: 100,000) and thus reducing fish tissue con- and future growth and development of the tri- centration to a maximum .05 mg/kg and reduc- community area. All sources of pollution affect ing water column levels to .02 ng/l. Actions water quality, and hence the utility of the water taken to address the problem include: strict resource. While the tri-community area must controls on direct discharges of PCB's: a feasi- rely on outside agencies to enforce pollution bility study of remedial alternatives. funding control laws upstream, some efforts can be un- through State Act 307 to take remedial action at dertaken by Saugatuck, Douglas and three sites: and legal action and negotiations Saugatuck Township to improve water quality City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-5 TABLE 8.3 NPDES PERMITS ISSUED IN THE TRI-COWYIUNITY AREA PERMIT RECIPIENT ADDRESS DISCHARGE LOCATION EXPIRATION DATE Culligan 201 Culver St., processed Kalamazoo Lake 1991 Saugatuck wastewater via storm sewers Kal. Lake Water & 340 Culver St., treated municipal Kalamazoo River 1990 Sewer Authority Saugatuck waste outfall 001 Kalamazoo Lake 6449 Old Allegan 900,000 gal/day Kalamazoo River 1993 Groundwater Rd., Saugatuck purged groundwa- outfall 00 1 Purge Tn. ter, purgable halo- carbons Rich Products 350 Culver St., 12,000 gal/day Kalamazoo River 1990 Saugatuck non-contact cool- via storm sewer irig water & cooling tower blowdown Source: MDNR Surface Water Quality Division TABLE 8.4 LAKE MICHIGAN LAKE LEVELS YEAR LOWEST EL MONTH HIGHEST EL MONTH DIFFERENCE DIFFERENCE FEET A.S.L. FEET A.S.L. IN FEET IN INCHES 1977 578.00 February 578.57 July .57 6.84 1978 578.12 March 579.01 October .89 10.68 1979 578.31 February 580.02 April 1.75 20.52 1980 578.92 December 579.77 July .85 10.20 1981 578.51 February 579.43 July .92 11.04 1982 578.17 March 579.02 April .85 10.20 1983 578.85 February 580.08 July 1.25 15.00 1984 579.02 February 580.23 July 1.21 14.52 .1985 579.57 February 580.84 June 1.27 15.24 1986 580.36 February 581.62 October 1.26 15.12 1987 578.96 December 580.65 January 1.69 20.28 1988 578.10 December 579.04 May .94 11.28 Source: The Michigan RipaAan, May 1989 and prevent further pollution within the tri- The Kalamazoo River, Kalamazoo Lake and community area. These will be discussed further Lake Michigan are interconnected. Thus, water later in this Chapter. levels on the River and Lake Kalamazoo are largely dependent on Lake Michigan water lev- LAKE LEVELS els. Consequently, land uses adjoining the wa- terfront should be based on the vagaries of The natural level of the Great Lakes goes fluctuating Lake Michigan water levels. This has through periodic changes that are based pre- not always been done as was evident by exten- dominantly on rainfall and evaporation within sive shore erosion and flooding during the last the entire Great Lakes Basin. Since a century high water period. peak in 1986, Lake Michigan has steadily fallen When water levels are high "no-wake" to its current level of around 578 feet (see Table zones, which are always in effect from the chan- 8.4). nel to Mason Street in Saugatuck, are extended City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-6 to cover all of the Kalamazoo Lake shoreline and require a marina permit If they are rented. Per- parts of the River cast of Blue Star Highway (see mits are issued for a three year period by the Map 8.2). When a "no-wake" speed is in effect, DNR On peak summer weekends the number then all motor boats and vessels must limit of boats on the lake could be twice to thrice the speed to a slow no-wake speed when within 100 normal level. This presents one of the most feet of. serious problems jointly facing the tri-commu- � rafts, except for skijumps and ski landing nity area- how to deal with surface water use floats; conflicts. � docks; The Lake has a total surface water area of � launching ramps, 184 acres. Acreage available for recreational � swimmers; boating is dramatically reduced by the dockage � anchored, moored or drifting boats; and which extends into the Lake hundreds of feet � designated no-wake zones. and by the shallow water at the edge to about This means a speed slow enough that the 133 acres. Yet, on summer weekends the River wake or wash of the boat creates a minimum is a constant highway of boats moving in and disturbance. Owners and operators are respon- out of the Lake. Recreational sailing, fishing, sible for damage caused by wakes. swimming, sailboarding and water skiing are limited by all of the motorboat traffic. However, HARBOR during the week, other water surface activities Map 8.3 is the existing harbor map (June can go on without much interference. 1987) distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. It depicts water PAARM SAFETY depth for the shoreline along Lake Michigan, The Allegan County Sheriffs Department, and the River through Kalamazoo Lake. Chan- Marine Safety Division, maintains strict control nel depth is maintained by periodic dredging to of the waterways. The Department has 8 marine a depth of 13 feet to Main Street in Saugatuck. officers. Normally, two officers patrol by boat, (Dredging at the mouth of the channel is to begin but three to four officers patrol during holidays in July 1990 and be completed in the Fall of and special events. Officers patrol in a 27 foot 1990.) The depth then drops to 20-27 feet for the Boston Whaler with two 150 horsepower out- next 500 feet. Between that point and Tower board motors. This boat is equipped for Lake Marine, the water depth is about 7 feet. Most of Michigan rescue, and has a noise meter which the rest of Lake Kalamazoo varies between 1 and monitors the 86 decibel noise limit. 4 feet in depth with not more than 2 feet being From Memorial Day to Labor Day officers the most common. The Douglas shoreline, east put in 635 hours of patrol duty on Kalamazoo of Blue Star Highway is only 1-2 feet In depth River and Kalamazoo Lake. One hundred and except for a small area running NW-SE from the ten hours were spent patrolling Lake Michigan. center of the bridge and connecting to the Point Most patrols occur between Friday and Sunday, Pleasant Yacht Club. and about half of the Department's budget goes This natural harbor Is the principal attrac- to patrolling the Saugatuck area. tion for nautical tourists which flock to the area In the summer of 1989, 189 tickets were during summer months when the marinas are issued on Kalamazoo River and Kalamazoo used to capacity. Hundreds rent dockage by the Lake, 11 were issued on Lake Michigan, 276 season. Many live on their boats for weeks on warnings were issued, 10 complaints were re- end. The demand for dockage appears to be ceived, and 6 boating accidents occurred. The greater than the supply. despite the huge num- Department also conducted 378 safety inspec- ber of slips available (see Map 8.4). In 1976 there tions. The most common violations are inade- were 8 marinas with approximately 800 slips. In quate life preservers on board and lack of 1989, there are 26 legally operating marinas current registration. with 966 slips. There are about half dozen ma- The Department notes that slow/no wake, rinas without current permits and these contain and hazardous violations were down in the sum- over 30 more slips. There are also a number of mer of 1989. The most common surface water slips maintained by private residences for their use conflicts identified by the Sheriff's Depart- own personal use. ment include sailboat and motorboat conflicts Marina permits are required for any com- and complaints over the noise and attitude ofjet mercial activity, so as few as two slips could City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-7 skiers. Conflicts between sailboats and motor- waterfront, but there are few public access sites boats are most common on Saturday. and, except for Shultz Park, these Provide little space for transient parking. EXISTING LAND USE Fo4isting land use is described in detail in CONFLICTS/PROBLEM Chapter 5. AD land uses along the waterfront are At an interjurisdictional meeting on water oriented to the water. The bulk of the waterfront front issues on November 1986, five key issues in the Township from the channel to the City is were identified: developed as single family residential. The City - high water and its impacts and Village waterfronts are predominantly resi- - development and acquisition of public dential and marina. The balance of the water- lands along the waterfront; front, which lies in the Township. is in a natural - limiting the intensity of shoreline develop- state with some areas of residential development ment; (such as along Silver Lake). Many commercial - preserving the scenic character of the establishments (mostly motels and restaurants) shoreline environment retaining visual ac- are also located here. Except for the Broward cess to, of the Boat Company near the channel, there are no - surface water use conflicts. industrial activities along the waterfront. A Each of these remain important issues as number of small parks are located along the shown in the 1988 Public Opinion Survey. FIGURE S. I LINKAGE PLAN r ..4 , . ope R-2 watiand R-1 R-2 evergr 'P k(commercial) "M R-4 gre n food lain atland lakes LINK "IWO th nd slope ope lakes wetland V, f lood R 1 hard- hardwoo s lain wood slope AG. AG. lot's C h 0 04 Source: Conserve Oakland County's Natural Resources: A Manual for Planning & Implementation, Department of Public Works, Oakland County, MI. September 1980. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-8 High Water tenance across more taxpayers. This would also When Great Lakes water levels are high, make it more feasible to acquire additional park erosion along the Lake Michigan shoreline in- space as needed. Because residents of three creases. The impacts of erosion are clear along jurisdictions would benefit, grant requests Lakeshore Drive, where part of the road has would probably be more favorably reviewed. been washed away. Many high value homes will Public marina space is also needed as there be threatened by additional erosion in this area. are only three public access sites along Lake Erosion along the River and Lake Kalamazoo and the River presently, and two are Kalamazoo also increases with higher Lake too far inland for most daily boaters. The third Michigan water levels. Many bulkheads and is a street end in Saugatuck and has no adjacent similar shore protection devices were installed parking. Private marinas provide transient to minimize the effects of the most recent high berthing opportunities, but there is consider- water level. Raising some of the land and struc- able demand for more. By having a facility to tures would be necessary if lake levels remained attract more transient boaters, the three com- high for lengthy periods. On the positive side, munities would be gaining additional tourist the south shore of Lake Kalamazoo becomes income. more attractive to marina development when The three most logical places for such a water levels are high since it Is very shallow In facility are: 1) Immediately adjacent to the Blue this area. Likewise, when water levels are below Star Highway bridge in Douglas and extending average, some existing dockage is unusable. to the existing launch facility adjacent to the Fluctuating lake levels are part of a natural Kewatin; 2) converting the Center Street main- system. The costs and implications of trying to tenance facility in Douglas to a public marina; artificially manage the entire Great Lakes Basin 3) at some distant time (or if the opportunity to maintain even Lake levels is not known, but arose) by replacing the Rich Products office waterfront land use decisions in the tri-commu- building in Saugatuck with a public marina and nity area should be made based on the assump- accompanying parking. Alternatively, if adja- tion that Lake Michigan water levels cannot be cent parking could be secured, the street end artificially maintained. next to Gleason's in Saugatuck could be a good public access point. Acquisition and Development While the public opinion survey did not of Public Lands Along the waterfront reflect overwhelming support for a public ma- Two types of public lands are needed along rina, there appears to be demand for such a the waterfront. One is parkland/ open space and facility from persons outside the tri-community the other is a public marina. Existing open space area. Its long term economic benefits may wen along the waterfront should be preserved (see justify its cost, especially if state or fediral funds Map 8.5). Several street ends provide needed could be secured to help pay for it. relief from structures along the shoreline. These Limiting the intensity of Development public open spaces are generally well managed, and efforts should be initiated to ensure that The primary future development of water- they are not lost. Existing parks along the shore- front lands in the City will be redevelopment of line should also be linked together, and with existing parcels. In the Village it will focus on other inland parks, by pedestrian and bicycle further development along the South Shore of paths whenever the opportunity arises (see Fig- Lake Kalamazoo. In both areas it will be critical ure 8. 1). that new development is neither so dense, nor The lack of parkland along the Lake Michi- so high as to block existing public views of the gan shoreline is most acute for Township resi- waterfront or further 'wall" the Lake with struc- dents, and somewhat less severe for Village tures. Recommendations to prevent this are residents. Outside of purchasing and developing included in Chapter 10. It will be critical that all new land for parks, the tri-communities should three communities agree to a common approach consider establishing a separate park and rec- to waterfront development, embody that in land reation authority responsible for maintaining all use plans, and then implement those plans. To parks presently owned by the three communt- some extent, uniform densities, setbacks, and ties. The benefit would be providing access to height regulations will be valuable, especially Oval Beach by Village and Township residents around Lake Kalamazoo. and spreading the fiscal responsibility for main- Additional development around Silver Lake needs to remain at a very low density In keeping City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-9 with the septic limitations of the land and the Surface Water Use Coqflicts limited recreational value of this shallow water- Resolution of surface water use conflicts body. The eastern end of the Kalamazoo River will require more planning and a uniform ap- should likewise receive little new development proach to regulation. Most important is estab- in keeping with its Natur-al River designation. lishing the carrying capacity of Lake Kalamazoo and the River to the channel mouth. Carrying Retaining Visual Access, Aesthetics capacity refers to the physical capacity and and the Character of the Area intrinsic suitability of lands (and water) to ab- As has been emphasized throughout this sorb and support various types of development Plan, the natural beauty of the waterfront has (or use). Such an analysis is typically performed much to do with the attraction of the tri-com- by an inventory of existing surface water use munity area. Local development regulations during weekdays and peak weekends. Data is should be reviewed and revised if necessary, to then examined in terms of the size of the water- insure that new development complements, body and its capacity to assimilate various rather than detracts from this natural beauty. mixes of use. Such an analysis would probably Old vessels should not be permitted to lie reveal some, but not much excess capacity for beached along the shoreline, because this also new boat slips, because any number of boaters detracts from the beauty and character of the can access Kalamazoo Lake from Lake Michi- waterfront. gan. Several vistas have public values that de- Without an analysis of carrying capacity, serve protection. These include the entry into the amount of new boat slip development and and exit from Lake Michigan on the Kalamazoo related surface water use conflicts are difilcult River, the view from Mount Baldhead, the view to evaluate. Some time or surface zoning could of Kalamazoo Lake from both ends, and ap- be established in conjunction with the DNR if proaches to the Kalamazoo River Bridge. The desired. For example, water skiing, jet skiing, public opinion survey strongly supports the pro- fishing, sailing, etc, could be limited to particu- vision of additional open space along Lake lar parts of Lake Kalamazoo or Silver Lake or to Kalamazoo and the Kalamazoo River and dem- particular times of the day. Another option could onstrates that the primary use of the area's be a harbor patrol paid for by all three govern- water bodies is viewing. Yet, recent development mental units. More information is necessary to pressures have led to overbuilding of condomin- establish the need for regulation. If surface iums along the waterfront. shutting off all public water use is regulated, each unit of government viewing of the lake from existing rights-of-way. would need to agree to a common regulatory Any future development along the channel approach. should be set back sufficiently to maintain the Surface water use conflicts will grow more broad open views that are presented to boat acute on Lake Kalamazoo if existing dockage is travelers entering or leaving the Kalamazoo extended much further into the Lake. Such River. The view from the top of Mount Baldhead extensions should not be permitted as the sur- should be improved by careful selective pruning face area available for various recreational uses of dead or dying trees blocking good views of will be too drastically reduced. Existing no-wake Saugatuck and Lake Kalamazoo. The curve zones should also be more rigorously enforced. going northbound on Blue Star Highway in Douglas just before crossing the bridge is the RECONDJENDATIONS TO GUEDE FUTURE USE only good panorama of Kalamazoo Lake. A pub- In seeking to balance economic develop- lic turnoff, the acquisition of a scenic easement, ment with environmental protection, the con- or the concentration of new development on the cept of carrying capacity should be a major western portion of those undeveloped lands consideration. If the carrying capacity of land or should be initiated to protect that Important water is exceeded, then activities cannot be view. In addition, the land adjacent to the west undertaken without unacceptable impacts on side of the bridge in Douglas should be selec- tively pruned to improve the view to travelers users, the environment, or both. Impacts can crossing the bridge (northbound) until a public include Increased trip times, decreased safety, marina could be established there. pollution, loss of open space, and many other considerations. The key is prevention of overuse by limiting intensity of use on adjoining lands 0 and regulating surface water use. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 8-10 Environmental protection must be a lead- spectj urisdiction boundaries. Their future qual- ing principle in making future land use deci- ity and desirability depends on all governmental sions along the waterfront. Environmentally units through which they flow playing an active sensitive areas such as sand dunes, wetlands, and supportive role in protecting and improving high risk erosion areas, floodplains, and key water quality. To advance this goal, the jointly woodlands should be protected from unneces- appointed waterfront committee should be rein- sary destruction. Development should comple- stituted or its responsibilities shifted to the Joint ment rather than destroy these areas and their Planning Committee which helped fashion this values. By doing so the environmental quality of Plan. the air and water will be improved, wildlife hab- itat will be preserved, scenic values will be pro- tected, and the character of the area will be maintained. Some new intensive shoreline de- velopment will be desirable and necessary, but the balance should not be disproportionately on the side of new tax base as it has been for the past decade. Opportunities to enhance the waterfront should be seized. Parks and open spaces should eventually be linked with other public places. Additional access to the waterfront should be acquired when available, and existing access via street ends and parks should not be lost through neglect or inaction. A new public marina should be constructed if resources are available and the cost could be spread among local citizens and other users (such as through grants or user fees). Visual access from public thoroughfares and walkways should be maintained in all new waterfront development. Protection mechanisms, like the Natural River designation, should be recognized for the ancillary benefits they bring to the community. A local "Friends of the River" organization could be instituted to annually adopt and clean up the shoreline to remove floating debris, other waste, and downed timber that become lodged there. A special effort to maintain the character of Lakeshore Drive along the Lake Michigan shore- line should also be initiated. A comprehensive stormwater management plan and wetlands protection plan should be instituted as part of a broad water quality pro- tection program that is based on the small wa- tersheds that feed the Kalamazoo River Basin. The Soil Conservation Service should be asked to assist in preparing nonpoint pollution guide- lines to help guide farmers in land management practices that help keep the River clean. NEED FOR RVIERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION Each of these recommendations requires a strong degree of intergovernmental cooperation. Watercourses, like the environment. do not re- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan IN. A. 7@m % 23r Is 2 In L 7-, 6s n- % 76@ MAP8.1 WATERSHEDS Saugatuck F*`] Kalamazoo River Basin Boundary F/I Creeks & Drains F*1 Small Watershed Areas: 1) Douglas 2) Tannery Creek 3) Peach Orchard Creek 4) Kalamazoo/Morrison Bayou 5) Ash Drain 6) Silver Lake Creek 7) Goshorn Creek 8) "Cemetery" Creek 9) River Bluff -Indian Creek 1 O)Saugatuck August1989 DATA SOURCEAllegan County Drain Commission Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 'J@ cl-Icu:hLL FTr MAP 8.2 NO-WAKE Saugatuck N No-Wake Area 13 Additional No-wake Area During Periods Of High Water August 1989 DATA SOURCE: Td-Community WaWdront Committee Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 32 25 21 66 12 31 27 i is s 30 25 37 33 32"27 2633 0 29 25 21 34 37 25 20 30 24 73, 37 29 20 'o Sim NO% 30 25 23 19 9 42 7= 6 33 - 29 7 20 13 2 29 2S S. 4 179 7 6 27 24 119 ,7 ,7 26 32 2312 12 tv 2 2 2 be r.WAM a noon"ry I ze 21 Mix noW& 31 26 2 27 -y 25 23 9,0 -7 2*10' 67 ", : 221 22 is0 ,4 3 12 0 14 14 26 21 22 is is 13610 f SW- 10 20 13 126 'o I c -?I- is Ul- 4w- 0 1u all.2w a I- 6 wI. Sa S 19 22 201 L 9 1 @l 1, 3w - SAUG is 02D) 171, @4,6&y 1 13 12 10 1 1131 9W11. A TR 17 3 I'll 9 42 : ; ..- to,- 145 3 Wd, A2 a 67 ,A 3 kyaci"CkA rA AMfl\ZO02 I A 2 E 22 3 1 :01, .. I A 6 31!@@4 �; 1 ky ILI 2 SAUGATUCK HARBOR ()OUGCA MICHIGAN 2 3 0 2' 2' @4 25 20 1. 4) '6 19 41 "o SOUNDINGS IN nIrT 01 ?SIT ap 86-Ir ow IIr "T 2 TWI IT MAP 8.3 SAUGATUCK HARBOR MAP 8.4 MARINAS Saugatuck 1. Ship & Shore Motel/Boatel (0) 2. East Shore Harbor Club (64) 3. Pointe Pleasant Yacht Club (14) 4. Sergeant Marina (63) S. Tower Marina (322) 6. skippers Cove (12) 7. Water Side Condo (12) 8. Naughtins Marina (37) 9. Saugatuck Yacht Club (16) 10. Deep Harbor Deve, Inc. (46) 11. South Side Marina (24) 12. Casa Loma (11) 13. Gleasons Marina (9) 14. Saugatuck Yacht Co. (81) 15. Walkers Landing (22) 16. Windjammer Condo Association (12) 17. Schippas Marina (10) - 18. Singapore Yacht Club (50) 19. West Shore Marine Inc. (57) 20. Bridges Of Saugatuck (8) 21. Coral Gables (50)) 22. V & L Properties (10) 23. Back Bay Marina (12) 24. Southside Marina (24) Total Number Of Permitted Marina Boat Slips In Area ......... 966 August 1989 DATA SOURCE:DNR Planning & Zoning Center, Inc, Lansing, MI Fn @n M EIRM PFn--Fl a F- I LJVAij1 I I N z FA rm LUJ ffH PAI T E 7TT= PA R P P4 MAP8.5 STREETENDS/ PARKS Saugatuck F`91 Street/Road Ends F;1 Parks A FPAJ Public Access 1) Oval Beach 2) Mount Baldhead 3) Chain Link Ferry 4) Douglas Beach August 1989 Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI See Preceding Map For Information Regarding This Area JL W MAP 8.5 A STREET ENDS/ PARKS Saugatuck Street/Road Ends Parks F F* 1) Shultz Park 2) River Bluff Park FPA] Public Access 3) Sundown Park A August 1989 Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI 9-1 Chapter 9 GROVITH AND DEVELOPMENT TRENDS G rowth and development trends reflect past CONSTRUCTION settlement patterns in a community and provide a basis for estimating future develop- Building permit data reveal development ment patterns. Growth rates are one aspect of trends in Saugatuck since 1980. Most of change. These show which areas are growing at Saugatuck's growth has taken place along the a faster rate. Residential construction permits lakeshore in the form of multiple family condo- show where most of this residential development miniums (see Map 9. 1). The City has seen the is taking place and provide insight into residen- development of eight condominium projects tial preferences. containing 127 individual units since 1980, and Population trends may be used to project only 10 single family homes in this period. Aside future population, which is used to estimate from new construction, the number of additions, future land use needs and settlement patterns extensions, and other improvements was high. in a community. And finally, a "build out" sce- nario may be created based upon the vacant or NUGRATION buildable sites in an area to get an idea what the Migration is a strong component of popula- area might look like If it were developed accord- tion growth throughout the County. Allegan ing to current zoning and use requirements. A County experienced net in-migration of 3.03% more complete discussion of these issues is between 1983 and 1987- the eighteenth high- included below. est rate of in-migration in the state. Many of these immigrants are retirees. Figure 9.1 reveals GROWTH RATES migration patterns of senior citizens in the re- The City went from a 19% growth rate in the gion over the past three decades. It reveals an 60's to only 6% in the 70's. The City's slowing explosion of retiree migration into Allegan growth rate is due in part to a shrinking supply County since 1970. of vacant or developable land and in part to a Between 1980 and 1985, the rate of retiree higher proportion of seasonal residents and el- Migration into the County continued to climb, derly in small households. reaching 2.17 compared to -0.26 for the state as In terms of actual numbers, the areawide a whole. population nearly doubled between 1950 and 1980, when it reached a total of 3,780 people. POPULATION PROJECTIONS The Township gained over half of these new Future population for the City of Saugatuck residents. About 28% of the 1980 population was projected based on the 1970 to 1980 popu- resided in the City of Saugatuck. lation trend, rather than long term trends, due to recent changes in the rate of population TABLE 9. IL growth described above. A composite straight- RATE OF POPULATION CHANGE line trend can be projected by applying logorithms to determine the ratio of change based on the 1970 to 1980 trend. Table 9.2 COMMUNrlY 1950-60 1960-70 1970-80 Illustrates these results. Saugatuck 200/6 100/0 6% Thus if current trends continue, the area Saugatu-ckTwp. 34% 11% 40% can expect about 1800 more people in 20 10 than Douglas 35% 35% 17% in 1980. Only 15% of this growth is expected to occur in the City. Sixty-four percent Is projected AREAWIDE 29% 16% 22% to take place in the Township, and 2 1 % in the Village. Due to its greater availability of land, the Village will eventually overtake the City in terms City of Saugatuck Cornprehenstve Plan 9-2 FIGURE 9.1 KENT WA -767 54 1148 -247 501 _-713 RETIREE MIGRATION TRENDS -457 SOUTHWESTERN MICHIGAN i412 150 _ --f iRRY EATON iLLEdAW -173 -5 -158 12 1-21 -.142 Net Migration of The Population 65+ 1040 132 804 1950-60 1960-70 VAN BUREN KALAMAZOO CALHOUN 1970-80 -13 -447 -1196 284 - 1651 - 1137 1039 -1729 -592 Jk CAS ST. JMPH BRANCH 9-0 130 36 -Y4) 4451 85 -33 -125 578 1 log s80 -181 FIGURE 9.2 in the City by 20 10. These results are shown in Table 9.3. POPULATION TREND Future demand for land by these new SAUGATUCK TWP. households may be estimated by looking at land 3.0. subdivision trends and current settlement pat- P terns or zoned densities. Zoned densities are 0 2.5. roughly equtvalent to those of the Village. Based P T H 2.0. on this information, Saugatuck can expect U 0 about 40% of its new households to settle in low L u density residential areas, 40% in medium den- s A A .. ...... .. sity, and 200/6 in high density. T N 1.0- ..... ... This translates into the conversion of 24 I D 0 S 0.5. acres into low density residential use, 14 acres N in medium density residential, and about 3 0.0 acres would be developed at higher densities as im 19M 1@70 1@W 1960 2060 2@10 apartments or clustered units. This would leave YEAR a maximum of 94 acres of residentially zoned of overall population growth, as seen in Figure land available for development. Tables 9.4 - 9.6 9.2. show this projection of current trends. PROJECTED LAND USE NEEDS: 2010 BUILD OUT SCENARIO To determine the impact of this population The projections shown above are only esti- growth on residential land use, future popula- mates based on current trends. Yet any number tion is translated into new households. This is of events could alter these trends. For example, done by applying the average household size for Saugatuck's attraction as a center for tourism each community to the projected population In could continue to grow, fostering greater in-mi- 2010 and then subtracting 1980 households. gration of retirees and others searching for an The result is an estimated 139 new households alternative lifestyle. The City could reach an annexation or other development agreement L AWA 0 C1 .45 2 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 9-3 with the Township and add to its existing supply residential use by the year 2010. Yet develop- of land. The Township could provide sewer and ment proposals are already underway which water service and attract a higher proportion of could bring the City very close to its current the area's projected households. residential build out capacity. No land is avail- But based on current trends and land avail- able for industrial expansion in the City, and ability. how much more development could the only about 3 acres could be developed for com- City accommodate? This exercise, called a "build mercial use. out" scenario, provides an estimate of the build- able capacity of the City under currently zoned POLICY UVIPLICATIONS densities. Acres were estimated based on vacant or developable land by zoned use and den- Without an annexation or other develop- sity/mir-iimum lot size. These results are shown ment agreement with the Township (i.e. PA 425 for each jurisdiction in Table 9.7. Redevelop- agreement, or consolidation into a single unit of ment potential was considered for under utilized government), the City will soon reach its build parcels along the waterfront on Lake Street. out capacity. A policy implication of the shrink- (Township estimates do not include existing ing supply of land is the lack of affordable agricultural areas.) housing. As the land supply shrinks, the price This information can be translated into a of housing increases. This hurts not only young population estimate by first dividing the devel- people who would like to remain in the area, but opable acres by the minimum lot size in that also elderly residents on low to moderate fixed zoning district to determine the number of incomes. 'Me cost of housing in the City has households which could occupy the parcel(s). reached a point where many parents can no The new households are then multiplied by the longer expect that their children could afford to average household size for that community to buy a home in the City. In the public opinion derive a population estimate. survey, City respondents felt that detached sin- The City has an estimated 135 acres zoned gle family homes in the $50-70,000 range are residential available for development. Under most needed now (52.6%). The second highest current zoning, this translates into about 330 need expressed was for low income housing new households, or 600 new residents. Actual (40.2%). future land use projections predict that only in terms of strategies to achieve affordable about 41 acres of land will be transformed into housing, 43.6% of City respondents favored low- TABLE 9.2 PROJECTED POPULATION 1970-1980 TREND COMMUNrIY 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010 Saugatuck 1,022 1,079 1,163 1,254 1,352 Saugatuck Township 1,254 1,753 2,074 2,454 2,904 Douglas 813 948 1,061 1,187 1,328 AREAWIDE 3.089 3,780 4,298 4,895 5.584 TABLE 9.3 PROJECTED NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS COMMUNrlY POP. 2010 HH SIZE HHs 1980 HHs NEW HHs Saugatuck 1,352 2.00 676 537 139 Saugatuck Township 2,904 2.69 1,080 633 447 Douglas 1,328 2.44 544 391 153 AREAWIDE 5,584 2,300 1,561 739 City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 9-4 TABLE 9.4 TABLE 9.5 PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION NEW HOUSEHOLDS BY DENSITY TYPE BY DENSITY TYPE COMMUNr1Y LOW MEDIUM HIGH HOUSEHOLDS COMMUNITY LOW MED. HIGH TOTAL Saugatuck Twp. 80% 10% 10% Saugatuck 56 56 28 139 Saugatuck 40% 400/6 20% Douglas 8 107 38 153 Douglas 5% 700/6 25% SaugatuckTwp. 358 45 45 447_ AREAWIDE 421 207 111 739 Totals are based on unrounded figures. TABLE 9.6 TABLE 9.7 FUTURE RESIDENTIAL LAND NEEDS AVAILABLE ACREAGE BY LAND USE TYPE ACREAGE* COMMUNITY LOW MED. HIGH TOTAL ACREAGE Saugatuck 24 14 3 41 COMMUNrlY COMM. IND. RES. Douglas 4 26 4 34 Saugatuck 3 0 135 Saugatuck 205 13 10 228 Douglas 33 49 197 Twp. TWD. 155 22 5,950 AREAWIDE 234 53 17 303 TOTAL ACRES 191 71 6,282 -Wries 1.25 (20% allawance for rights-of-way) Totals are based on unrounded figures. I _J TABLE 9.8 POPULATION 2010: BUILD OUT SCENARIO UNDER ZONING IN EFFECT ADDITIONAL AVERAGE ADDMONAL PRESENT TOTAL COMMUNrIY HOUSEHOLDS HH SIZE POPULATION POPULATION POPUIA71ON Saugatuck 330 2.00 660 1,079 1,739 Douglas 1,139 2.44 2,779 948 3,727 SaugatucklWy. 16,413 2.69 44,151 1,753 45,904 AREAWIDE 17,882 47,590 3,780 51,370 ering the minimum square footage requirement Water Street districts, while preventing further of housing (now 1040) to make housing more conversion of the historic homes to the north- affordable, while 35% opposed. The current east of Water Street, and protecting the residen- standard, while slightly higher than that of tial integrity of "the hill". In the Public Opinion Douglas or the Township, is still not excessive. Survey, most City respondents agreed, saying In terms of density and minimum lot size, 55% that new commercial development was needed felt that new housing should be at a lower (59.1%), but should take place in small shop- density than along the Lake Kalamazoo water- ping centers along Blue Star Highway and at the front, revealing dissatisfaction with waterfront freeway interchanges, rather than in downtown condominium development. Most (65%) felt that Saugatuck or downtown Douglas. residential density should be the same as that The high seasonal and weekend population on "the hill". which is about 5 units per acre. has also created pressures for the downtown. Another policy implication is that as avail- Parking appears to be the number one problem, able land for conunercial use is occupied, pres- although 72% of survey respondents felt it is sures increase for conversion of residential only a problem during the summer months. City areas adjacent to the downtown for commercial officials are currently exploring alternative solu- use. Residents and officials wish to preserve the tions to the problem. Most City respondents felt mixed use character of the Lake Street and that demolishing the old public works building City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan for parking was the most acceptable solution, Policies to achieve the public's development but this building has been sold to private devel- objectives are included in Chapter 1. and the opers. Future Land Use Plan in Chapter 10. Regulatory The greatest problem caused by the lack of tools, such as zoning, subdivision regulations, room for industrial expansion is the lack of and site plan review must be amended to insure corresponding job opportunities. The domina- consistency with this plan and the comprehen- tion of the commercial/ retail sector in sive plan of each jurisdiction. Saugatuck has created a large number of low paying service jobs, especially in the summer, but few high paying jobs with the potential for year round employment. This problem requires a regional solution. Industrial expansion must either occur in the Village or Township. One strategy is to pursue a joint agreement with the Village and/or Township to pool resources and develop an industrial park- a costly endeavor for either the Village or City to undertake alone. Land scarcity also has environmental and aesthetic consequences. If development were to proceed under the build out scenario, then the northeast and west side of the City will gradually develop into low and medium density residen- tial. If not properly managed, this could destroy the wooded area abutting Kalamazoo Lake and the dunes. High density development could also take place along Kalamazoo Lake in the south- ern portion of the Lake Street mixed-use district. These projected development trends are problematic in light of the 1988 Public Opinion Survey which revealed that the vast majority of respondents have the following preferences: � maintain the scenic, small town/rural character of the area; � preserve open space along the waterfront. � protect the environment by prohibiting de- velopment of dunes and wetlands. � prevent the development of more water- front condominiums (90% of City respon- dents). These results suggest the need to explore alternatives for preserving the City's wooded areas, wetlands, and lakefront open space (or views) while allowing for environmentally-sensi- tive development in or adjacent to these areas. They also reveal the need to explore solutions to the lack of affordable housing for area residents. The City's land scarcity will make provision of affordable housing in the City very difficult, therefore the City's alternatives could include consideration of a joint agreement with the Vfl- lage and/or Township for a mutually beneficial area housing project. A similar strategy would expedite development of an industrial park to attract, and better manage. industrial growth in the area. Commercial growth to serve the needs of area residents, will probably take care of itself. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-1 Chapter 10 FUTURE LAND USE F u'ure land use arrangements are difficult to updated at least once each five years to insure predict accurately and guide precisely to its continued relevance in planning for future achieve the desired result reflected in the goals, land use needs. objectives, and policies in Chapter 1. Yet, they are critically important to the future quality of PLANNING AND DESIGN PRINcnnm life in the City of Saugatuck. Therefore, some- thing more than goals and policies is needed. A Future land use arrangements were deter- generalized depiction of future land use arrange- mined based on compatibility with surrounding ments represents one consistent Implementa- land uses, natural capacity of the land for par- tion of adopted land use goals, objectives, and ticular uses, and necessary infrastructure im- policies. This is typically embodied in a future provements. land use map and plan. The following planning and design princi- The future land use map accompanying this ples are the technical foundation (or rationale) chapter (see Map 10. 1) seeks to anticipate com- in support of the proposed land use arrange- munity land use needs for 20-30 years. These ments graphically depicted on Map 10. 1. Map future land use arrangements have been formu- 10. 1 depicts generalized land use, which is par- lated based on information in the preceding tially reflected through mapping of zoning dis- chapters. These arrangements are based on tricts. The planning principles listed above are analysis of existing land use, impacts of area implemented primarily through zoning regula- trends, projected future land use needs if cur- tions and applied during the site plan review rent trends continue, and a strong emphasis on process. These principles are consistent with the the relationship of land use activities to the goals, objectives, and policies in Chapter 1 and natural resource base. All proposals are in- should remain the basis for reviewing any sub- tended to be consistent with the goals, objec- sequent changes to the proposed Future Land tives, and policies presented in Chapter 1 (which Use Map. were created with substantial public input). These planning principles are: Many factors could intervene that would - Protection of Public Health and Safety require either a substantial reevaluation of cer- - Conservation of Natural Resources tain arrangements, or the entire plan. For exam- - Environmental Protection ple, if a large mixed use development (e.g. 1000 - Minimizing Public Service Costs single family units plus some commercial) were - Efficiency and Convenience in Meeting built or if a large single employer would enter Land Use Needs the scene (e.g. an auto manufacturing facility) - Insuring Compatibility Between Land Uses then land use arrangements in this plan must (Nuisance Prevention) be reexamined. Often a land use decision based on one A few key planning and design principles principle also advances another. For example, were used to evaluate alternative land use ar- prevention of filling or construction on flood- rangements. With slightly dfferent trends and plains protects public health and safety, con- projections, application of the same principles serves natural resources, protects the could lead to different conclusions and dfferent environment, and minimizes public service land use arrangements. However, these differ- costs (especially for relief efforts). It may also ences would be related to the amount of partic- create a valuable buffer or open space between ular land uses more than their location or uses and hence help insure compatibility. relative relationships to adjoining uses. Like- wise, there are many areas in which alternative Protection qf Public Health and Sqfety land use arrangements would be satisfactory . Key situations in which this principle is providing they remained in keeping with these applied include: basic planning principles. Consequently, it is - avoiding construction in areas which pres- crucial that this plan be regularly reviewed and ent natural hazards. In the City these in- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-2 clude areas too close to the Lake Michigan Efflciency and Convenience shoreline at high risk from erosion from in Meeting Land Use Needs coastal wave action; floodplains; saturated To be efficient in meeting future land use soils and wetlands, soils not well suited for needs, communities must make better use of support of foundations or safe disposal of existing infrastructure and plan for infrastruc- septic wastes; and steep slopes. ture expansion in a manner which keeps the avoiding construction in areas with soils costs low and does not create huge areas where contaminated by hazardous and/or toxic infrastructure will not be fully used for many waste. years. It also means locating future land uses so that travel between activity centers Is mini- Conservation of Natural Resources mized. For example: building schools, neighbor- Failure to consciously protect nonrenew- hood commercial activities, day care facilities, able natural resources exposes a community to fire and police protection, etc. near the residen- unbridled destruction of those resources which tial areas they serve. This saves municipal costs are the foundation for an area's character and on initial road construction and future mainte- quality of life. Conservation of natural resources nance. reduces everyone's gasoline expendi- usually focuses on: land, water, minerals, cer- tures, and conserves fossil fuel supplies for tain soils (such as prime farmland), wetlands, future use. sand dunes, areas supporting an abundance and diversity of wildlife, and unique forested Insuring Compatibility Between Land Uses lands. Areas where the land and the water meet A central objective of land use planning is are the most important. Indiscriminate land to locate future land uses so that they are subdivision frequently reduces the size or alters compatible with one another. This prevents fu- the shape of land, thereby compromising the ture nuisance situations between adjacent land resource value and production potential of those uses, such as loud sounds, ground vibrations, lands. These changes also reflect lost opportu- dust, bright lights, restricted air flow, shadows, nities- usually higher public service costs and odors, traffic, and similar impacts. A few obvious gradual degradation of an area's tourism poten- examples of incompatible land uses include fac- tial. tories, drive-in establishments, or auto repair facilities adjacent to single family homes. With Environmental Protection proper planning, land uses can be tiered to This principle aims at preventing pollution, buffer impacts and orderly development can impairment, or destruction of the environment. occur. Examples include: commercial service While there is considerable overlap with natural establishments on highway frontage with back- resource conservation issues, environmental lot wholesale, storage, or office uses abutting a protection measures focus primarily on air and residential area, or single family residential uses water quality, and the impact of activities where adjacent to park and recreation areas. the water meets the land. Environmental quality is best preserved by planning for appropriate land use activities in and near sensitive environ- COBEMUNrlY CHARACTER mental areas, and managing development ac- When applying the above planning princi- cordingly. This usually means insuring ples to new development proposals, one of the conformance with all applicable federal, state key considerations is compatibility with the and local environmental regulations. character of existing development in an area. To describe the character of Saugatuck, many de- Minimizing Public Service Costs scriptive words and phrases come to mind, Public service costs may be minimized by among them: quiet. friendly, clean, small, aes- encouraging new land uses where eidsting infra- thetically pleasing, bountiful natural assets, structure is not used to capacity and where and good location. Several Public Opinion Sur- expansion can be most economically supplied. veys in the past three years have revealed the This also results in compact settlement pat- following four factors as among the most impor- terns, prevents sprawl, and is usually favored tant reasons why people like Saugatuck: by taxpayers because it results in the lowest friendly people, attractive /beautiful surround- public service costs both for construction and ings, low crime rate and small town atmosphere. maintenance. There is a very strong identification on the part of the residents with the character of their City. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-3 Saugatuck can be described as being both a TOURISM resort residential and year-round residential community which is primarily dependent upon A strong tourist oriented character is some- the tourist trade it has built throughout this thing that most Saugatuck residents have come century. Most residents would like it to remain to accept. Yet the increased activity and conges- like a small village. tion that go with successful tourism are charac- teristics which are directly opposed to the existing small town atmosphere. This is one of DEVELOPMENT the reasons why solving a very difficult summer- Almost all of the land in private ownership time parking problem has been so vexing for the in Saugatuck Is developed. The exceptions are city. some large parcels in the northeast and south- west comers of the City. Of these the land YEAR ROUND EMIWYMENT/INDUSTRIAL curTently used as a church camp adjacent to the publicly owned Mt. Baldhead area poses the DEVELOPMENT most potential concern. This area contains Historically, Saugatuck has had very little heavily wooded sand dunes which are a major industrial development and has been primarily asset to the region and should not be developed. a community with residential and commercial The City should initiate steps to insure that development. This situation has reduced the these lands are not subjected to more intensive potential for year round employment and has development. A conservation easement is a good made the attraction of new families into tool to consider using to accomplish this task. Saugatuck more difficult. The significance of Outright public acquisition, and then leaseback this trend is that the City could become even for camp purposes is another. more seasonal and retirement oriented than it The most likely development proposals the already is.Ibis in turn would further reduce the City will face in the next two decades (unless capacity of existing commercial businesses to annexation occurs), will be redevelopment of operate year round and further hinder the deliv- existing properties. This is already occurring on ery of certain services such as education. Some a small scale with individual cottages being new industrial development is both needed and replaced with larger, year round homes. It will desirable. However, there is no good location for accelerate (if permitted) into replacement of cot- it in the City, and the existing industrial facilities tages with large densely packed condominiums do not represent the best use of their present along the waterfront as has already occurred orl locations. As a result, the City must a maintain Lake Street. Without proper land development strong effort in conjunction with Douglas and regulation, the character of the community Saugatuck Township to attract new industry could be significantly changed. Walling off the into the area, even if it is not located in waterfront will not advance that goal. With re- Saugatuck. gard to new residential development, affordable single-family homes and apartments were the BLENDING THE RESORT AREAS WITII THE preferred types, with waterfront condos (900/6 YEAR ROUND COAIMUNITY opposition) and mobile homes (7 1% opposition) receiving the highest response as not being There will probably always be a division needed. More industrial development in the area within the community between resort and sea- was supported by nearly 36% of those respond- sonal areas and year-round areas. Recognizing ing but 22.6% strongly disagreed. Yet 42.2% of the importance of each and fair representation the respondents favored spending tax dollars to of both in community decision making will be stimulate economic development. The need for an ongoing challenge in making future land use more commercial development in small shop- and infrastructure decisions. Achieving and ping centers was supported by almost half ofthe maintaining a balance will be the key to long respondents. City residents prefer this new de- term success. The existing commercial and res- velopment along Blue Star Highway, especially idential areas are quite well separated and the within the Village of Douglas. demarcation lines are fairly clear. It will be Important that they remain essentially where they are as far as new commercial activity, or the necessary balance may be lost. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-4 The mapping of future land use is a logical main as near to their natural state as possible. extension of the goals and policies stated in this Only when other more Important public pur- Plan. Land use Is the primary purpose for which poses demand it, should these lands be altered a parcel of land is occupied. This Plan is de- or converted to permit another use. The City signed to promote orderly development and en- zoning ordinance should be amended to include sure that appropriate areas are available for all better conservation of these natural resource classes of land uses anticipated to be needed areas. within the City during the planning period Mount Baldhead: This large critical dune (roughly 20 years) based on misting trends. The area with a mixture of open sand and rolling future land use plan promotes orderly develop- forested dunes should remain in its present ment in a number of other ways. Home owners state without any substantial alteration. Since can invest in their properties with protection most of this area is in public ownership, that is from the intrusion and congestion of undesir- feasible. However, the church camp property able uses in the neighborhood. Overcrowding could at any time be sold to the private sector can be avoided. The City and utility companies and divided into 2 acre lots and converted to can adequately plan for the services needed in about 50 single family homes under existing (re)developing areas and ensure that adequate zoning regulations. State dune regulations may land has been reserved within the City for all result in a lower overall density, but residential necessary uses. development of this area is not appropriate. The Each of the major classes of future land use City should initiate a conservation easement or ' are described below. Descriptions of planning other contractual. deed restriction, or covenant areas or neighborhoods are also provided to to insure that this land remains substantially in supplement the general land uses depicted on its present open space use. Map 10. 1. These specific descriptions corre- The Mt. Baldhead/Park St. area also con- spond to the planning areas depicted on Map tains a large woodlot of upland hardwoods. 5.3. These trees stabilize the dunes and are a central element of Saugatucles scenic character. As FU XURE LAND USE such, It is essential that they be preserved for future generations. This can be achieved either Conservation and Recreation Areas through a conservation easement- where the This category embodies environmentally land is acquired by a nonprofit conservancy or sensitive or "conservation" areas. as they are public agency- or through a woodlot or tree referred to here, and e--4isting parks and recrea- preservation ordinance. A woodlot ordinance is tional resources in the City which were identi- recommended as it views the forest as a whole, fied on the existing land use map. Conservation rather than tree by tree. The woodlot ordinance areas include sand dunes, wetlands, flood- would include regulatory provisions to maximize plains, streams, creeks and drains, the preservation of trees while allowing limited res- Kalamazoo River, Lake Kalamazoo, and areas at idential development (usually through a transfer high risk of erosion along Lake Michigan. These of development rights and flexible zoning ap- areas present severe limitations for development proach.) and are proposed for very limited future devel- opment in keeping with their fragility and im- Low Density Residential portance in buffering Lake Michigan storms, This area. which encompasses the Park filteAng and storing water during periods of Street planning area. should continue to be used flooding, draining stormwater from land, provid- predominantly for low density single family ing habitat for a wide range of plants and ani- homes. The sand dunes, steepness of the ter- mals. and for their wide ranging open space rain, limited access, heavy woodlands and sig- values. nificant floodplain, argue against any higher Saugatucles water resources, sand dunes, density development. Most of this area is an and other natural assets make it a desirable identified "critical dune area" which must meet place to live. Destroying these resources would stringent DNR requirements or, at local option, destroy the essential qualities which continue to local zoning regulations which are approved by attract residents and tourists to the area. There- the DNR Any new development should be clus- fore, future actions and policies to protect the tered at a density not greater than one unit per natural environment will be of utmost Impor- five acres. Density will vary within this area tance. These lands should be managed to re- however, in recognition of a large number of City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-5 existing developed lots in the Perryman-Park HoUand Street: The large residential lots Street area. However, the new state dune regu- fronting on the River and the marina activity are lations may result in prohibitions against ex- presently compatible due primarily to the large pansions and/or replacements of existing open spaces with mature trees. However, any structures which may become damaged, due to pressure which may arise to increase the inten- the relatively high density of existing develop- sity of waterfront activity in this area or the ment in this area. intensity of commercial development should Smaller undeveloped lots should be permit- probably be resisted. The marina and associated ted to be used only when combined with existing activities are separately illustrated on Map 10. 1 adjacent lots (if under the same ownership) or as "harborfront". via a special review procedure to minimize envi- The riverbank rises sharply and provides a ronmental Impacts and impacts on adjoining remarkable natural green wall to boats entering uses. Existing zoning in this area should be from the channel. It also makes riverfront access reexamined to consider enlarging the rnftihnum difficult without complex stairways, elevators, lot size requirement for undivided areas and to or similar devices which would be difficult to insure conformance with new state dune regu- install without negatively impacting on the char- lations. acter of the area. Many lots are irregularly Single family residential development shaped with poor access, narrow width, and should be encouraged in this district, because would not be suited for more traffic. Nor are they it is compatible with eidsttng uses and demand adequately sized to accommodate additional for scenic, waterfront parcels. parking. The residential lots on the east side of Hol- City Center Residential land Street are a more uniform size and shape, This dominant residential area in the City and for the most part, contain well maintained is comprised of that area known as "the hill" and older homes. New development should only be most of the Holland Street planning area. These residential and should be designed to be com- areas have dtfferent needs and are addressed in patible with the architectural character of exist- more detail below. Ing homes in the area. The HW:This area represents the older more established neighborhood immediately Medium Density Residential surrounding the City Center. It is on an escarp- The medium density category represents ment east of downtown that rises suddenly, the highest density of residential development providing scenic relief and a natural barrier. in the City. It is found in condominium develop- Housing density generally ranges between three ment along Lake Kalamazoo and In one develop- and five units per acre. There are not many ment overlooking the. Lake on the hill. Future undeveloped lots in this area. except on land medium density development should be re- with some soil limitations. stricted to these same areas. it should not ex- Recommendations for this area are as fol- ceed 8 units per acre. lows: � Maintain an average density of three or City Center Commercial four dwelling units per net acre while This is the original commercial area of the maintaining a mftiftnum lot size of 8712 City. It has gradually been transfonned into a square feet. commercial shopping area predominantly ori- � All new housing development should be ented to the day tourist. Businesses face a sub- required to hook into the City water and stantial challenge in trying to meet all expenses sewer system. and generate a profit in just the summer � All new development should be encouraged months. This is most evident each spring as to maintain an architectural theme that several new businesses open shop. Several ac- complements, rather than detracts from tions are necessary to encourage the continua- existing housing in the area. tion of the kind of commercial mix which is � No commercial activity should be permit- mutually supportive. ted in this residential neighborhood. Bed First, the existing historic character of the and breakfast activity is probably not ap- City Center should be maintained. The historic propriate in this area, except along Griffith preservation ordinance is designed to do this, street. but some structures have been modifled incon- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Ph-in 10-6 sistent with the code (and perhaps prior to the Yet, the area also deserves some attention adoption of the code). New regulations may be as a general planning area because of certain necessary to insure new structures are architec- trends which could alter its character. The ex- turally harmonious. Structures that are rela- isting trend towards conversion of single family tively new but architecturally inconsistent homes in the area to commercial or bed and should be modified. as the opportunity presents breakfast use is appropriate, provided the archi- itself, to improve their harmony with the char- tectural character of the area remains in har- acter of the district. mony. Every opportunity to prevent the Second, the key to long term success of this establishment of new "modern" designs and area is to maintain the proper balance of tourist, eliminate eidsting ones, should be seized. Like- versus general business activity. wise, wherever possible, the original elegance of Third, the public open space in this area buildings in this area should be restored. needs to be retained and maintained. It is cen- Public access should be preserved where tral to the small town character of the City. possible. The eidsting boardwalk is a special Fourth, in conjunction with the Water asset which should remain open to public ac- Street area, a better solution to parking prob- cess, and as the opportunity presents itself, lems must be found for the summer months. could be expanded further throughout this area Professional assistance should be sought. Op- and into the Lake Street area. Change in the use tions should not include the establishment of a of existing street ends should be carefully scru- multi-level parking structure in the downtown tinized, and public access insured in any event. or near the waterfront. Fifth, the City and the business community Mixed Residential need to promote a harmonious working relation- This designation describes the future of ship that is based on commitment to a long much of the Lake Street planning area (to the range course of action. A progressive alliance south) and the Center Transition planning area should be encouraged (see Chapter 12). (which adjoins the downtown commercial area). Downtown Saugatuck will continue to serve It is characterized by a mixture of residential as the major center for commercial tourist activ- and commercial uses. ities in the region. But expansion of commercial Lake Street: This area has a high potential uses outside of the downtown area presently for negative future change. The market for wa- zoned for commercial use should be discour- terfront condominiums remains fairly strong aged, and appropriate measures should be along the West Michigan shoreline. It is often adopted to mitigate impacts of the city center on profitable to purchase waterfront property, re- adjoining residential areas. move an eidsting residence and redevelop as condominiums. Several such conversions have Institutional already occurred (at the western end of Lake This category comprises existing institu- Street and between Griffith and Butler) to the tional uses, Including churches, public utilities, detriment of public values. In particular, public government offices, and schools. Public facilities access to and viewing of the waterfront has been (i.e. schools, utilities, and offices) have the ca- lost, and a canyon has been created by the high pacity to meet public service needs for the plan- structures now lining this part of the shoreline. ning period of this plan. To prevent further loss of Saugatuck7s charac- ter, this area must receive more specific zoning Water Street treatment than under eidsting zoning regula- This waterfront planning area identified in tions-which treat it as a predominantly com- Chapter 5 is not shown as a single entity on the mercial area, rather than a predominantly future land use map because of the clear dis- residential area. tinctions in use that occur there- distinctions A strong effort should be made to concen- which are incorporated into other future land trate any new large structures which may be use designations, such as city center commer- proposed only on the north side of Lake Street, cial. conservation/recreation, and harborfront. tucked close to the ridgeline so they do not block Water Street runs -along Saugatucles central the view of residents on the hill. If they are put eastern shore and presents an interesting mix on the south side, they should have large of public and prtvate open space, residential, amounts of open space on either side to insure commercial, and marine oriented activities. a public view of the Lake. City of Saugatuck Comprehenstve Plan 10-7 If more intensive development is desired than industrial use is the best use of these and can be adequately managed, the City should properties in the long term, Rich Products is a consider establishing a bulkhead line from Grif- strong, local company and a major employer, fith to Blue Star and thereby increase the dock- and without a public effort to relocate it in age area. This should be done only if a common comparable facilities elsewhere, this plan en- walkway were established that is open to public courages its continuance. access for the entire length and if such action The City encourages expansion and contin- would not result in overcrowding of Lake ued improvement of the industrial area under Kalamazoo at the time it were implemented. development in Douglas- especially an indus- Such a proposal should include a means to deal trial park which could provide jobs and bolster with increased traffic, parking and boat launch- the economy of the entire tri-community area. ing. If this idea were implemented, it may not be Industrial parks are an excellent way to manage desirable to maintain the historic district desig- future industrial growth. Although they have nation in this area, as many existing structures broad, long-term public benefits (including would likely be removed consideration could be lower seivice costs, fewer nuisance impacts, given to identifking this area as "harborfront" better design, and less environmental impact), and permitting a mix of marina, commercial, industrial parks require a large short-term in- and residential uses. vestment in land and public services. Therefore, The area east of Blue Star Highway should It is crucial that studies be conducted to insure not be intensively developed due to the extensive that the park could be competitive with others wetlands in this floodplain. in the area. Center Transition Area: This area north of The Michigan Department of Commerce the City Center presents a real challenge to local maintains an inventory of industrial parks land use regulations. There is some pressure to through the Statewide Site Network. Only certi- convert these large residential structures into fled industrial parks will be included on this list, commercial use, but the market isn't sufficient and thereby be able to effectively compete for tojustify this and it would dramatically alter the new industries. To be certified, industrial parks area's overall residential character. Therefore, must be at least 40 acres, a site plan for the park existing municipal policy allowing limited com- must be approved, soil borings must be con- mercial activity as accessory to the primary ducted, infrastructure must be completed, util- residential use of the properties on North Butler ities must be installed 300 feet into the park, should continue to be carefully administered. and protective covenants must be established. Conversion of entire structures to commercial The City supports future efforts to create an use should not be permitted. industrial park within the tri-community area, Additional bed and breakfast establish- provided it targeted nonpolluting, light indus- ments in this area would be appropriate. The trial and office activities that were compatible northeast portion of this area has chanacterls- with the tri-community area. tics more in keeping with the residential area on "the hill" and should be maintained in concert Planned Unit Development (PUD) with the recommendations described for that The PUD designation is recommended for area. most of the Maple Street planning area. This is the only major area of the City on the east side Harbor firont of the River which is not fully developed. Exten- The marina area along Holland Street is the sive soil limitations, wetlands, some floodplains, only area categorized as harborfront at the adop- and forested acreage characterize this area. The tion of this plan because of its special orienta- area's two wells provide the primary source of tion to the water. However, further changes groundwater for the City (and presently for along Water and Lake Streets as previously Douglas as well). The area contains some multi- described could also warrant classification of family development and is well suited for more these areas as "harborfront". multifamily development, provided It is carefully sited, or single family development on large lots. Industrial The natural characteristics of the land This category applies to the small industrial make it especially well suited for planned unit area in the City, which is currently occupied by development. Good site design could cluster Rich Products. Although commercial rather units. while keeping the overall density equal to or less than the adjoining City Center residential City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-8 area. The City should consider requiring that all into all three communities should be initiated. subdivisions and multi-family development pro- In addition, new land developments in these Jects be designed as a PUD in this area, provided areas (or changes to existing ones) need to be that existing PUD provisions in the zoning ordi- carefully reviewed to insure that changes en- nance are revised to remove some problematic hance (and do not further detract from) the provisions. PUD can allow flexibility in site de- positive image and character that should exist sign and housing density, thereby increasing in these areas. open space, preserving natural features of the site, and enhancing the quality of the develop- CrIT-WIDE RECOBBONDATIONS ment project- to the benefit of both developers and the community. This concept can also en- Residential courage innovative design and eMciency in pro- Residential use will continue to be the pre- viding public services. dominant developed land use in the City. The Design fleidbility under PUD is typically challenge in the next twenty years will be main- accomplished through density transfers, ac- taining the older housing stock and ensuring cording to a predetermined regulatory scheme, that the growing ranks of part-time residents and comprehensive site plan requirements and and absentee owners do not result in housing design standards. In this way, buildings may be deterioration. Equally Important will be efforts clustered through mixtures of housing types to blend new development with the older char- such as detached houses, townhouses, and acter of existing land uses. apartments. This mixture of housing types cre- Within Saugatuck, there will be pressure to ates fine housing opportunities for various remove e--dsting homes along the waterfront and groups without negatively affecting adjoining replace them with higher density condomini- land uses. ums. Condominium development that greatly diminishes the public view of the waterfront should not be permitted, especially along Lake ENTRY POnM Street. Additionally, the height of new construc- There are three major entry points into the tion should not exceed 25-30 feet along the City of Saugatuck. (See Map 10.2). They are: waterfront. It would be better to place taller, - from Lake Michigan on the Kalamazoo higher density development back "into the hill" River and leave the shoreline open. - from Blue Star Highway at the Kalamazoo Another residential issue relates to afford- River Bridge able housing. The City. like many communities - from Blue Star Highway onto Washington in Michigan, is faced with an affordable housing Road/Holland Street crisis. If the Saugatuck School District is to At the present time, the entries from Lake survive with the same breadth of programming Michigan and over the Kalamazoo River provide and quality it has today, then affordable housing an aesthetic and inviting entry into the City. The must be available for families. In terms of new public opinion surveys reflected citizen concern construction, affordable housing typically about the appearance of properties along Blue means homes of about 1.000- 1.200 square feet, Star Highway. The old entry sign/ intersection at on smaller than average lots, and priced at not Holland Street/Washington and Blue Star High- more than $70,000. Some public incentives or way is especially bad. The situation is further write-downs are typically necessary to achieve harmed by signs along 1- 196 which fail to inform this. The only housing of this type being built in southbound travelers at exit # 36 that they can the area is on large lots in rural parts of the access Saugatuck (only Ganges is mentioned). Township. First impressions are very important in the More apartments and temporary housing tourism industry. Attractive entryways help en- for summer workers could be provided in se- tice tourists into the community and leave a lected areas throughout the City. But unlike positive Impression to encourage future visits. Douglas and some areas of Saugatuck Town- The entry points represent the community and ship, the City has little acreage well suited for should reflect those qualities which make the the higher density development typically associ- area special. Fortunately, these design problems ated with affordable housing. For this reason, are easily overcome, and with only minimum the City supports the construction of affordable public investment. A special joint effort to de- housing within Douglas or Saugatuck Town- velop alternatives for Improving the entry points ship, and may cooperate on such a venture City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 10-9 where feasible and where mutual benefits are clear. Other Recommendations The following recommendations are impor- tant to maintaining the character of the City and Improving its present function and hence should be implemented as a part of the future land use plan. � The maintenance and replanting program recently prepared for the aging trees throughout the City should be consistently implemented. � Sidewalk repairs, replacement, and instal- lation are badly needed in some blocks. � Curb, gutter and street repair/repaving should be performed on a scheduled peri- odic basis consistent with an adopted cap- ital improvements plan. New curbs at in- tersections with sidewalks should all be sloped to accommodate handicapper and bicycle access. � A network of bicycle paths should be en- couraged. This network should complete a regional network and inner city streets which connect the routes should be marked, but no additional right-of-way is necessary at these junctures. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan --- -------- MAP10.1 FUTURELANDUSE Saugatuck 7 yrz W -- - ----- -- PVVVV9 Low Density Residentai Floodpiains/Wetiands ----------- M/A City Center Residential Institutional ------ YY r"A&%l Medium Density Residential Mixed Residential City Center Commercial Harborfront - -- ------------ Conservation/Recreation Industrial .......... Z /z "V.14 Planned Unit Development ----------- .......... ............... ............... ............ I11111111W1111 .......... 0 600 12M 1800ft Scale I 600ft August 1989 Planning & Zoning Center, Inc, Lansing, MI 0 600 1200 1800 1 Scale 1 1212 ft VZO Fm MAP10.2 ENTRYPOINTS Saugatuck Entry Points A Au" 19M DATA SOURCE: City Of Saugatuck Ordnances Planning & Zoning Center Inc, Lansing, MI Chapter 11 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION B y itself this plan has no legal regulatory force but rather, serves as a foundation upon which regulatory measures are based. The two primary land use regulatory documents which are also the principal means of implemen- tation of this plan, are the zoning ordinance and subdivision control regulations. These regula- tory instruments are described in the next chap- ter. However, effective integration of this Plan will also require an ongoing commitment to intergovernmental cooperation with Douglas and Saugatuck Township. In particular, the Joint Plan prepared concurrently with this one should be implemented as steadfastly and also kept current with comprehensive reviews at least once each five years. It will also be very Important to make every effort to keep Douglas and Saugatuck Township officials informed of proposed changes to this Plan or any of its regulatory instruments (such as zoning) and to encourage their input prior to such a change being made. Likewise, those j u- risdictions should be encouraged to reciprocate with proposals and an opportunity for review by the City of Saugatuck prior to action on any change which may Impact on the City. A copy of this Plan and any amendments to It will be filed with the clerk of each of these jurisdictions, as well as with the County Clerk, the County Plan- ning Commission, the County Economic Growth Alliance, the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, and Department of Natural Re- sources. Ongoing efforts to consolidate additional public services such as police and possibly pub- lic works should be continued where mutually beneficial. Kalamazoo Lake Sewer & Water Au- thority has functioned well and should continue to strengthen its efforts. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-1 Chapter 12 STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTATION PPJP&4RY ROPLEMWAnON TWLS engineers, planners and attorneys (if neces- sary). Unused escrowed dollars would be re- Relationship to Zoning turned. The City of Saugatuck has a zoning ordi- nance adopted pursuant to the City-Village Zon- Relationship To Plans/Zoning ing Act, PA 207 of 192 1. The intent of that In AcUacent Jurisdictions ordinance is to regulate the use of land to pro- The land use proposals in this plan were vide for orderly growth and development and carefully prepared with an eye to ensuring com- allow the integration of land uses without creat- patibility with those of Douglas and Saugatuck ing nuisances. The zoning ordinance defines Township. Equal care should be taken in the land use districts and regulates height, bulk, future to seek and receive comment on propos- use, area of lot to be covered, and open space to als that are on or near a border from an adjoin- be preserved within each district. ing jurisdiction. Failure to do so will only insure Because the Zoning Enabling Act requires future conflict over adjacent land uses, or the the zoning ordinance be based upon a Plan and provision of new public services. this Plan, prepared by the Planning Commis- sion, has been prepared to guide future land use Relationship to Subdivision Regulations decisions, the zoning ordinance should be re- The City of Saugatuck should adopt subdi- vised to reflect this Plan's new goals, policies, vision regulations if the remaining undeveloped and future land use proposals. However, the land is to be platted as opposed to developed zoning district map and the future land use map under PUD provisions. The enabling legislation (10. 1) will not be identical. The zoning map that permits the enactment of such regulations typically reflects e-,dsting land use (where it is is Public Act 288 of 1967, also known as the desirable to continue it) and small areas zoned Subdivision Control Act of 1967. This Act allows for more intensive use then at present. The a community to set requirements and design future land use map (on the other hand) reflects standards for streets, blocks, lots, curbs, side- land use arrangements at some future time. (See walks, open spaces, easements, public utilities, Section 10. 10, p. 245-250, Michigan Zoning & and other associated subdivision improve- Planning, 3rd Ed., by Clan Crawford, ICLE, Ann ments. With the implementation of a subdivi- Arbor, 1988). sion ordinance there is added assurance that The City should continue to maintain a development will occur in an orderly manner. formal site plan review process. Through this The City of Saugatuck should consider amend- process applicants, in order to obtain zoning ing its subdivision and zoning regulations to approval, must submit plans which clearly indi- prohibit the establishment of lots which would cate how their development proposals will be unbuildable under e7dsting state or local change and affect both the parcel of land being regulations (such as lots which are wholly developed as well as surrounding properties. It within a protected wetland). is recommended that all commercial and indus- trial development, as well as all subdivisions, multiple family housing, planned unit develop- Relationship to Capital Improvements ments, and other development requiring more In its basic form, a CIP is a complete list of than five (5) parking spaces, undergo site plan all proposed public improvements planned for a review. 6 year period (the time span mayvary), including In addition, the zoning ordinance and fee costs, sources of funding, location, and priority. structures should be amended to permit the City The CIP outlines the projects that will replace or to require developers of new commercial and improve e3dsting facilities, or that will be neces- industrial uses and all proposed multi-family sary to serve current and projected land use developments to pay into an escrow fund to be development within a community. used for payment of professional review fees by City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-2 Advanced planning for public works Community Development through the use of a CIP assures more effective Block Grant Program and economical capital expenditures, as well as The Community Development Block Grant the provision of public works in a timely man- program was authorized under Title I of the ner. The use of capital improvements program- Housing and Community Development Act of ming can be an effective tool for implementing 1974. The Act had the effect of combining sev- the comprehensive plan by giving priority to eral federal categorical grants such as Urban those projects which have been identified in the Renewal and Model C^ ities into one. Grants Plan as being most important to the future under the program must principally benefit low development and well being of the community. and moderate income families. The City Planning Commission should develop In Michigan there are two categories of eli- a formal capital Improvement program. gible applicants: entitlement and non-entitle- ment. Entitlement communities, by meeting Land Use & Irtfrastructure Policies specific eligibility criteria, are given grant funds A strong effort will be necessary to coordi- outright without having to compete for them. nate future capital Improvement decisions and Non-entitlement applicants must compete for land use policies with adjoining units of govern- grant funds by applying through the Michigan ment. As a result, proposed policy changes Small Cities Community Development Block should be circulated for comment early. Like- Grant Program. The City of Saugatuck is not an wise, proposed capital Improvement programs entitlement community. Therefore. it must should be prepared with adequate time for re- apply through the Small Cities Program. view and comment by the adjoining jurisdic- Operation of the Michigan CDBG Program tions. is the responsibility of the Michigan Department of Commerce with central program administra- Community Participation And Education tion by the Department's Office of Federal Grant In order to gain the support, acceptance, Management (OFGM). The Department of Com- and input of area residents for future planning, merce has entered into an agreement with the ongoing efforts should be continued to provide Michigan State Housing Development Authority information to them, and involve them in the (MSHDA) assigning administrative responsibili- planning process. The Importance of their role ties for the housing component of the program. in that process should be emphasized. Public In the housing area, samples of grant eligi- acceptance will make the implementation of ble activities include: plans much easier and public input makes - Home Improvement Programs plans better and more responsive to local needs. - Rental Rehabilitation Programs - Weatherization and Energy Conservation SPECLAL AREA & FEqMCING TECEMQUES - Home Repair for the Elderly - Public Improvement in conjunction with Building and Property targeted housing activity (limited to 25 per- Maintenance Codes cent of grant request) BOCA (Building Officials and Code Admin- - Housing Related Services istrators International, Inc.) is the basic building - Housing for the Homeless. code adopted by the City to regulate construc- The maximum grant amount is $250,000. tion methods and materials. The adoption and By applying and obtaining a Small Cities Block enforcement of a building code is important in Grant, the City alone, or in concert with Douglas maintaining safe, high quality housing and in and Saugatuck Township could establish a minimizing deteriorating housing conditions housing rehabilitation program which would which contribute to blight within neighbor- help preserve housing throughout the area. hoods. This should be continued. The CDBG program also has the following The City should consider adopting a basic categories of assistance: property maintenance code to regulate blighting - Base Industrial Loan program helps finan- influences which result from failure to properly cially viable businesses needing financial maintain property and structures. A standard assistance for growth, modernization, or code such as the BOCA Basic Housing - Property expansion. Limit $750,000). Maintenance Code or a locally developed code - Commercial Retail Loan program is for could be adopted. commercial, services, tourism, and other City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-3 non-residential projects; and minority which it devotes projected increases in fu- owned and retail projects in distressed ture tax revenues from increased assessed communities. Limit $400,000. valuation in the project area - "captured Public Infrastructure Assistance program assessed value" - for repayment of debts funds public improvements for the location incurred in making selected public im- and expansion of public infrastructures. provements. Revenue bonds are issued in Limit $750,000. anticipation of future revenue. Downtown Development program provides financing to assist businesses in the rede- Michigan State Housing Development velopment of the downtown area. Limit Authority (MSBDA) Programs $500,000 or $300,000 for infrastructure To help preserve Michigan's older existing Improvement. housing, Public Act 130 was passed in 1977 to � Communities in IYansition program funds allow MSHDA to begin a home improvement community development activities, such loan program that offers reduced interest rates as public sewer and water systems, parks, to eligible low and moderate income families. bridges, roads, and comprehensive rede- MSHDA has created the Home Improvement, velopment planning. Limit $400,000. Neighborhood Improvement and Community � Emergency Community Assistance pro- Home Improvement Programs (HIP/NIP/CHIP). gram funds communities experiencing an To get a loan, residents should apply to one of imminent and urgent threat to public the banks, savings and loans, or credit unions health, safety, or welfare which occurred that take part in HIP/NIP/CHIP. within 90 days of application. Limit: $500,000. Land and Water Conservation Fund Downtown Development Authority - Act The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant program was authorized by Public 197 of 1975 Law 88-578, effective January 1, 1965. The This Act permits a city, village, or township purpose of the program is to provide federal to establish a nonprofit development corpora- funds for acquisition and development of facih- tion called a Downtown Development Authority ties for outdoor recreation. The LWCF Program (DDA) with broad powers, including those of is administered jointly by the National Park taxation and bonding, to focus on revitalization Service, U.S. Department of the Interior, and the and development within established "down- Michigan Department of Natural Resources. town" boundaries. All political subdivisions of the state, in- The Act gives an authority broad powers cluding school districts, are eligible to partici- with regard to the planning and development of pate in the program. Eligible projects include: the downtown district. It may engage in down- 1. Acquisition of land for outdoor recre- town planning, promote housing and public ation, including additions to existing parks, facility developments, and economic develop- forest lands, or wildlife areas. ment projects. Operating revenues may be raised through public and private contributions 2. Development including, but not limited or through properties the DDA may control. to such facilities as: picnic areas, beaches, With the approval of the municipal governing boating access, fishing and hunting facili- body, an ad valorem tax may be levied on real ties, winter sports areas, playgrounds, and tangible personal property within the down- balMelds, tennis courts, and trails. town district. Capital financing may be raised in For development grants, the applicant must a number of ways: have title to the site in question. The minimum � A DDA may issue revenue bonds. These, grant allowable is $10,000 and the maximum with municipality approval, may be se- grant allowable is $250,000. cured by "the full faith and credit* of the For all grant proposals, the amount of the municipality. grant cannot exceed more than 50 percent of the � A DDA can request the municipality to total project cost. borrow money and issue notes in anticipa- tion of collected taxes. Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund A DDA, with municipality approval, may . The Kammer Recreational Land IYust Fund create a "tax bicrementfuiancing plan" in Act of 1976 (Public Act 204) was passed by the Michigan Legislature and signed by the Gover- City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-4 nor on July 23 1976. This Act created the Mich- TABLE 12.1 igan Land Trust Fund. The program provided funds for public acquisition of recreational lands RECREATION FACILITIES & THEIR MINI- through the sale of oil, gas, and mineral leases MUM NUM33ER OR SIZE NECESSARY TO and royalties from oil, gas, and mineral extrac- ACHIEVE AMMIUM POINTS tions on state lands. RECREATION FACILI'TY MINIMUM SIZE On November 6, 1984, Michigan residents Bicycle Trail 1 mile cast their vote in favor of Proposal B. This con- stitutional amendment created the Michigan Playground 3 pcs. of play Natural Resources Trust Fund (MNRTF), Public equipment Act 101 of 1985, which officially replaced the Swimming Beach 50 feet Michigan Land Trust Fund on October 1. 1985. Boat Launch 5 parking spaces MNRTF assists state and local governments (in- Campground 10 campsites cluding school districts) in acquiring land or Non-motorized Trail 1/2 mile rights to land for recreational uses, protecting Cross-country Sk land because of its environmental importance or scenic beauty, and developing public recrea- Hiking tional facilities. Nature Any individual, group, organization, or unit Horse of government may submit a land acquisition Fishing Access 50 feet proposal, but only units of government may take Fishing Piers 1 title to and manage the land. Only units of Nature Area 10 acres government may subn-At development propos- als. All proposals for local grants must include NOTE: Points are not to be awarded separately for Cross-country s1d trails, nature trails, and- hildng a local match of at least 25 percent of the total trails. These trails are to be considered as one fikility. project cost. There is no minimum or maximum Source: DNR, Michigan's 1987-88 Recreation Ac- for acquisition projects; for development pro- tion Program Guidebook. jects, the minimum funding request is $15,000, the maximum is $375,000. Community recreation: playgrounds, Costal Zone Management Fund sportsfields, community centers, senior centers, The Land & Water Management Division of fishing sites, and trails for the handicapped; the Department of Natural Resources offers Tourism-enhancing recreation: including grants for the purpose of planning, designing, campgrounds, boating facilities, historical sites. and carrying out low-cost projects to Improve recreational conversion of abandoned rights-of- Great Lakes shorelines and connecting water- way, and fishing access. ways. The City recently received approval of a In its statewide inventory of recreational $50,000 CZM grant to improve its parking facil- facilities, the DNR has identified Allegan County ities at Oval Beach. as deficient in a number of recreational facilities. Those relevant for the tri-community area in- The Recreation Bond Fund clude deficiencies in bicycle trails, fishing ac- The Recreation Bond Fund draws from cess, fishing piers, boat launches, bonds approved by voters in 1988. It calls for campgrounds, nature areas, hiking trails, na- money to be spent on DNR and local recreation ture trails, cross country ski trails, picnic areas. facilities in four categories: and playgrounds. Allegan County communities Recreation infrastructure: such as with proposals for such projects will get funding ballfields, tennis courts, beaches and other priority over similar projects proposed in non- shoreline areas, boat launches, trails, picnic , deficient counties. Table 12.1 includes the min- areas, historic structures, playgrounds, roads, imum number or size of selected recreation parking, restrooms, etc., which are not less than facilities to be considered toward bond funding. 15 years old; Grant requests may not exceed $750,000 Waterfront recreation: such as fishing and may not be less than $15,000. Applicants piers, boardwalks, boat launches, marinas, am- must match bond funds with 25% of the total phitheaters, landscaping, and shoreline stabili- project cost, not Including other state grants or zation: legislative appropriations. Bond money will only be allocated to projects on sites controlled by City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-5 public agencies. In the tourism category, prior- provement Act (Act 233 of 1987), and the Local ities are given to projects which: create new and Road Improvements and Operation Revenue Act innovative recreation-related tourism attrac- (Act 237 of 1987, as amended). The acts win be tions; involve partnerships between the public in effect forfiveyears. when theywill be reviewed and private sector; and projects for which feasi- for continuation by the legislature. bility studies have been conducted which dem- The Local Road Improvements and Opera- onstrate local, regionaL and statewide economic tion Revenue Act authorizes county road com- benefits. missions to impose a vehicle registration fee and The City has received preliminary approval use these funds for road improvements. This Act of a $62,500 recreation bond fund grant for has had little utility, however, because the fee improving the beachhouse facilities at Oval must be approved by a public vote. Michigan Beach. voters in 3 counties rejected proposed fees in the November 1988 election. Many counties chose Recreation Improvement Fund not to even put it on the ballot, fearing the same The Recreation Improvement Fund was cre- result. ated from State fuel tax revenue. About The Road Construction and Improvement $750,000 per year is being targeted for develop- Act (Act 233) provides funding through the ment of non-motorized trails (hiking, bicycle, transportation economic development fund only cross-country. and nature trails). No application to rural counties (less than 400,000 population) forms or criteria have yet been prepared, but the with a national lakeshore, national park, or in Recreation Division is encouraging local govern- which 34% or more of the land is commercial ments to submit proposals based on local deter- forest land. Then a portion of the remaining mination of need, location, and financing. funds are available for use for county, city, and village street improvements. Local Facility Development Grants The Transportation Economic Development These grants come from a number of fund- Fund allocates money for the purposes of bring- ing sources and are available for planning, de- ing county roads to a season highway stan- sign, or development of local recreational dards. This is important because heavy trucks facilities. The Village of Douglas received can only travel regularly on all season roads. $11,000 through this program in FY 1987-88 for The Transportation Economic Development improvement of its boat launch site on Act also offers counties, cities, and villages the Kalamazoo Lake. opportunity to compete for additional funding on special projects with economic development Land Acquisition Grants objectives. This competitive grant is awarded by Land acquisition grants are available for the State Highway Commission. Qualified proj- projects aimed at open space preservation, park ect categories are listed below: creation or expansion; acquisition of environ- (a) Economic development road projects in mental resources such as sand dunes. woodlots, any of the following targeted industries: or wetland areas; waterfront access sites; and agriculture or food processing: tourism; for- many other land acquisition projects intended estry, high technology research; manufac- for (passive or active) recreational purposes. turing; office centers solely occupied by the owner or not less than 50,000 square feet Watenvays Fund occupying more than 3 acres of land. The Waterways Division of the Department (b) Projects that result in the addition of of Natural Resources offers grants for the pur- county roads or city or village streets to the pose of developing public boating facilities. The state trunk line system. emphasis is on creating boat access sites and supporting facilities. (c) Projects for reducing congestion on county primary and city major streets Road Funds within urban counties. In 1987, three acts were passed to provide (d) Projects for development within rural a new source of revenue for cities, villages,and counties on county rural primary roads or county road commissions. The Transportation major streets within incorporated villages Economic Development Fund (Act 231 of 1987, and cities with a population of less than as amended), the Road Construction and Im- 5,000. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-6 pro-business exchange in City government (or PUBLJC WORKS FMqMCING jointly with Douglas and Saugatuck Township) In addition to using general fund monies, it modelled after the Michigan Bell Business Re- is often necessary for a community to bond to tention and Expansion Program. (Saugatuck is raise sufficient funds for implementing substan- not eligible for participation in the Michigan Bell tial public improvements. Bonding offers a Business Retention and Expansion program be- method of financing for improvements such as cause it Is not in a Michigan Bell service area.) water and sewer lines, street construction, side- A pro-business exchange creates an atmosphere walks, and public parking facilities. Common of cooperation which benefits both the business municipal bond types include: and the community. 1. General Obligation Bonds - full faith and The role of a pro-business exchange is to credit pledges, the principal amount bor- assist eidsting businesses in finding solutions rowed plus interest must be repaid from for their problems (i.e. inadequate parking, ex- general tax revenues. pansion or relocation needs, etc.) and help make 2. Revenue Bonds - require that the princi- new businesses feel welcome. The exchange pal amount borrowed plus interest be re- would work with area businesses to deten-nine paid through revenues produced from the their needs and appoint an ombudsman to in- public works project the bonds were used form new businesses of local services and con- to finance (often a water or sewer system). tacts. Businesses are often not aware of the services available to them or who to contact for 3. Special Assessment Bonds - require that more information. A brochure could be prepared the principal amount borrowed plus inter- which identifies who to contact for information est be repaid through special assessments on zoning, construction, planning, utilities. and on the property owners in a special assess- taxation. The brochure could also identify per- ment district for whatever public purpose mit fees, tax and utility rates, and transporta- the property owners have agreed (by peti- tion, delivery, freight, health, and financial tion or voting) to be assessed. services available in the area. TAX INCENTWES Poverty The state law permitting communities to The changing economy, higher health care provide property tax incentives for industrial costs, higher literacy and skills requirements for employees, and inflation have seriously hurt the development is Act 198. This Act allows a com- nation's poor, including the elderly on fixed munity to provide tax abatements as an incen- incomes. Social security benefits are the only tive for industrial firms which want to renovate retirement income for about two-thirds of all existing or build new facilities. American retirees, and an estimated one million Michigan residents have no private or public ADDMONAL RECOAUdENDATIONS health insurance. Other Planning & Economic The poor are often overlooked in community Development Assistance development efforts, yet they are the group most in need of public assistance. Over eight percent The City Planning Commission should of the City's residents were living below the maintain regular communication with the poverty level in 1980. That's an annual income County Planning Commission, with the West of less than $3,778 for those under 65, and Michigan Regional Planning Commission, and $3,479 for those 65 and over. with the Allegan County Community Growth The City should continue to monitor the Alliance. These organizations should be encour- number of people in poverty through the census aged to continue their County and regton-wide counts and work with local churches and non- planning and economic development efforts and profit groups to assist them through food drives, to share relevant materials with the City. Like- temporary shelters, or other needed services. wise a copy of this Plan should be forwarded to each of these agencies when adopted. Collection of Trqffic Count Data Pro-Business Alliance A more detailed analysis of street and road One way to strengthen Saugatuck's eco- needs should be undertaken. However, doing so nomic development potential is to establish a is limited by the lack of any systematic and City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 12-7 recent traffic count information. The tri-commu- nity jurisdictions would greatly benefit from jointly purchasing the necessary equipment and undertaking specific traffic counts on a regular basis. The cost and training associated with this is minimal compared to the benefit. Downtown Saugatuck Downtown Saugatuck has a parking prob- lem during the summer months. Low cost solu- tions have been difficult to find. However, discretionary tourist visits are likely being lost on peak days due to limited parking. Expert analysis is needed. Solutions should not Include the establishment of above ground parking structures that significantly alter the character of the area. Public Open Space Acquisition Programs to acquire public open space along the water should be initiated. One option is to create a local nonprofit land conservancy. There are several very effective ones operating in Michigan. Priority should be given to building a trust fund for acquisition and maintenance or tying into existing ones by the Nature Conser- vancy and similar organizations. Periodic Updating and Revisions As these additional studies are undertaken the Plan should be updated to reflect the new information. At a minimum the plan should be comprehensively reviewed and updated at least once every five years. Managing Growth and Change The key to successfully managing future growth and community change is integrating planning into day-to-day decision making and establishing a continuing planning process. The only way to get out of a reactionary mode (or crisis decision making) is by planning and in- suring the tools available to meet a broad range of issues are current and at hand. For that reason it will be especially important that the recommendations of this Plan be implemented as the opportunity presents itself (or revised as circumstances dictate). Many new tools may be made available to local governments over the next few years to manage the growth and change process. It will be a challenge to City officials to pick from among the new tools, those that will provide greater choice over local destiny and quality of life. City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan I 0 APPENDIX A References 0 0 REFERENCES Listed below are some of the key reports, studies, plans, and data sources which were used as references in the preparation of this plan. Other data sources are referenced throughout the plarL DEMOGRAPHICS U.S. Census, Current Population Reports, East North Central 1986 Population and 1985 Per Capita Income Estimates for Counties and Incorporated Places. Series P-26, No. 86-ENC-SC (also referencedfor economic data). U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1980- Summary Tape File 3A (microfiche) for Saugatuck, Saugatuck Township, the Village of Douglas, and Allegan County. HISTORY Joe Armstrong and John Pahl, River & Lake: A Sesquicentennial History OF Allegan County, Michigan, published by the 1835 Committee, 1985. ALAUSTER PLANS Saugatuck Township General Development Plan, prepared for Saugatuck Township by Williams & Works, Inc., 1975. Village of Douglas Land Use Plan, prepared by the Village of Douglas Planning Commission with the assistance of the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, adopted November 19, 1986. Land Use-Village of Saugatuck, prepared by the Saugatuck Planning Commission with the assistance of the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, 1979. NATURAL RESOURCES Michigan Resource Inventory System Database, Department of Natural Resources. Soil Survey of Allegan County. Michigan, United States Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service, March 1987. OWNERSHIP Land Atlas and Plat Book, Allegan County, Michigan, Rockford Map Publishers, Inc., 1987- 1989. Saugatuck Township Plat Book, Township Treasurer's Office, Saugatuck, Township. RECREATION A Parks and Recreation Plan for Allegan County, Michigan, prepared for Allegan County by Williams & Works, Inc., 1986. Saugatuck-Douglas Area Parks and Recreation Plan, prepared by the tri-community area Parks and Recreation Commission, with the assistance of the Saugatuck Public School District, February 1985. S01M WASTE Allegan County Solid Waste Plan, prepared for the Allegan County-Board of Commissioners and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources by the Allegan County Planning Conunission, P.A_ 641 solid Waste Planning Committee, and the West Michigan Regional Planning Commission, September 1983. ECONOMY Real and Personal Property SEV, 1980-88, Michigan Department of Treasury, State Tax Commission. The Economic Impact of Travel on Michigan Counties, prepared for the Michigan Travel Bureau by the U.S. Travel Data Center, July 1988. Travel and Tourism in Michigan: A Statistical Profile, First Edition, Research Monograph # 1, Michigan State University, Travel, Tourism and Recreation Resource Center, 1986. Michigan Employment Security Commission, Bureau of Research & Statistics, Detroit, Michigan. umxms A Feasibility Study on the Utilization of a Single Ground Storage Reservoir, Saugatuck- Douglas Water System, prepared for Kalamazoo Lake Sewer & Water Authority by Holland Engineering, Inc., January 18, 1983. Facilities Plan for Wastewater, prepared by Williams & Works, April 1976. Saugatuck Township Area Utility Service Study, prepared by Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr & Huber, Inc., March 1988. Village of Douglas Water Supply Contamination Problem Evaluation and Recommenda- tions, Wolverine Engineers & Surveyors, Inc., July 1, 1987. Village of Saugatuck Streets and Public Utilities Condition Report, May 1984. Waterworks Reliability Study for Kalamazoo Lake Sewer and Water Authority, prepared by Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr, & Huber, Inc., March 1987. ZONING City of Saugatuck Zoning Ordinance, as amended through October 1989. Saugatuck Township Zoning Ordinance, as amended through October 1989. Village of Douglas Zoning Ordinance, as amended through October 1989. 0 APPENDIX B Demographic, Economic, and Housing Data 0 0 A. DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS 1. Age Cohorts (Raw Data) Saugatuck Douglas Saug. Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- under 1 13 23 25 61 1496 1-2 15 11 26 52 2560 3-4 21 17 56 94 2544 5 3 19 24 46 1289 6 11 6 29 46 1332 7-9 30 36 20 86 4274 10-13 47 59 106 212 5989 14 6 14 47 67 1522 15 17 15 23 55 1642 16 18 23 32 73 1758 17 15 18 34 67 1666 18 19 14 4 37 1392 19 13 16 51 80 1403 20 24 22 34 80 1402 21 14 18 21 53 1230 22-24 50 60 78 188 4267 25-29 106 84 107 297 6706 30-34 92 72 166 330 6503 35-44 101 106 142 349 9306 45-54 136 82 265 483 7820 55-59 59 48 108 215 3927 60-61 21 17 8 46 1172 62-64 27 30 75 132 1882 65-74 138 85 110 333 5151 75-84 57 49 104 210 2555 85+ 26 4 17 47 767 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1980--Summary Tape File 3A, item 15. Detroit, MI, tel. 313-354-4654. 2. Age Cohorts (Aggregated and Percent Comparisons) Age Saugatuck Douglas Saug. Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0-4 49 (4.5) 51 (5.4) 107 (6.3) 207 (5.5) 6,600 (8.1) 5-14 97 (9.0) 134 (14.1) 226 (13.2) 457 (12.2) 14,406 (17.7) 15-24 170 (15.8) 186 (19.6) 277 (16.2) 633 (16.9) 14,760 (18.1) 25-34 198 (18.4) 156 (16.5) 273 (15.9) 627 (16.8) 13,209 (i6.2) 35-44 101 (9.4) 106 (11.2) 142 (8.3) 349 (9.3) 9,306 (11.4) 45-54 136 (12.6) 82 (8.6) 265 (15.5) 483 (12.9) 7,820 (9.6) 55-64 107 (9.9) 95 (10.0) 191 (11.2) 393 (10.5) 6,981 (8.6) 65+ 221 (-20.5) 138 (14.6) 231 (13.5) 590 (15.8) 8,473 (10.4) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: (same as above, 1960 and 1980). 3. Change in Age Cohorts from 1960-1980 - Tri-Community Area Age 1960 M/F 1960 1980 M/F 1980 Change 1960-80 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0-4 121/140 261 (9.8) 113/94 207 (5.5) -20.7% 5-14 274/249 523 (19.6) 233/224 457 (12.2) -12.6% 15-24 133/146 279 (10.5) 325/308 633 (16.9) 126.9% 25-34 129/139 268 (10.1) 337/290 627 (16.8) 134.0% 35-44 170/166 336 (12.6) 170/179 349 (9.3) 3.9% 45-54 142/147 289 (10.9) 239/244 483 (12.9) 67.1% 55-64 115/163 278 (10.4) 192/201 393 (10.5) 41.4% 65+ 196/232 428 (16.1) 231/359 590 (15.8) 37.9% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: (same as above, 1960 and 1980). 4. Place of Birth Saugatuck Douglas Saug. Twp.* Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Michigan 615 (56.9) 577 (60.9) 990 (57.8) 2182 (58.3) 63,771 (78.2) Another State 422 (39.1) 320 (33.8) 598 (34.9) 1340 (35.8) 15,934 (19.5) Born Abroad 5 (0.4) 2 (0.2) 7 (0.2) 227 (0.3) Foreign Born 37 (3.4) 49 (4.4) 124 (7.2) 210 (5.6) 1,623 (2.0) ---- ----------- --- --------- ---- -*-Some-individuals-not-accounted-for ------------------------------------------- Source: (same as above), item 33. 5. Place of Residence - 1975 (Persons 5 years old and over) Saugatuck Douglas Saug. Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Same House 503 (48.6) 423 (47.9) 984 (59.5) 1910 (53.4) 44,575 (59.3) Same County 187 (18.0) 156 (17.6) 144 (8.7) 487 (13.6) 15,428 (20.5) Another County 228 (22.0) 198 (22.4) 244 (14.7) 670 (18.7) 10,923 (14.5) Another State 117 (11.3) 103 (11.6) 280 (16.9) 500 (14.0) 3,962 (5.2) Abroad 8 (0.9) 8 (0.2) 241 (0.3) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: (same as above), item 34. 6. Household Characteristics Saugatuck Douglas Saug. Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total HHs 537 391 633 1561 27,282 Ave. HH size 2.00 2.44 2.69 2.39 2.95 2 parent fam, 219 222 411 852 19,520 Female HH head 41 31 28 100 1,911 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Source: (same as above), items 10 and 20 7. Marital Status Saugatuck Saug Twp Douglas -------------------------------------------------------- Single 262 (28.1%) 325 (23.9%) 177 (23,2%) Married 467 (50.1%) 849 (62.5%) 449 (58.8%) Separated 25 (2.7%) 28 (2.1%) 16 (2.1%) Widowed 107 (11.5%) 75 (5.5%) 66 (8.7%) Divorced 72 (7.7%) 82 (6.0%) 55 (7.2%) -------------------------------------------------------- Source: (same as above), item 26. B. HOUSING STOCK 1. Structure Type Saugatuck Douglas Saug Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total units 772 529 850 2,151 31,864 Year Round Units 569 406 734 1,709 28,985 1 in Structure 385 290 636 1,311 23,190 2 in Structure 49 20 32 101 1,001 3 and 4 in Struct 68 16 - 84 583 5 or more 60 40 - 100 1,199 Mobile Homes 7 40 66 113 3,012 Vacant, Seasonal, & Migratory 203 123 116 442 2,879 1 in Structure 150 108 106 364 2,250 2 in Structure 6 11 5 22 51 3-4 in Structure 18 4 - 22 57 @5 or more 29 - 29 153 Mobile Home/Trailer - 5 5 368 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1980--Summary Tape File 3A, item 102/103. Detroit, MI, tel. 313-354-4654 2. Year Structure Built - Year Round Units Saugatuck Douglas Saug Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1975-80 36 (6.3) 22 (5.5) 72 (9.8) 130 (7.6) 3568 (12.3) 1970-74 19 (3.3) 46 (11.3) 116 (15.8) 181 (10.6) 4326 (14.9) 1960-69 51 (9.0) 81 (19.9) 133 (18.1) 265 (15.5) 4458 (15.4) 1950-59 73 (12.8) 32 (7.9) 99 (13.5) 204 (11.9) 3647 (12.6) 1940-49 56 (9.8) 36 (8.9) 68 (9.3) 160 (9.4) 2507 (8.6) Pre 1940 334 (58.7) 189 (46.5) 246 (33.5) 769 (45.0) 10479 (36.2) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: (same as above), item 109. 3. Occupancy Saugatuck Douglas Saug Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Total Units 772 529 850 2,151 31,864 Owner occupied 334 (43.2) 271 (5l..2) 531 (62.4) 1,136 (52.8) 22,271 (69.8) Renter occupied 205 (26.5) 117 (22.1) 117 (13.7) 439 (20.4) 4,961 (15.5) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ source: (same as above), item 97. C. ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 1. Type of Employment Saugatuck Douglas Saug Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Private Wage/Salary 402 (73.5) 333 (76.9) 492 (71.4) 1227 (73.5) 26697 (78.5) Federal Gov. 7 (1.3) 1 (0.2) 11 (1.6) 19 (1.1) 308 (0.9) State Gov. 21 (3.8) 25 (5.8) 2 (0.3) 67 (4.0) 775 (2.3) Local Gov. 49 (9.0) 33 (7.6) 56 (8.1) 138 (12.0) 3022 (8.9) Self Employed 68 (12.4) 40 (9.2) 92 (13.4) 200 (12.0) 2977 (8.7) Unpaid Family Worke 1 (0.2) 17 (2.5) 18 (1.0) 246 (0.7) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: (same as above), item 67. 2. Real Property SEV - 1988 Saugatuck Twp/Douglas Area County County (% ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Residential 21,167,486 43,730,725 64,898,211 604,509,215 66.2 Commercial 10,677,205 9,402,800 20,080,005 101,799,772 11.1 Industrial 779,150 1,126,200 1,905,350 50,272,956 5.5 Agricultural N/C 2,661,790 2,661,790 153,232,546 16.8 Developmental N/C 430,733 430,733 3,251,687 0.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: Michigan Department of Treasury, State Tax Commission, 1988. Lansing, MI, tel. 517-373-1091. 3. Total Annual Real Property SEV - 1980-88 Year Saugatuck Douglas Saug Twp.* Saug. Twp.** Area ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1980 13,709,600 10,560,200 18,482,350 42,752,150 42,752,150 1981 15,682,000 11,723,580 21,042,164 48-,447,744 48,447,744 1982 18,314,033 13,341,647 23,287,428 54,943,108 54,943,108 1983 20,855,000 15,101,800 25,691,300 61,648,100 61,648,100 1984 25,831,436 16,848,894 27,155,345 69,835,675 69,835,675 1985 27,382,650 18,756,700 28,922,650 47,679,350 75,062,000 1986 29,737,980 20,321,283 30,023,509 50,344,792 80,082,772 0 1987 32,727,560 21,957,626 32,464,745 54,422,371 87,149,931 ---- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- ---------- not including Villages. including Saugatuck and Douglas through 1984 and Douglas only after 1984. Source: Michigan Department of Treasury, State Tax Commission, 1988. Lansing, MI, tel. 517-373-1091 4. Annual Average Employment -Tri-Community Area Year Ave. Emp. ------------------------------- 1980 1,491 1981 1,527 1982 1,555 1983 1,613 1984 1,695 1985 1,656 1986 1,175 1987 2,461 1988 2,550 1989 2,700 ------------------------------- Source: Michigan Employment Security Commission, Field Analysis Unit. Detroit, Michigan, tel. 313-876-5427. 5. Persons in Poverty by Age Saugatuck Douglas Saug Twp. Area County ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Less than 55 67 77 83 227 5181 55-59 3 6 - 9 281 60-64 8 - - 8 206 65+ 15 24 39 78 1127 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Source: U.S. Census of Population and Housing, 1980--Summary Tape File 3A, item 93. Detroit, MI, tel. 313-354-4654. 0 APPENDIX C Public Opinion Survey Responses 0 0 CITY OF SAIJIGATUCK PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY RESULTS PAUL HARRIS: ASSISTANT RESEARCH DIRECTOR RESPONSE RATE WE SENT 726 SURVEYS FROM OAKLAND UNIVERSITY USING THE MAIL LABELS FROM THE CITY. WE RECEIVED (as of 11/29/88) 372 SURVEYS FROM THIS MAILING, PRODUCING A RESPONSE RATE OF 51.2 PERCENT. IN ADDITION, WE RECEIVED 11 RENTER SURVEYS WHICH WERE DISTRIBUTED BY THE TOWNSHIP. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SURVEYS USED IN THE FORTHCOMING ANALYSES IS: 363. COMMUNITY VALUES _Q_.l Importance of things people look for in a community. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED 1 & 2= NOT IMPORTANT, 4& 5= IMPORTANT, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED NOTIMPORTANT IMPORTANT small town atmosphere 5.9% 85.4 quiet town 16.8X 70.3% friendly people 3.3% 94.3% attractive/beutiful surroundings 2.7X 94.0% good place to raise children 31.6% 57.8% traditional values 34.9% 49.OX religious opportunities 36.2% 46.2% freedom to be myself 13.22 75.9% chance to get involved in local org's 35.3% 37.9X low crime rate 4.4X 9 1.0X good school system 14.1% 64.OX low tax rates 6.9% 78.32 close to larger cities 20.4% 54.7% convenient shopping appRrtunites 27.4X 49.4% availability of good housing 19.0% 53.9% family in the area 56.6X 25.5X job in area 40.8X 43.9% water based recreation nearby 14.6% 66.4X not industrialized 23.7% 46.9X 1).2-. How has the community changed. CHECKED better place to live -52lix stayed about the same 43.2% worse place to live 24.OX -Q -- I As the area grows and changes, which best describes Sau tuck. 1= small village, 2= bedroom communily, 3= Holland suburb, 4-- Smaplacity 4 community as is TM community as would like it to be 65.3X 11.7% 2.7X 20.3X community as think it will be 19.7X 19AX 2 I.BX 39.4X .Q.A How would you rate the communites on the following. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= POOR, 4 & 5= GOOD, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED POOR business climate 26.6% churches 0.0 68.2X community events 28.4X 47.5X entertai nment 41.7X 36.BX g eneral appearance I 0.9X 71.9X ousing 34AX 25.2X ob 63.BX 9.3X location 4.6X 93.OX medical care 45.0 27.7X recreation 12.2X 67.6X restaurants 24.5X 50.BX cont EOOR GOOD rolas 43.1% 34.5X schools 10.5% 62.6% senior citizen services 26.0% 38.BX shopping . 43.0% 39.0% social services 47.0 15.4X taxes 65.7% 10.2% COMMUNITY PROBLEMS .9.6.- Problems faced by the communities, how important are they to you. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= NOT A PROBLEM, 4 & 5= PROBLEM, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED NOT A PROBLEM PROBLEM violent crime 88.0% 5.3% property crime 73.6X 13.9X vandal i sm 73.3% 12.8% teens w/ nothying to do 31.8% 49.6X drugs 29.2X 44.3% alcohol 28.8X 49. 1 X unemployment 50.8X 21.7% now job opportunities 19.9% 52.5X housing shortages 33.5% 38.1% public recreation 66.5X 22.9% too much development 50.8% 36.8X not enough development 63.1% 22.6X lack of health care... 35.2% 55.2% trafic safety 65.OX 18.7X parking daowntown Saug. 32.0% 65.BX skateboards/bikes downtown Saug. 56.1% 22.OX run down property 60.2% 27.6% I itter downtown area 66.5X 18.5% litter along blue star HwU. 61.1% 21.5% appearance of bus. along Blue 54.7% 32.5X con estion at oval beach 66.6X 12.2% qua Ity oval beach facilities 57.4% 25.7X access to waterbodies 60.5% 24.3X local schools 65. 1 X 4.4X city cloy St servi ces 44.5X 40.5% county goy't services 28.6% 27.OX leadership elected officials 35.0 42.5X Inadequate taxes 60.6% 12.4X inadequate local planning 33.1% 53.0 inadequate local development 37.9X 45.0% erosi on & f I oddi n 47.6% 39.4% contamination dnling water 21.6% 46.5% water quality 22.4% 57.OX wetlands 43.0% 35.7% sand dunes 40.4% 38.4% other any. destruction 37.5X 18.2X inad. senior programs 46.9% 23.6% erosion along lakashore Dr. 14.4% 74. 1 X inad. water supply 35.2% 40.5% inad. sewer service 47.1% 21.3% snowmobiling on public roads 57.6X 16.0% SHOPPINS & SERVICES B.- Where do you go most often for the following things. I = Saulat=k, 2= Hol I and, 3= cl ose to work, 4= better seryi ce, 5= mo choice, 6= lower cost 1 2 3 4 5 6 app] I ances 29.7% 21M 7.1% 2.4% -M TT3X allLo/truck sales 0.0% 68.0% 9.1% 3.6% 13.9% 5.4% auto /truck services 16.OX 56.3% 10.1% 3.0% 11.1% 5.4% bakery goods 78.1% 14.1% 6.3% 0.0% 0.9% 0.6% banki ng 77.4% 11.3% 8.6X 0.0% 1.8% 0.9% beautician/barber 73.7% 10.4% 9.3% 5.4% 0.6% 0.6% books 37.1% 31.3% 7.7% 3.8% 17.6% 2.6% car wash 51.1% 41.5% 5.6% 0.0% 0.0% 1.9% clothing 14.0% 42.9% 12.5% 3.0% 24.7% 3.OX day care 85.9% 9.8% 2.2% 2.2% 0.0% 0.0% dept.store 0.6% 56.1% 12.BX 1.8X 27.3% 1.5% dry cleaners 42.5X 49.2% 4.8% 0.0% 1.0% 2.6% family restaurants 64.7% 30.2X I.2X 0.0% 3.OX 0.9% f ancy restaurants 38.6% 39.8% 5.0% 2.8% 12.9% 0.9% f ast f ood 2.0% 79.3% 5.3% 0.0% 13.3% 0.0% f I ower shop 74.7% 15.7% 4.4% 0.0% 4.4X 0.7% furniture 15.3X 34.3X 10.6% 0.6X 29.6% 5.6% g rocerles 56.2% 37.9% 2.7% 0.0% 0.9% 2.4% ardware 71.4% 24.6% 2.6% O.OX 0.9X 0.6% laundromat 86.7% 10.7% 2.7% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% I awn & garden sup. 38.1% 47.3% 4.3% O.OX 4.9% 5.5X lumber 64.9% 20.9% 4.1% 3.4% 5.1% 1.7% medical services 36.5X 43.8X I 0.8X 3.BX 5.2% O.OX movies 0.0% 90.3% 3.3% 0.0% 6.4% 0.0% pharmacy 77.1% 15.BX UX OM 1.5% 1.8% sporting goods 8.3% 66.4% 7.3% 0.7% 11.1% 6.2% 0,10: Approve or di sapprove of f uture commerci a] devel opment. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= DISAPPROVE, 4& 5= APPROVE, 3= HAS BEEN OMIITED DIS6eP8PVE APPROVE in small shopping centers 26.8% -47.5Z- in one large shopping center 48.9% 24.5X in downtown Saug. 53.9% 37.8% in downtown Douglas 51.0% 37.3% in scattered commercial areas 45.9% 30.6% in strip commercial areas 67.6X 17.9X nowhere 59. 1 x 10.8% g.1 1: Where should new commercial development occur. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= DISAPPROVE, 4 & 5= APPROVE, 3= HAS BEEN OMI ITED DISAEPR VE APPROVE a on North Blue Star Hwy. 25.4% --59.4% a on South Blue Star Hwy. 17.9X 69.8X a ong Butler St. in Saugatuck 56.3% 24.9% along Water St. in Saugatuck 50.8X 29.5X along Lake St. in Saugatuck 50.8% 22.7% along M-89 outside of Fennville 31.6% 37AX at freeway Interchanges 16.22 60.6% DOWNTOWN g.12: What are your priorities for Saugatuck's downtown. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= LOW PRIORITY, 4 & 5z HIGH PRIORITY, 3= HAS BEEN OMI ITED LOW PEJORITY HIGH ERIORITY additional public restrooms B3.9% 7.2% benches for pedestrians 51.2% 36.6% control truck traffic 36.02 48.0% dress up store fronts 48.8% 40.8X f I owers & I andscape 34.7% 55.1% historic preservation 22.5% 64.6% resident oriented businesses 27.1% 43.3% more parking 25.0 70.5% tourist oriented businesses 51.3% 26.1% new lighting 45.6% 38.4% offices 60.5% 18.7% reduce car traf f i c 49.0% 31.3% restaurants 53.1% 35.1% shopping 47.1% 38.5% waterfront retail businesses 59.12 26.02 waterfront wholesale business 83.6% 6AX waterfront boat services 45.6% 40.9% waterfront park 35.6% 52.7% 13: Do you f eel there i s a parki ng prob] em other then between Memorial Day and Labor Day in downtown Saugatuck. yes= 24.8% no= 72.2% uncertain= 2.4X 9.14.- Which of the following options do you prefer for providing additional parking downtown. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= DISAGREE, 4& 5= AGREE, 3= HAS BEEN 0M1ITED DIS6GRgE AGREE demolish old public works build. 32.6% 50.6X aquire add. public property 47.52 38.4X I eave problem for downtown bus. 61.5X 25.6X create partnership... 32.6X 3B.BX INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT _Q.16-. Does the area need more industrial develo ment. (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agrX I= 22.6X, 2= 11.2%, 3= 9.9X, 4= 1 6.4X, 5= 35.9X RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT 0.17: What type of residential development is needed in Saugatuck. T-5-needed now.. 2= needed later, 3= not needed, 4= don't know) 1 4 apartments 3M Im attached single... 29.5X 18.7X 38.5X 13.3X detached single... 50-70) 52.6X 1 1.7X 29.5X 6. 1 X detached single ... RM 33.7X 17.7X 36.2X 12.4X waterfront condos 4.82 2.5X 90.4X 2.2% low income housing 40.2% 4.5X 48.9X 6.4X mobile homes 4.9% 8.6X 71.4X 15AX seniors housing 30AX - 14AX 38AX 17.7X -Q. 18-- Would you favor lowering the min. square footage to make housing more aTf ordabl e. (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree) I= 29.8%, 2= 13.8%, 3= 21.4ZO 4--6.2%.- 5= 20.7% _Q. 19: Now housi ng shoul d be bui I t at a densi ty that i s... =higher than, 2= lower than, 3= same as, 4= uncertain) 1 4 Saug. waterfront of Lk.Kal. -M -M on the hill in Saugatuck 21.4% 23.6% 50.5% 4.5% in downtown Saugatuck 5.8% 32.9% 53.1% 8.2% in downtown DouNas 22.8% 9.7X 39.1% 28.4X the shore of Lk. 16.7X 22.2% 45.7% 15.4% agr. areas Saug. twp. 42.7% 5.5X 14.7% 37.2% RECREATION _Q.20-. Type of additional recreational facilities are needed in the Saugatuck area. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= LOW PRIORITY, 4 & 5= HIGH PRIORITY, 3= HAS BEEN OMI ITED 6= TOO FEW TO LIST LOW PRIORITY HIGH PRIORITY basketball courts 51.3% 14.8% bike paths 16.7X 68.0% boat launching ramps 33.1% 45.0% camping 45.0 32.1% community center 42.OX 33.6% cross country ski trails 25.0% 61.5% f i tness center 35.4X 33.9X golf course 59.9% 115AX 1king trails 27.0% 62.4X horseback trails 51.5X 18.2X ice rink 46.4X 37.7X Lk. front open space Lk. MI) 25.6X 60.7X Lk. front open spaceO.Kal) 3 l.8X 49.7X public Marines 39.4% 36.9% private marinas 60.3% 10.6X movie theater 43.9% 37.7X nel hborhood playgrounds 60.OX 20.4X pm 46.1% 41AX picnic areas 49.7X 31.3% raquetball courts 72.4% 5.2X riverfront open spece(Kal river) 28.8% 48.6% senior citizen center 30.0% 24.5X shuff Is board 50.9% 17.0% softball fields 62.2% 16.6X swimming pool(s) 46.9% 36.7% tennis courts 53.OX 23.7X WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENT & SURFACE WATER QUALITY _Q.2 1,. Whi ch of the f ol I owi ng best desri be your use (s) of nearby water bodies. (VALUES REPRESENT PERCENT CHECKED) I' 1111on 71% X AX OAX 2hx nIng 6.BX *68.7% swirnm 6.3X 4.7X sunbathing BAX 6.8X 56.9X 4.2X fishing(boat) 10.3X 12.OX 33.7X 6.BX con,. is s% I 1h ng(shore) I RX �5 nature study - 28.2X 24.8X 34.7X 10.0 sailing 1 1.7Z 17.2X 35.2X 3.4X windsurfing 3.4 6.8X I 8.8X 3.7X waterskiing 10.2X 12.5X 21.7X 8.9X powerboating 24.8X -31AX 39.7X I 4.6X scuba diving I.Ox 0.5X 8.4 0.5X waterf owl hunt. 7.8X l.0X 1.3X 4.2X ice fishing 4.2X 5.2X 0.BX 6.8X ice skating 0.5X 4.4X l.0X 2AX cross country ski. 10.2X 9. 1 X 12.5X 5.5X snowmobiling 2.6X IM 2.9X 2.IX iceboating 1.3X 2.9X 0.8X 1.6X other ----- ----- ----- ----- I dont use it 6.OX 5.OX 3AX 22.7X -Q.22-. Which term best describes @our opinion of the present water quality of the following water bodies. K very good A AX A& AX ? ood 6.7X 5.OX 32.OX 8.9x air 15.2X 20.0 30.2X 21.7X poor 32AX 28.5X 9.2X 17.BX very poor 31.2X 33. 1 X 4.OX 8.5X don t know I 1.5X 9.6X 7AX 40.9X P.23: Based on your experience in recent years the water quality of the following water bodies has. , improved greatl A i Ax id-La" 7% improved Mightt l6.8X 13.6X 19.9X 9.5X stayed the same 30.6X 32.2X 35.BX 25.OX deteriorated sliahtlu 17.6X 18.9x 20.8X 5.9X deteriotated grAtIT 12.4 12.3X 5.9X 2.6X don't know 12.4 12.OX 7.OX 49.OX _0.24.- Indication of feeling about the adequacy of the following facilities on each water body. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= INADEQUATE, 4& 5= ADEQUATE, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED DESCRI-PTIUN KR INAD ADO INAPADQ boatlounch 45.3 33.2 43.1 34.0 boat slips@r) 21.1 41.9 20.2 45.6 23.5 17.5 19.6 24.9 boat slips c) 9.2 56.9 9.1 64.3 20.6 20.6 13.7 27.5 marinas 18.9 55.9 19.6 60.3 20.7 24.7 16.6 22.5 swim.beaches 26.2 36.9 28.6 32.8 14.9 77.3 11.4 20.4 boat service 18.7 42.0 14.7 46.9 19.4 27.6 9.7 21.8 pumpout foci 1. 24.5 35.3 18.4 37.6 19.4 18.8 12.5 18.0 f I sh cl eani ng 29.2 33.0 28.7 33.1 20.3 19.2 17.2 17.8 camp grouds 39.0 26.3 41.5 27.7 51.7 17.2 39.3 17.7 parks 26.9 45.0 26.3 419.7 20.7 52.0 32.3 17.7 public rest. 32.7 39.6 30.1 42.3 45.8 28.9 22.8 19.9 other pub. acc. 37.0 20.0 35.8 17.9 33.3 25.7 27.0 18.9 des boat morn 44.9 26.8 44.4 25.9 36.4 21.4 28.2 19.9 des no wake 27.2 49.0 25.7 47.8 13.1 42.3 17.8 37.8 _Q.25- Should the City actively cooperate in the construction of an areawide marina. (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree) I= 33.6%, 2= 13.8%.4 3= 11.9%41 4= 8.9%, 5= 31.7% OTHER LAND USE QUESTIONS Do you think summertime festivals are good for the Saugatuck area. yes= 76.8%, no= 11. 1 %, uncertain= 11.6% %Z7.- Which, if any, of the following types of "home occupations" do you favor being permitted in residentially zoned areas. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I& 2= OPPOSE, 4 & 5= FAVOR, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED OPPOSE FAVOR bed & breakfast 28.4% rrx hairdressers/barbers 44.8% 40.2% music lessons 6.7% 84.4% dancelessons 11.3% 76.7% accounting/tax prep. 13.0% 72.1% law offices 34.3% 43.9% medical offices 44.6% 42.6% adult foster care 36.0% 42.5X day care 26.6% 49.4% .avon-, -amway- 34.1% 49.5% typing services 13.0% 71.2% dressmaking/alt. 9.3% 78.3% ceramics 39.8% 37.0% clothing boutiques 60.8% 22.0% bakery 66.9% 19.5% pizzaFia 70.9X 16.3% small engine repair 59.0% 20.1% antique sales 48.2X 37.8% ])I&- What are your priorities for Blue Star Highway. NOTE: ORIGINAL PRESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= LOW, 4& 5= HIGH, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED LOW HIGH better lighting 30.9% ST-B uniform sign controls 31.3% 52.3% improve traffic flow 32.5% 48.0% add a center turn I ane 23.2X 50.8% install public sewer 27.1% 41.2X install public water 30.3% 38.7% improve drainage 31.8% 35.0% improve appearance 23.0% 66.8% create commercial stri 43.4% 37.3% more tourist orientateTbus. 58.5% 28.3% more shopping 34.5% 41.1% more industrq 29.3% 49.8% more personal services 38.0% 47.9% more auto services 42.5% 35.41 more off ices 35.3% 30.0% fast food rest.s 40.1% 50.0% drive thru businesses 40.0% 40.4% no changes 61.1% 19.2% cont. -LOW- beffek lane striping T1W 9% resurfacing 13.OX 65.3% uniform speed limit 34.6% 56.6X bike both 22-4 69.9% more tress 33-7X 48.0 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION _Q.29: What limitations, if any, should be imposed on development in each of the following areas. (1= no new development, 2= very low density, 3= moderate density) (4= No special regulation) 4 forested sand dunes Aa 1.9 open sand dunes 84.0 10.4X 1.6X 2.5X wetlands& swamps adjoining 73.1% 16.2% 6.4 4.2% wetlands & swamps inland 70.6% 12.7X 13.3X 3.4X a on the Kal. river 39.0% 32.8% 19.5% B.Ox along Kal. lake 39.OX 31.9% 21.5X 7.6X along Lk. MI 34.8% 43.6% 16.8% 4.8% along Silver Lk. 35.3X 20.2X 24.5X 12AX PUBLIC SERVICES 0.30: How would you rate the following local public services. NOTE ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= POORIP 4 & 5= GOOD, 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED mm ambul once 3M animal control 42.0% 14.9X building inspections 37.OX 24AX fire protection 6.8X 7 I.OX f i rst responder unit 6.7X 69.7X Inturban bus 6.5X 73.8X land use planning 65.6% 13.5X libra 17.9X 65.2% otherlity Hall services 37.4X 3 I.OX parking in downtown 64.9% 9.7X park maintainace 25.9X 55.7X playground equip. 29.8X 38.3% police protection 17.2X 53.2X property assessment 49.9X 24.6% public boat launches 45.5X 22.7X schools K-6 6.8% 63.3% schools 7-12 9.1X 58.0% schools- community ed. 10.5x 60.8% sewer service 20.8% 53.5X snow removal 8.7X 61.3X storm drainage 25.6X 35.6X street lighting 32.2% 35.4X street maintainance 46.2% 22.2% street resurf acing 68.2% 9.3X water service 24.9X 4 LOX waterfront maintenance 31.6X 20.0% zoning enforcement 46.OX 23.7X _Qll-. What are your priorities for how the City spends your tax dollars. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= LOW, 4& 5= HIGHO 3= HAS BEEN OMITTED LOW HIGH preyenting crime ff. -5X 82.9X enf orci ng ordinances 16.9X 58.9% traf f I c enf orcement 27.OX 53.4% fire protection IAX 9 I'8X ambulance seryice 10.4% 72.9X water supply 7AX 86. 1 X sewer seryice 8.3X 83.9% street repair 2.3X 78.7% park & recreation 31.6X 48.3X improye parking downtown 37.6X 40.BX senior programs 41. 1 X 22.5% improye CiFty appearance 23.2X 55AX plan for future 13.3X 79.7X waterfront i mproyement 24.8X 56.2% interurban bus 39.6X 41.1% economic deyelopment 23. 1 X 42.2X g.32:1 How frequently do you use the following seryices. 0= neyer, 2= less than I time/month, 3= one time/month) (4= one time/week.. 5= more often) 1 2 3 4 5 recycling center 79.2% 8.7X 8.7% 3.4X 0.0X interurb. bus seryice 66.9X 27.OX 0.6X 1.4X 4.1% riyer bluf park 64.8% 26.4 4.5X 0.6% 3.7% Saug-Doug library 34.9X 46.4 12.OX 3.0 3.4X ovalbeach 9.8% 28.2X 21.IX 18.0 22.5% Douglas beach 68.7% 17.9X 7.5% 0.BX 5.0% sun down nark 84.7X 1 O.BX 3. 1 X 0.8X 0.6X Shultz pa&- 64.5% 26.2% 3.7X 3.0 2.3% Saug Dunes St. park 52.8X 26.8X 13. 1 X IAX 6.IX beery field 78.2X 12. 1 X 2.5% 2.8X 4.2X wicks park 5 1.8X 22.4 8.3X 12,2X 5.3X other parks 67.4% 1 B.OX 11.4% 1.2X 2.1% City Hall seryices 30.8X 38.7% 21.5X 6.OX 3.OX _Q.33: If it meant an increase in general property taxes, which of the f ol I wi ng seryl ces do you thi nk Saugatuck shoul d I ncrease or add. CHECKED police protection ITSX fire protection 13.8% better St. maintenance 37.3% more parking 28.7% better water quality 48.8% better sidewalk 25.6% sidewalk snow remoyal 10.0 now street lighting 16.7X more f I owers; & trees 20.9% community Rec. center 18.82 seniors center 11.5% industrial park 14.9% drainage control 9.4X trash collection 23.5X .Q,M- c o n t. -C-HECKED combined maint. garage - 7M. economic development 10.7X 24hr. medical service 34.2% community pool 25AX .0.34.- Which of the following statements is closet to your position on government services and property taxes. ,CHECKED nice to have better services, but... 63.OX I would like better government services,... 13.1% local government tries to do to much,... 15.0% other 8.9X -Q.35: Place a check before each of the follwing City boards/ commissions at which you have attended a meeting in the last 2 years. C-HECKED city council 52-.SX planning commision 38.1% zoning board of appeals 21.4X board of review(taxes 17.5% school board 8.6% Saug twp. fire district 5.2X interurban trans. system 5.2X Kai. Lk. water& Sewer Auth. 12.5% _Q.36-: How responsive do you feel these parts of local government are to Saugatuck citizens. NOTE: ORIGINAL RESPONSES HAVE BEEN COLLAPSED I & 2= NOT RESPONS I VEP 4 & 5= RESPONS I VE, 3= HAS BEEN OM ITTED -1 NOT Rg5PPNSIVE RESPON51VE city council 50.0% 29.1% planning commision 44.7% 31.0% zoning board of appeals 39-3X 23.6X board of reyiew(taxes) 49.8X 13.0X school board 21.5% 39.9X Saug. twp. fire district 3.5% 57.4X -interurban trans. system 22.5% 37.02 Kai. Lk. water & Sewer Auth. 33.5X 31.6X 1).37: Should the City adopt a policy of consolida ting services with other governmental units. yes= 58.02, no= 7.5%, uncertain 34.5% Q,30: If yes, what services should be consolidated. NOTE: THESE VALUES CORRESPOND TO THE PERCENT WHO ANSWERED "YES" ABOVE CHECKED sewer 52.2X water 54.OX strorm water 37AX -Q.38-. cont. CHECKED police BUTT- street & roads 44.4% parks & summer Rec. 41.81 planning 44.1% zoning 44.9% building permits 30.5X city manager 28.5% comb. Yehfcal maint. 36.8X other Should the City of Saugatuck, the Village of Douglas and the Township of Saugatuck consolidate into a single unit of government. yes= 52.8%, no= 47.2% BACKGROUNDINFORMATION 9.40: Are you a registerd voter. yes= 85.41, no= 14.6% _Q.41-. How many years have you resided in the City of Saugatuck. CH@CKED less than 1 2.1% 1- 5 15.2% 5 - 10 21AX 10-20 29.1% more than 20 32.5X Q.42: How many more years do you think you will stay in the Saugatuck area. CHECKgD less than one 3.9X I - 3 5.6% 4 - 10 20.8% more then 10 yrs 69.6% !).43: How man months of each year do you typically reside in the Saugatul 60.8% responded that length of stay is 12 months 9.5% responded that length of stay is less than 6 months _Q,4& Please check each of the following that apply to you. C-HECKED residential property owner 94.OX renter 3.4% own or manage a business in area 11.7% -Q.45: Which of the following best represents where you live. CHgCKED on the dunes/bluff along Lk. MI 2.7% on the dunes along Kalamazoo Lake 0.5x elsewhere along Kalamazoo Lake 16.3% along Kalamazoo River 12.2X .9.45.- cont. CHKCKEQ alon Silver Lake 0.0% SIM ere along the Kai. river 2.2% on hill in Saug. 45.3X else. in Saug. 16.0% near downtown Doug. 1.4% else. in Doug 1.1% in Arg. area of Saug. twp. 0.5% else. in Saug. twp. 0.0% _Q.46- What is the highest level of education you have finished. CHECKED less than high school lAx high school graduate 12.3% some college 18.6% associate*s or technical degree 1.6X college graduate 36.7% grad. or prof. degree 29.6% _Q.47: Please provide the followin information abouteach person that Sol d. normal I y I i Yes i n your house AVERAGE AGE OF RESPONDENTS 54.32 SEX OF RESPONDENTS male 63.3% f emal e 36. 1 X EMPLOYMENT STATUS OF RESPONDENTS employed 67.3% not employed 32.7% COMMUNITY Douglas 7.5% City of Saugatuck 44.0% Saun Township 0.5% Hoffind 24.1% other 23.7% PERCENT OF RESPONDENTS RETIRED 38.3% 0 APPENDIX D Soil Types - Tri-Community Area so 0 SOIL TYPES - TRI-COMMUNITY AREA 0 LIMITATIONS FOR LIMITATIONS FOR SOIL TYPE SEPTIC TANK DWELLINGS WITH AND SLOPE SOIL NUMBER ABSORPTION FIELDS BASEMENTS CATEGORY A - SANDY, RAPID PERMEABILITY, LOW WATER TABLE Chelsea loamy fine sand, 0-6% 44B SE4 SL Chelsea loamy fine sand, 6-12% 44C SE4 MD1 Chelsea loamy fine sand, 12-18% 44D SE1, SE4 SE1 Chelsea loamy fine sand, 18-30% 44E SE1, SE4 SE1 Oakville fine sand, 0-6% 10B SE4 SL Oakville fine sand, 6-18% 10C SE4 MD1 Oakville fine sand, 18-45% 10E SE1, SE4 SE1 Oakville fine sand, loamy substratum, 0-6% 53B SE3, SE5, SE4 SL Urban land - Oakville complex, 0-6% 72B SL SE4 CATEGORY 13 - SANDY, RAPID PERMEABILITY, HIGH WATER TABLE Brady sandy loam, 0-3% 19A SE3 SE3 Covert sand, 04% 57A SE3, SE4 MD3 Matherton loam, 0-3% 22A SE3, SE4 SE3 Metea loamy fine sand, 1-6% 27B SE4, SE5 SL Metea loamy fine sand, 6-12% 27C SE4, SE5 MD1 Morocco fine sand, 0-3% 70A SE3, SE4 SE3 Morocco-Newton complex, 0-3% 15B SE3, SE4 SE3 Pipestone sand, 04% 26A SE3, SE4 SE3 Thetford loamy fine sand, 04% 51A SE3 SE3 Tedrow fine sand,0-4% 49A SE3, SE4 SE3 CATEGORY C - WET, HEAVY, SLOW PERMEABILITY Blount silt loam, 1-4% 41B SE3, SE5 SE3 Capac loam, 0-6% 16B SE3, SE5 SE3 Capac-Wixom complex, 14% 21B SE3, SE5 SE3 Glynwood clay loam, 1-6% 8B SE5, SE3 MD3, MD2 Glynwood clay loam, 6-12% 8C SE5, SE3 MD1, MD2, MD3 Kibbie fine sandy loam, 0-3% 33A SE3 SE3 Marlette loam, 6-12% 14C SE5 MD1 Marlette loam, 12-18% 14D SE1, SE5 SEI Marlette loam, 18-35% 14E SE1, SE5 SE1 Marlette-Capac loams, 1-6% 75B SE3, SE5 SL Metamora sandy loam, 14% 42B SE5, SE3 SE3 Rimer loamy sand, 04% 28A SE3, SE5 SE3 Seward loamy fine sand, 1-6% 60B SE5, SE3 SL City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan LIMITATIONS FOR LIMITATIONS FOR SOIL TYPE SEPTIC TANK DWELLINGS WITH AND SLOPE SOIL NUMBER ABSORPTION FIELDS BASEMENTS CATEGORY D - VERY WET SOILS, ORGANICS, FLOODPLAINS Adrian muck 6 SE6, SE4 SE6, SE10 Algansee loamy sand, protected, 0-3% 73A SE3, SE4 SE8, SE3 Aquents and Histosols, ponded 50 Belleville loamy sand 48 SE6, SE5 SE6 Brookston loam 17 SE6 SE6 Belleville-Brookston complex 64 SE6, SE5 SE6 Cohoctah silt loam, 29 SE3, SE8 SE8, SE3 Cohoctah silt loam, protected 65 SE6 SE8, SE6 Colwood silt loam 30 SE6 SE6 Corunna sandy loam 36 SE6, SE5 SE6 Dune land and beaches 4 Glendora loamy sand 2 SE6, SE3, SE4 SE8, SE3 Glendora loamy sand, protected 74 SE6, SE4 SE8, SE6 Granby sandy loam 39 SE6, SE4 SE6 Houghton muck 5 SE6, SE5 SE6, SE10 Martisco muck 67 SE8, SE6, SE5 SE8, SE6 Napolean muck 47 SE6 SE6, SE10 Newton mucky fine sand 69 SE6, SE4 SE6 Palms muck 7 SE11, SE6 SE6, SE10 Pewamo silt loam 45 SE5, SE6 SE6 Sebewa loam 23 SE4, SE6 SE6 Sloan silt loam 62 SE8,SE3,SE5 SE8,SE3 CATEGORY E - WELL DRAINED LOAM AND LOAMY FINE SAND Ockley loam, 6-12% 12C MD1 MD2, MD1 Ockley loam, 12-18% 12D SE1 SE1 Ockley loam, 18-30% 12E SE1 SE1 Riddles loam, 6-12% 63C MD1 MD1, MD2 Tekenink loamy fine sand, 6-12% 31C MD1 MD1 Tekenink loamy fine sand, 12-18% 31D SE1 SE1 Tekenink loamy fine sand, 18-35% 31E SE1 SE1 CATEGORY F - WELL DRAINED LOAM AND LOAMY FINE SAND Ockley loam, 1-6% 12B SL MD2 Oshtemo-Chelsea complex, 0-6% 11B SL SL Oshtemo-Chelsea complex, 6-12% 11C MD1 MD1 Oshtemo-Chelsea complex, 12-18% 11D SE1 SE1 Oshtemo-Chelsea complex, 18-35% 11E SE1 SEI Riddles loam, 1-6% 63B SL MD2 Tekenink loamy fine sand, 2-6% 31B SL SL City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan UNCLASSIFIED SOILS Aquents, sandy and loamy 34 Pits 18 Udipsamments 66 KEY FOR LIMITATION CODES SEVERE LIMITATIONS: SE1 SLOPE SE2 SHRINK-SWELL SE3 V%TETNESS SE4 POOR FILTER SE5 PERCS SLOWLY SE6 PONDING SE7 CUTBANKSCAVE SE8 FLOODING SE9 EXCESSIVE HUMUS SE10 LOW STRENGTH SE11 SUBSIDES MODERATE LIMITATIONS: MD1 SLOPE MD2 SHRINK-SWELL MD3 WETNESS SLIGHT LIMITATIONS: SL SLIGHT LIMITATIONS City of Saugatuck Comprehensive Plan 5 10B 10E 44C 5 loc water 10 448 108 5 4 10E 3 108 10 538 108 26A 57A 728 loc 28A 23 218 57A 10E 53 6 538 28A 10 6 28A 67 72B 10 10 10 538 53 66 water 19A 28A 34 5 SAUGATUCK SOIL TYPES NOAA COASTAL SERVICES CTR LIBRARY I 3 6668 14110005 9 I 0 0 .-0