Marquette Township finalizes Master Plan

Marquette Township recently completed their Master Plan for future development in the community. The long–term roadmap aims to optimize land use for both residential and commercial growth, while preserving natural resources.

Outdoor recreation is a staple of the community. The township’s planned multi-modal transportation modifications reflect that.

“Essentially, the development in the township occurred pretty quickly. We have a rural cross section of highway through, what is now, an urban area. Going back and retrofitting that with rear access to some of the businesses is what we’re trying to achieve. A more walkable, bikable community is what we’re after,” said Jason McCarthy, Marquette Township Planner/Zoning Administrator.

While the new business boom has led to some logistical headaches, it has also made a substantial financial impact.

“For every $10 million, I believe it is, of new development, the township gets about $50,000 of taxable income. But, of course, any time you can add tax base to the community it’s going to help to keep and maintain the low tax rate that we’ve been able to enjoy over the years,” McCarthy added.

The main goal of the new plan is to continue to improve the responsiveness to citizens’ needs with timely decision–making. One of the first tangible improvements on the docket is a new Township Hall/Community Center and Fire/Rescue Hall, which will be completed this summer.