Three New Year's Resolutions for Local Government

January is a great time to think about goals for the upcoming year. At Birchler Arroyo Associates, Inc., we believe that as economic times improve, they will bring a new set of challenges to communities. Residents and business owners continue to become more aware of the issues surrounding sustainability and will gravitate to those places that have planned for economic growth, quality living, and protection of natural resources. As Edward T. McMahon, senior resident fellow at the Urban Land Institute, said in the fall 2010 Planning Commissioners Journal, "If you can’t differentiate your community from any other community, you have no competitive advantage."

We believe that there are three things communities should pursue in 2011 that will pay off in the long run when development and growth return.

Plan for Complete Streets. The term "complete streets" may be relatively new, but BA staff have been incorporating the complete streets concept - designing roadways to safely serve users of all ages and abilities - into land use plans, thoroughfare plans, and downtown plans for 30 years. Complete streets concepts include making roadways safe and functional for bicycles, pedestrians, and transit riders as well as motorists, motorcyclists, and truckers. Implementation of complete streets concepts can be incorporated into a small-scale project or as part of a long-term planning strategy. In addition to helping a community develop a complete streets policy, we can also assist communities with related activities including:

• Identifying opportunities to implement low-cost pavement marking changes to implement complete streets elements during road resurfacing
• Providing hands-on experience in helping plan and implement an extensive network of on-street bike lanes
• Modeling alternative street-use plans to evaluate the impact on various users of the road right-of-way.
  

Transform development codes. In times of slow growth, communities can take a wait-and-see attitude or they can take positive steps to open the door to new economic development. A user-friendly zoning code can be one of the strategies to set your community apart from others vying to create jobs and grow the tax base. BA and its subsidiary clearzoning have helped communities by using advances in technology and widespread accessibility of the Internet to transform their traditional text-based zoning ordinance and provide online access to application forms. Improvements to the organization and visual presentation of ordinances can make them more user-friendly as well as foster economic development. Visit Lathrup Village to see our most recent clearzoning project.

Update Recreation Plans. The 2010 Recreation Passport program of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is a new way to fund state parks, non-motorized trails and local parks. The DNR is developing a grant program that uses Recreation Passport funds for local communities. This grant program will be an additional source of funding, to complement existing funding resources, including the Michigan Natural Resources Trust Fund and Land and Water Conservation Fund. Communities must have current recreation plans to make application for any of these funding opportunities. Keep in mind that updates may only be made to recreation plans before they expire, so communities should check the dates of their current recreation plans. Call us with questions or for assistance with recreation planning or grant applications.

For more information, please visit Birchler Arroyo Associates, Inc.

Lathrup Village's Transformed Zoning Ordinance

The City of Lathrup Village, Michigan has a new zoning ordinance that is user-friendly, hyperlinked, and full of clear, colorful graphics. It also has a new form-based district for the Village Center area that requires pedestrian-oriented building placement and design elements.

This new zoning ordinance, developed in cooperation with clearzoning, a municipal coding company based in Lathrup Village, is intended to improve customer service and promote economic development. The City's recent Master Plan update calls for a new, walkable downtown on Southfield Road, north of I-696. The new clearzoning code provides the regulatory framework to implement the plan. Developer interest is already being demonstrated, and the new code sends a message that the City is taking positive steps to implement its long-range plans.

For more information, visit the City's web site or www.clearzoning.com. For a visual flyover of the future development concept, link to this video.