Master Plans

The purpose of a Master Plan is to provide guidelines for future development within the community over a 20 year planning horizon. Master Plans should be reviewed and updated every five years. NEMCOG staff provides professional planning expertise to counties, townships, cities, and villages across Northeast Michigan. NEMCOG has worked with many local units of governments to write and update Master Plans. We work with local Planning Commissions to write a Master Plan that analyzes a community's social and economic characteristics, natural resources including climate, geology, topography, soils, water resources, wetlands, woodlands, fish and wildlife, and scenic features, public utilities, transportation networks, medical facilities, recreation, schools, and existing land use patterns. From these analyses and after gathering public input from community members and those outside the community, NEMCOG staff assists the Planning Commission in the creation of Goals & Objectives and a Future Land Use Plan which guides the development of the community for the next 20 years. NEMCOG uses innovative planning techniques to tailor Master Plans to guide sensible development which is in harmony with the uniqueness of Northeast Michigan.

Future Land Use Map Example (City of Alpena):