Contact for More Information: Tim Ervin
231-723-4325; tervin26@charter.net
Issued as a Service to the Onekama Community
by the Alliance for Economic Success
For Immediate Release
PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR ONEKAMA JOINT MASTER PLAN
Onekama, Michigan -- The Village of Onekama and Onekama Township announce the scheduling of a public hearing on the “Onekama Community Master Plan.” As part of the formal approval process, time is made available for community members to comment on the draft document prior to it being sent forward to the two municipalities for formal approval. The purpose of the Master Plan is to unite the greater Onekama community around visions, goals and actions to support the quality of life and economic well-being of the area. A public hearing on the draft Onekama Community Master Plan is scheduled for Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 6 p.m. at the Farr Center in Onekama.
A copy of the draft Plan is available by going to www.onekama.info or by contacting the Township or Village office.
The Plan includes goals for the Portage Lake watershed, economic development, retail area development, regional coordination, land use, water quality, biodiversity and natural ecosystems and human infrastructure.
The collaborative master plan is only the sixth such joint effort undertaken in Michigan between a Township and Village.
The effort was launched by the Onekama Village Council and Onekama Township Board of Trustees and the Village and Township Planning Commissions in November 2008. The consulting firm Beckett & Raeder was retained under contract to help the community develop the Plan with funding support from the Manistee County Community Foundation, W. K. Kellogg Foundation and other sources. A 12-person Leadership Committee was appointed by the Village and Township to guide the development of the Plan and ensure community involvement in the process that began with two community forums and visioning sessions. Leadership Committee members included Susan Barnard, Dan Behring, Ken Burda, Bob Evans, Bob Hensel, Scott Johnston, Beth McCarthy, Evie McNeil, David Meister, Margaret Punches and Bob Wangbichler.
The Onekama community is the first link in a chain of coastal communities along Michigan’s M-22 corridor that feature majestic coastal natural resources and prime agricultural lands.