November 17, 2003
MiBiz Network
By Tim Gwozdz

MUSKEGON - The fruits of the 15-month long Muskegon Area-Wide Plan (MAP) visioning process will be released in January.

MAP supporters presented a draft of their visions and goals to guide land use and future development to Muskegon County leaders several weeks ago. Now the MAP steering committee is working to turn those visions and goals into a comprehensive plan with solid objectives. A plan or at least a plan framework will be presented to the public at a community forum in January with an implementation plan to follow.

The MAP vision concentrates on five areas: land use and growth; natural resources, open space and the environment; economy and jobs; infrastructure; and quality of life.

Goals outlined by MAP include:
A coordinated land use plan for Muskegon County
IIdentifying strategies to manage growth and support reinvestment in urban areas while promoting rural viability
Linking natural resource protection to development
Watershed and shoreline protection
Encouraging public and private partnerships to achieve regional goals
Retention of human capital
Collaborative efforts to ensure the availability of infrastructure to the entire county
Development of a regional strategy to improve and maintain access to high-quality educational services.

While the vision and goals outline what is needed, they also reveal the complexity of the task ahead, said Tom Coleman of HNTB Michigan Inc., the East Lansing consulting firm assisting on the project. "There is no 'one size fits all' solution to the issues. It's through incremental small steps that the successes of this project will be achieved. Public and private investment is the key."

As for the make up of the final plan, Coleman conceded he could not determine at this point what shape that plan would take. "What we need is something that will be accessible to everyone. We're looking at something easy to understand and gives enough background so that you can understand the issues, what we're trying to achieve and how we're going to get there."

The MAP initiative is not going unnoticed. Businessman John Snider is a member of the steering committee overseeing the project. Snider said the MAP findings on land use were part of the West Michigan Strategic Alliance report given to Gov. Granholm earlier this month in Grand Rapids. Snider pointed out that MAP goals such as watershed management and shoreline preservation were integral parts of the regional report. "The priorities (in the MAP draft) are the same priorities established on a regional basis," he said. "We now need to take this message to the local government units."
Laketon Township Supervisor Roland Crummel heads the MAP steering committee. Crummel said Muskegon County is putting its best foot forward by pursuing a shared vision.

"I think this process puts us ahead of neighboring counties like Kent County or Ottawa County," said Crummel. "It will help us define our role in the regional landscape."

It is hoped that the MAP framework will not only bring definition to Muskegon County's regional role, but definition to the direction in which the county must head to ensure all of its government units understand the challenges facing the whole.

"I have hope we're going in the right direction," said MAP committee member and Muskegon Heights Mayor Rillastine Wilkins. "The Muskegon Area-Wide Plan vision is a program that can bring about real change that reflects a true commitment to inclusiveness."

Fourteen Muskegon County townships, seven cities and two villages are participating in the MAP effort. Numerous agencies such as the Federal Highway Administration, the MichCon Foundation, Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce, Muskegon Area First, the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, Muskegon County Cooperating Churches and the U.S. Department of Agriculture are throwing in their support.

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This article appeared in the November 17, 2003 issue of MiBiz, read by upper management executives in West and Southwest Michigan. Print subscriptions are free to qualified individuals who do business in West and Southwest Michigan. For further information about MiBiz Network, visit www.mibiz.com.