Planning Department

About the Planning Department

The Planning Department facilitates plans and planning related efforts for the orderly development and redevelopment of the Township. Staff serves the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Grand Traverse Commons Joint Planning Commission. Staff also represents the Township on the Cherry Capital Airport Zoning Board and the Technical Committee of the Traverse Transportation Coordinating Initiative (TTCI), the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for transportation planning in the Traverse City – Garfield, MI Urban Area.

Responsibilities

The Planning Department is responsible for:

• Facilitating and preparing all plans for the Township, including the Master Plan, Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Strategic Plan, Capital Improvement Plan, and subarea plans.
• Functioning as the liaison between the community and the Planning Commission in managing applications for special land use permits, planned unit developments, subdivisions, site condominiums, and rezonings.
• Reviewing all site plans, including plans approved both by the Planning Commission and through administrative approval.
• Preparing and maintaining the Zoning Ordinance and any amendments.
• Creating and maintaining the Garfield Township Atlas which includes interactive and printable maps.

 When to Contact the Zoning Department

Land use permit applications, sign permit applications, and variance requests are not processed by the Planning Department and should be directed to the Zoning Department.

Please feel free to contact us with any of your questions, comments, or concerns.