Hartland in Hindsight #17: Planning Smart

With the onset of growth comes change, and in the past decade, Hartland has had its fair share of both.  The township’s location, schools and beautiful setting make Hartland a desirable community, and as Hartland grows, the township’s Board of Trustees understands that planning for ‘smart growth’ is essential for preserving the township character that residents appreciate.

“The ‘smart growth’ philosophy considers what a community can look like during times of change,” explains Bill Fountain, Township Supervisor. “The goal when planning, is to consider the different land uses- like residential, industrial or commercial, and ensure there are buffers between those uses that are sensitive to both entities living next to each other. We strive to provide our community with quality residences and businesses while maintaining our small-town roots.”

In order to ensure the vision of Hartland is a cohesive one, the township conducts regular citizen surveys to guide their policies.  As a result of this community driven research, they have welcomed new subdivisions and businesses over the past few years, along with completing several projects to enhance our parks and roads.

“We want to make sure that quality developments are meeting the needs of our community values,” says Planning Director Troy Langer, “When we meet with new businesses, we come together early in the process to make certain we can identify their needs and find out how we can work together to make them a part of our big picture goals. As a township we are known for our strong business support and we are working tirelessly to uphold that standard.”

Hartland is enriching its sense of place and quality of life by carefully balancing the needs and desires of both its businesses and residents–and this investment in planning will pay dividends, and maintain our sense of community, for years to come.