Planner's Moments

Planner’s Moments is a new project designed to give local planning officials a low-cost, easy way to learn more about important planning topics during their regularly schedules meetings. 

Local land use experts recorded a series of twelve, 15-minute video DVDs or audio CDs on a variety of current land use and smart growth topics. These DVDs/CDs are available to play at the beginning of a planning commission meeting, one each month or as often as the planning commission meets. Additional fact sheets and other information are included for each planning commission member.

This project is sponsored by Michigan State University Extension in cooperation with the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments, Charlevoix and Emmet County Planning Departments and H.A.R.B.O.R., Inc. 

Funding for Planner’s Moments was provided by the Charlevoix County Community Foundation and the Petoskey Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation.

Each Session is 15 minutes long and includes the following topics:

October, 2008:  Introduction to 10 Smart Growth Tenets

November, 2008:  Workforce Housing

December, 2008: Farmland Preservation

January, 2009: Master Plan Coordination and link with Zoning

February, 2009: Access Management

March, 2009: Joint Planning

April, 2009: Creating Active Communities & Trails for Transportation and Recreation

May, 2009: Residential Cluster Development

June 2009: Growth Boundaries & Infrastructure Planning

July 2009: Ethics & Conducting a Public Hearing

August 2009: Evaluating Site Capability & Conducting Peer Site Plan Review

September 2009: Greenbelts, Corridors & Native Plant Landscapes

Communities can receive hard copies of each session.  Planner's Moments are available on-line.