Planning Department

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Garfield Township is currently in the process of reviewing and updating the Township Master Plan.  Please see the project page (link below) for information about the project including data, community engagement opportunities, and more:

Master Plan Update project page

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Welcome to the Garfield Township Planning Department web page. Within this page are answers to frequently asked questions, links to the Master Plan and Zoning Ordinance, the Township fee schedule, and forms and permit applications you may find useful.

The Planning Department is the liaison between the public and the Planning Commission in requests for zoning ordinance text amendments, rezoning, Master Land Use Plan amendments, special land use permits, and PUD/subdivision approvals. We also serve as Staff to the Joint Planning Commission and Township Board.

The Planning Department is responsible for writing the Master Plan, writing the Zoning Ordinance, creating other documents such as a Parks and Recreation Plan and Green Infrastructure Plan, and for creating all Township maps. Planning Staff sits on the Technical Committee of the Traverse Transportation Coordinating Initiative, formerly known as TC-TALUS, a cooperative effort between a number of local government agencies to study transportation and land use in the Grand Traverse Region and the driving force behind the Grand Vision project.

Variance requests, sign permits, land divisions, land use permits, and site plan review of "by right" uses are not processed by the Planning Department - those requests should be directed to the Zoning Department.

Please feel free to stop in and say hi. We're always happy to discuss your concerns and help you with your questions.