. . . LITTLE TRAVERSE BAY BANDS OF ODAWA INDIANS PLANNING DEPARTMENT MASTER LAND USE PLAN CHAPTER TWO <strong>LTBB</strong> RESERVATION AND COUNTY PROFILE 9
<strong>LTBB</strong> RESERVATION AND COUNTY PROFILE THE <strong>LTBB</strong> MASTER LAND USE PLAN POPULATION AND ITS CHARACTERISTICS The human population <strong>of</strong> an area, its distribution and makeup, are a major factor in the land use decision-making. To study the population as it relates to the <strong>LTBB</strong> <strong>Master</strong> <strong>Land</strong> <strong>Use</strong> <strong>Plan</strong>, data for those Minor Civil Divisions (MCD) that make up the <strong>LTBB</strong> Reservation area were compiled and examined in various ways. This will give us a picture <strong>of</strong> the past, present, and future <strong>of</strong> the population, both tribal and otherwise. Evaluating the quality <strong>of</strong> life in a township or city is a vital and necessary responsibility <strong>of</strong> those governmental agencies involved with the delivery <strong>of</strong> human services. Knowing where the population is concentrated or perhaps more specifically, where the elderly population is concentrated helps <strong>of</strong>ficials and staff to better understand the demographic makeup <strong>of</strong> their jurisdiction. Knowing where and how many housing units are available or what the mean rent is for an area is also useful information. Age Distribution by MCD The Table “<strong>LTBB</strong> Reservation – Age Distribution by MCD” (Table One) shows us the actual number <strong>of</strong> persons in either 18 or 9 different age groups (called cohorts), for each Minor Civil Division in the <strong>LTBB</strong> Reservation. The table with the larger number <strong>of</strong> groups is presented for completeness; this analysis will focus on the summary table below it. An analysis <strong>of</strong> a community’s population breakdown by age cohort is important when trying to forecast the infrastructure, housing, and social services needs for the future. As can be seen in the table, the distribution <strong>of</strong> population in the various age groups is fairly constant over the entire area, with perhaps two exceptions. By a slight degree, the population is generally older in the more urbanized areas, particularly in the City <strong>of</strong> Petoskey. Conversely, the population is youngest in those areas that are growing the fastest, i.e. Bear Creek Township. Of particular interest is the relatively large concentration <strong>of</strong> population in the 55+ age groups. This can also be seen in Charlevoix County, particularly in the City <strong>of</strong> Charlevoix. With only 60% <strong>of</strong> the population <strong>of</strong> Bear Creek Township, they nonetheless have a nearly equivalent number <strong>of</strong> persons over the age <strong>of</strong> 75. The inverse <strong>of</strong> this can be seen in the faster growing areas by the larger percentage and number <strong>of</strong> persons in the age groups under 19 years old. The implications <strong>of</strong> these two patterns are primarily important in terms <strong>of</strong> the public infrastructure, i.e. schools, police, fire, and medical care facilities. In other words, a bulge in the population at younger ages will, over time, require greater expenditures in areas like schools and recreational facilities. Likewise, an aging population will need to be dealt with by use <strong>of</strong> public resources like police, fire, and ambulance services, and <strong>of</strong> course will put greater strains on availability <strong>of</strong> medical care. Of particular concern to any plan for the future is the age distribution <strong>of</strong> the population. Trends, or exceptions to trends in this area are <strong>of</strong> paramount concern for the region as a whole when trying to forecast the infrastructure, housing, and social services needs for the future. For our purposes, it 10
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