LTBB Master Land Use Plan - Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa ...

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c. The capability of undeveloped land to sustain proposed uses, along with
the type and extent of any limitations thereof;
d. The existing land use and land cover distribution; and
e. The quantitative need for various types of land uses such as commercial,
residential, and industrial.
This last element can be easily derived for the area as a whole, but is almost
impossible to gauge for the future development of the Tribe. Therefore, this plan
relies most heavily on the first four elements for guidance. It is these elements,
along with the availability and timing of revenue, which will determine the last factor
in all likelihood.
The work plan for the document was as follows:
a. Staff from the Planning and GIS Departments gathered data and other
information while formatting it for presentation in charts, maps, and
graphs. Meanwhile, the Working Group authored the goals, objectives, and
strategies for the document. In addition, this Working Group assisted with
public participation meetings.
b. Next, the Planning Department analyzed the data gathered by staff, and
assembled descriptive text for the information. At the same time, public
input was obtained in several ways. A survey was sent to all Commissions
and all Program Directors soliciting input regarding future land needs for
the Tribe. This was part of a presentation shown at public meetings to the
Elders, and tribal members around the state in Lansing, Grand Rapids,
Escanaba, and Harbor Springs. Their input and rankings were then added
to the plan.
c. Finally, all information, input, maps and written documentation were
assembled into the final product by the Work Group and presented to
Tribal Council by the Planning Department, after public input was gathered
on the draft document.
4) Structure. Originally, the need for a Master Land Use Plan was brought in to sharp
focus by the ability of the Tribe to make more frequent land acquisitions. It is
generally accepted by Tribal Council that a set of criteria or guidelines are needed to
make better land decisions. This led to the desire for a “Land Acquisition Policy”
that will outline the goals, objectives, and specific information needed to make a
land purchase decision.
This Land Acquisition Policy will be based on facts, the desires of the tribal
membership, and the direction of Tribal Council. Because of this, an integrated
“plan” document is needed, and in this case it is an ideal opportunity to put together
a Master Land Use Plan for the LTBB Reservation. This Plan will provide the
information and procedures necessary for Tribal Council and staff to make land
purchase recommendations with a record of why or why not the purchase should be
made.
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