Cheboygan County | Planning & Zoning

WELCOME

...to the Cheboygan County Planning & Zoning division of the Community Development Department!

Thank you for visiting our website, we hope the information you find here is useful. Please contact our office at 231-627-8489 with any additional questions.

QUICKFACTS...here are some very current demographics from Google Public Data.

Department Annual Report

Download the Community Development Department's 2012 Annual Report here.

The Department works hard to create Economic Development opportunities throughout Cheboygan County. We do this by providing efficient services and an outstanding customer service experience. We're always working hard to ensure that the growth that will occur in our county is done in a way that the people of the county desire.

We provide information for builders and developers early in the process to ensure a streamlined review process. We also provide information to the public and decision makers to ensure long-term and desirable growth and access to jobs throughout the county.

In the annual report we outline the efficiencies that we've implemented, the various ways we've worked to reduce unnecessary red tape, and how we've provided access to information through the website and expanded hours of service to our customers.

FEMA Flood Plain Information

Many townships within Cheboygan County are receiving new FEMA Flood Plain Maps (FIRMs) and the new maps will be official on August 16, 2012. These can now be viewed on the County's Mapping website. Even if your property is within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) your building or new project may not be. If your construction project is not within an SFHA even if your property is in the SFHA you may not be subject to the additionl Flood Plain requirements. Please contact our Building Official and Flood Plain Manager, Al Hoard, at 231-627-8407 for more details.

Certain areas within Cheboygan County near the inland lakes and rivers and tributaries as well as some low-lying areas have been identified by FEMA as Special Flood Hazard Areas (SFHA). A special flood hazard area is that portion of land subject to inundation by a flood and/or flood-related erosion hazards.

A building permit is required BEFORE beginning any construction. Some types of construction activities may be restricted if they are located within a Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA). Other activities such as grading or filling may also need permits in SFHA's even if they don't normally need a permit if they were NOT in an SFHA.

Please feel free to use the following information to gain information about what the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) means to you. We recommend starting with the following material and read them in order (they are links to FEMA's website and will require Adobe Reader):

1. How the NFIP Works (This is a short 2-page PDF document)

2. Myths and Facts About the NFIP (Another short PDF document)

3. Answers to questions about the NFIP (A rather large PDF document with thorough answers to many questions, may take a while to download.)

Other FEMA Flood Plain resources:

Cheboygan County Naturally!

See why Cheboygan County is the natural choice.

County Master Plan

Please visit our Cheboygan County Master Plan website for more information on how to get involved in this important process!

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Planning Commission & Zoning Board of Appeals Agendas

To view information on upcoming matters on a Planning Commission agenda or Zoning Board of Apppeals agenda, please visit the Meeting and Events Calendar.

The main functions of the Community Development Department are:

Planning for a better Cheboygan County

By providing reports and studies as staff support for our County's Commissions such as the Planning Commission, Economic Development Corporation, and Brownfield Redevelopment Authority, we support the goals of the County Board and our stakeholders.

Protecting Residents, Business Owners, and Property in Cheboygan County

Business people and residents invest in property when they believe that their investment will be protected. Once a new business locates here they can be more assured that their investment is protected from incompatible land uses. This encourages economic development. Studies have shown that counties with zoning have higher assessed values, more people employed, more businesses, and higher personal incomes.

By reviewing permits for buildings and conducting inspections we help to maximize the investment by limiting the chance that an incompatible land use will be built next door. This also ensures the community's land use goals are protected. This is important to protect the existing investments people have made in their properties.

The Cheboygan County’s Community Development Department includes the Planning & Zoning, Construction Code, Ordinance Compliance, Soil Erosion, Addressing, and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) departments. Our mission is to enable the County’s stakeholders to fully participate in the public processes that create a sustainable community.

The Community Development Department works to provide quality customer service and professional technical assistance to our customers. Our goal is to preserve the high quality of life in Cheboygan County while allowing for appropriate growth that provides living wage jobs for our citizens.

We also serve as staff support for the County’s Economic Development Corporation, Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and the Northern Cheboygan Intergovernmental Planning Committee. We also provide land use and economic development guidance to our residents, business people, as well as townships, cities, and villages within the county.

The services we provide:

Computer mapping (GIS)
Land use planning
Land use permit processing
Planning and Zoning for 18 townships
Soil erosion guidance
Community development guidance
Ordinance Compliance
Demographic information
Connections to other government and non-profit agencies

Current Projects:

Economic Development - We are working on a project called the Trailside Community Enhancement Project with LIAA. The project includes a website (coming soon) which will provide information for travelers and all trail users of the North Central State Recreational Trail. There will also be a manual for use by trailside communities to help them properly serve the trail user and do everything they can for their own economic development that can come from recreational trail development.
Land Use Planning – we are working with the Topinabee Development Association, downtown Indian River, northern Cheboygan County townships and the City of Cheboygan. With these partners we are creating more appropriate land use to preserve a sense of place and expand economic opportunities. We are also creating an online tool that will gather quality information from the general public for the three townships’ and City of Cheboygan’s land use planning effort.

Computer Mapping or GIS – We are updating aerial photographs and have created a web-based mapping system that freely distributes more land use information including demographics, current land use, future land use goals, land use ownership and much more.

Front line business assistance – we are often a first phone call from entrepreneurs who are interested in starting a business. One of our key partners in this effort is the Northern Lakes Economic Alliance, who provides entrepreneurial assistance in our county. We work closely with many entrepreneurial support organizations and can link them with the appropriate group to help them grow a business as well as guide them through the permitting process.

Partners

In order to serve our customer most effectively, we partner with other entities who serve a variety of functions that may benefit that customer. We work closely with local and regional entities such as:

Northern Lakes Economic Alliance (NLEA)

Northeastern Michigan Council of Governments (NEMCOG)

Michigan State University Extension

Townships of Cheboygan County

City of Cheboygan, Villages of Wolverine, and Mackinaw City

Land Information Access Association (LIAA)

Michigan Association of Planning

District #4 Health Department

Cheboygan County Soil Conservation District

Top of Michigan Trails Council

Cheboygan Chamber of Commerce

Mackinaw Area Chamber of Commerce