MASTER PLAN

DAYTON TOWNSHIP

2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 1
Acknowledgements Dayton Township Board of Trustees
Robert Cook – Supervisor

Kaitlyn Burgess – Clerk
Eleanor Kilmer – Treasurer
Robert Steele – Trustee
Greg Lotter – Trustee
Dayton Township Planning Commission
Travis Klimek – Chairperson
Chris Yens – Vice Chair
Hilary Slusher – Secretary
Robert Steele – Board of Trustees Representative
Doug Graham
Ralph Mock
Ernie Coleman
Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation
Steve Erickson – Executive Director
Vicky Sherry – Communications Director
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 2
RESOLUTION OF ADOPTION
BY THE TOWNSHIP OF DAYTON BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DAYTON TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN
WHEREAS: Dayton Township, Tuscola County, Michigan established a Planning Commission under State of Michigan Public Act 33 of 2008, as amended, and;
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Planning Commission is required by Section 31 of P.A. 33 of 2008, as amended to make and approve a master plan as a guide for the development within the Township, and;
WHEREAS: The Township retained the services of the Tuscola County Economic Development as its consultant to assist the Planning Commission in preparing this plan, and’
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Planning Commission, in accordance with Section 39(2) of the Act, notified the adjacent communities and the Tuscola County Planning Commission of the intent to develop a plan and, in accordance with Section 41(2) of the Act, distributed the final draft to adjacent communities and the Tuscola County Planning Commission for review and comment, and;
WHEREAS: The plan was presented to the public at a hearing held on ________________, before the Board of Trustees, with notice of the hearing being published in the __________, on _______ in accordance with Section 43(1) of the Act, and;
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Planning Commission has reviewed the proposed plan, considered public comment, and approved the proposed plan by resolution on _________, and;
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Board of Trustees has by resolution asserted the right to approve or reject the plan, and;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The content of this document, together with all maps attached to and contained herein are hereby adopted by the Dayton Township Board of Trustees as the Dayton Township Master Plan on this __ day of _______, 2017.
Motion: ________________________ Second: __________________________
Ayes:
Nays:
Absent:
Certification
I hereby certify the above is a true and correct copy of the resolution adopted at the ________ 2016, meeting of the Dayton Township Board of Trustees.
___________________, Clerk
Township of Dayton
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Township of Dayton
Dayton Township Planning Commission
Resolution of Approval of Dayton Township Master Plan
At a regular meeting of the Dayton Township Planning Commission held on ____________ 2017, at 7:00 p.m. at the Dayton Township Hall, 4879 Hurds Corner Road, Mayville, MI 48744, the following Resolution of Approval for Adoption by the Dayton Township Board of Trustees was offered by __________________________________ and supported by _______________________________.
WHEREAS, the Dayton Township Planning Commission developed a proposed Master Plan for the Township, and
WHEREAS, the Dayton Township Planning Commission has prepared the proposed Master Plan for the future use, development, and preservation of lands within the Township in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Public Act 33 of 2008, as amended in 2010, and
WHEREAS, copies of the proposed Master Plan will now be distributed to surrounding municipalities, local utility companies, local rail road companies, and the Tuscola County Planning Commission, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Dayton Township Planning Commission hereby approves the 2017 to 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan and that the said Master Plan be referred to the Dayton Township Board of Trustees for ratification after a mandatory 65 day public review
ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES:
NAYES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Resolution declared ____ adopted ____ not adopted
The undersigned Secretary of the Dayton Township Planning Commission hereby certifies that this resolution was duly adopted by the Dayton Township Planning Commission at a regular meeting held on the _____ day of_____, 2017.
____________________________________
Hilary Slusher
Secretary, Dayton Township Planning Commission
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 4
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ........................................................ 1
Introduction .................................................................... 6
Community Profile .......................................................... 7
Natural Resources and Environment............................ 24
Dayton Township Land Use .......................................... 30
Land Use and Development .......................................... 31
Transportation .............................................................. 33
Strategic Planning ......................................................... 35
Future Land Use............................................................ 37
Master Plan Implementation ........................................ 43
Summary ....................................................................... 45
Maps
Map 1 1875 Plat Map ..................................................... 8
Map 2: Location Map ..................................................... 9
Map 3: Soil Association .................................................. 23
Map 4: Hydric/Non Hydric Soil ....................................... 26
Map 5: Woodlands and Wetlands .................................. 28
Map 6: Land Use ............................................................. 29
Map 7: Transportation ................................................... 32
Map 8: Future Land Use ................................................. 41
Tables
Table 1: Historical Population ........................................ 11
Table 2: Trends and Growth Rates ................................. 12
Table 3: 50 Year Population ........................................... 13
Table 4: 2010 Population ................................................ 14
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Table 4.1: 2010 Male Population ................................... 15
Table 4.2: 2010 Female Population ................................ 15
Table 5: Education Attainment ....................................... 16
Table 6: Employment by Industry .................................. 17
Table 7: Employment by Occupation ............................. 18
Table 8: 2014 Income Estimates..................................... 19
Table 9: Commuting to Work ......................................... 20
Table 10: Owner Housing Units ...................................... 21
Table 10.1: Renter Housing Units ................................... 21
Table 11: Household Age of Ownership ......................... 22
Table 11.1: Household Age of Renter ............................. 22
Table 12: Land Use and Development ............................ 30
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Introduction
Master Plan Purpose and Overview
The purpose of the Dayton Township Master Plan is to provide guidelines for future development within the community, while protecting the natural resources and rural Township character. The Michigan Planning Enabling Act (P.A. 33 of 2008, as amended in 2010) authorizes Townships to develop master plans. As stated in the enabling legislation; the general purpose of a master plan is to guide and accomplish, in the planning jurisdiction and its environs, development that satisfies all of the following criteria:
A. Is coordinated, adjusted, harmonious, efficient, and economical.
B. Considers the character of the planning jurisdiction and its suitability for particular uses, judged in terms of such factors as trends in land and population development.
C. Will, in accordance with present and future needs, best promote public health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare.
D. Provide the foundation for zoning and other Dayton Township development ordinances.
All sections of this master plan will be used as tools to provide a quality community while it protects the natural features that create a sense of identity for Dayton Township.
The Dayton Township Master Plan presents background information on social and economic data, natural resources, existing community services and facilities, and existing land uses. The background information is used to identify important characteristics, changes, and trends in Dayton Township. A public survey was conducted and a public meeting was held to gather input from residents and landowners. Based on information gathered the Dayton Township Planning Commission developed goals and objectives. These goals and objectives, along with a series of maps provide the basis for the Future Land Use Map. The future land use map recommends locations for various types of future development within Dayton Township.
This master plan was developed by the Dayton Township Planning Commission with assistance from the Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation. This Master Plan looks at a twenty year planning horizon, with suggested revisits every five years or sooner if needed.
Future of Dayton Township
Dayton Township has developed as a rural agricultural community. Dayton Township’s development has been gradual. The Township is fortunate to have an outstanding agricultural heritage, which continues to enhance our community, and will continue to do so with proper protective measures and planning.
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With careful attention to the goals and objectives of this Master Plan, and through the implementation of Master Plan policies and strategies, Dayton Township has the opportunity to work proactively to protect the unique rural character of the community while also building a future that incorporates the best characteristics of the 21st century, respects our heritage, and protects our natural environment.
Community Profile
This section contains an overview of the historical and regional context of Dayton Township, and the social and economic factors that shape our community. The topics covered here include population growth and composition, income levels and economic characteristics, housing data, and other relevant factors.
Dayton Township History
Dayton Township lies just east of Freemont and was organized January 6, 1867. It was comprised of territory taken from Dayton Township and is described as follows: Town 11 north or range 10 and 11 east.
Mr. William Meade lived one and one half miles east of Mayville and took up his farm from the government. He was born in England in 1824. He married Martha Chapman in 1844. He migrated to New York in 1851, and moved to Ohio where he lived for two years. He then moved to Dayton in early 1855. He cut his own road through the forest for 12 miles. He was here to welcome Rev. C.B. Mills and others who came. William and Martha brought with them two sons: William was born in England June 22, 1848, and James, born in Ohio September 9, 1852.
Two of the early settlers in the Township were George W. Spencer and Joseph Crawford (known as little Joe) who came in the spring of 1856 and found the Meade family waiting to greet them.
The names of the freeholders in the Township were: William Meade, G.W. Spencer, Joseph Crawford, J.P. Weaver, Daniel Lynch, M. Shay, J. Lynch, George Green, Joseph Green, James Heister, L. Hurd, George Bellamy, Benjamin Docker, and William Hamilton. The first Township meeting was held at the home of G.W. Spencer in section 33. James Weaver, G.W. Spencer, and William Meade were inspectors of the first election. Fifteen votes were cast and the following men were elected:
Supervisor - Lorenzo Meade
Clerk - Jonas Weaver
Constables - Dennis Harmon and George Bellamy
Directors of the poor - Dennis Harmon and Joseph Crawford
$250.00 was voted for roads.
The first sermon preached in the Township was by Rev. Mills in May 1856, in the home of William Meade.
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The first school was taught in a log cabin in the west corner of the Township, and it later became the Cottage School.
The year of 1857 was known as the "year of the famine". The entire Township was almost wiped out by that infamous famine. The fields swarmed with chipmunks, mice, and other vermin, which destroyed the crops, devoured the corn, and dug up and carried away the potatoes. So great was the destitution among the settlers that starvation would have resulted had there not been relief sent by neighboring locations.
Two years after the first settlers, there were practically no roads, only the north and south center road cut thru the Township. Most of the supplies were brought in from Lapeer, it being almost impossible to reach Dayton with a team and the cost of bringing in food was three times the first cost. N. D. Phelps came to the Township in February 1857, lived in section 16 and packed all his supplies from Dayton. His usual load was about fifty pounds. One day he hiked to Dayton in the morning, ate dinner, and in the afternoon carried home fifty pounds of flour on his back, a trip of 35 miles through the woods. Mr. Phelps was born in 1820, in New York, the son of Elijah and Clarissa (Bosworth) Phelps. He married Rebecca Ostrander on April 4, 1846 in New York and they had eleven children. They built a stone house on Phelps Lake Rd., which is still a landmark. He died July 12, 1900.
The Township was named in honor of the candidate for the vice-presidency on the Free Soil or Republican Party ticket in 1856. The following year the Township was organized and the selection of a name commemorated the fact that in the previous presidential election, which elected Buchanan, every vote in the Township was cast for Fremont and Dayton.
In 1859, $1ooo.00 was ordered for road purposes in Dayton Township. Daniel Lynch and his wife, Mary O'Connor brought their family of four sons and two daughters to America in 1846 from their Irish farm on the shore of Tralee Bay. One more son was born in this country. The Lynch family inched eastward, working as they came. For a time they stopped at Astubula, Ohio, where some of the relatives remained. In 1854 the father and older sons came to Michigan and took up land in Sections 33 and 34 of Dayton Township. The family followed the next spring.
The family of Daniel and Mary Lynch were: Michael (18J21907), who married Margot Day; Jeremiah who married Johannah; Thomas who married Marie Day; Daniel (1846-1866) who was killed in a logging accident during his first winter of "going to camp"; John (1853-1904); Bridget who married Daniel Tubbs; and Johannah who married Thomas Tubbs.
Steward Goodell came to Michigan from New York in 1855 and purchased his farm in Dayton Township for fifty cents an acre. He married Amelia Clinesmith in 1860 and they raised 13 children. By 1860, the Township's population had grown to 129, including 28 families and dwellings and 18 farms. Numerous saw mills and gristmills began appearing throughout the Township into the early 1900's. Telephone service arrived in the Township around 1910 and was followed by electricity around 1938.
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Map 1: 1875 Dayton Township Plat Map
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Map 2: Dayton Township Location Map
Map 2 above shows the location of Dayton Township within Tuscola County. As shown it is bounded by five Townships in Tuscola County and by Lapeer County.
Dayton Township
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 11
Location
Dayton Township is a predominantly rural township located in the southeastern border of Tuscola County. Of the approximately 23,140 acres comprising Dayton Township, approximately 54% is devoted to agriculture. Woodlands, wetlands, and herbaceous and shrubby fields characterize an additional 43% of the Township area. Agriculture within Dayton Township is predominantly crop farming, although a number of livestock and dairy operations are present. Bay City, Birch Run, Detroit, Flint, Frankenmuth, Midland, MBS Airport, Flint Bishop Airport, and Saginaw are a short driving distance away.
Demographic Profile
As part of the master plan process, Dayton Township’s population and housing characteristics were analyzed and compared with those of neighboring communities and Tuscola County totals to gain insight and perspective concerning Dayton Township’s past, present, and future. Population estimates, household size, age, and occupational characteristics were analyzed, and total housing units and persons per household were reviewed to find the Township’s unique housing characteristics and trends.
Understanding historic changes provides an important base for understanding how the Township will evolve over the next ten to twenty years. Demographic analysis is essential to determine what physical, social and economic changes may occur in the future. Population projections provide the basis for creating and evaluating the goals, objectives, and land use recommendations of this Master Plan.
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 12
Population Overview
Table 1 below shows the historical population of Dayton Township and the percentage of population it holds in Tuscola County since the 1890 Federal Census. While Dayton Township has experienced a mostly steady growth rate since 1890 the percentage of population comprising Tuscola County runs from 2.3% on the low end to 3.9% on the high end of this calculation. From 1890 to 2010 Dayton Township’s population comprised an average of 3% of Tuscola County’s total population.
Table 1: Dayton Township Historical Population Year Dayton Township Population Tuscola County Population Percentage of Tuscola County Population
1890
1,279
32,598
3.9% 1900 1,309 35,890 3.6%
1910
1,201
34,913
3.4% 1920 1,028 33,220 3.1%
1930
911
32,934
2.8% 1940 897 35,694 2.5%
1950
862
38,258
2.3% 1960 1,011 43,305 2.3%
1970
1,138
48,603
2.3% 1980 1,728 56,961 3.0%
1990
1,706
55,498
3.1% 2000 1,869 58,266 3.2%
2010
1,848
55,729
3.3% Source: U.S. Federal Census
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Table 2 below indicates Dayton Township has experienced fairly stable growth or minute decline over the past 90 years. The largest era for growth was from 1970 to 1980 when the population experienced a 5.1% increase. The largest era for decreased population was 1940 to 1950 with a decreased population rate of 0.4%. Table 2: Population Trends and Growth Rates Year
Dayton Township
Growth Rate
Tuscola County
Growth Rate
Michigan
Growth Rate 1930
911
32,934
4,842,325
1940
897
-0.2%
35,694
7.7%
5,256,106
7.9% 1950
862
-0.4%
38,258
6.7%
6,371,766
17.6% 1960
1,011
1.7%
43,305
11.7%
7,823,194
18.6% 1970
1,138
1.2%
48,603
10.9%
8,881,826
11.9% 1980
1,728
5.1%
56,961
14.7%
9,262,078
4.1% 1990
1,706
-0.1%
55,498
-2.6%
9,295,297
4.0% 2000
1,869
0.9%
58,266
4.9%
9,938,444
6.9% 2010
1,848
-0.1%
55,729
-4.3%
9,883,640
-0.6% Source: Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget Note: numbers in read mean a negative growth rate
Another useful source concerning planning for Dayton Township is the historical population compared to Dayton Township’s neighboring communities. Table 3 on the following page shows the past 50 years of population for Dayton Township and their neighboring communities. As Table 3 shows, Dayton Township has experienced a fairly steady population base, especially compared to the population base of their neighboring communities.
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Another useful source concerning planning for Dayton Township is the historical population compared to Dayton Township’s neighboring communities. Table 3 below, shows the past 50 years of population for Dayton Township and their neighboring communities. As Table 3 shows, Dayton Township has experienced a fairly steady population base, especially compared to the population base of their neighboring communities.
Table3: Historical Population
Municipal
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010 Tuscola County Dayton Township 1,138 1,728 1,706 1,869 1,848
Fremont Township *
2,200
2,871
3,153
3,559
3,312
Indianfields Township *
7,088
7,037
6,699
6,595
6,048
Kingston Township *
1,307
1,539
1,498
1,615
1,574
Koylton Township *
991
1,399
1,446
1,585
1,579
Watertown Township
1,626
2,122
2,132
2,231
2,202
Wells Township
1,002
1,501
1,528
1,743
1,773 Lapeer County
Burlington Township *
1,423
1,562
1,495
1,402
1,478
Rich Township
1,172
1,249
1,162
1,412
1,623
Source: U.S. Federal Census Bureau * = Village that resides in Township
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Table 4 on the left, provides an age breakdown and the percentage each age group comprises of the 2010 population of Dayton Township. The largest population age bracket were residents who were 50 to 54 years old. The second largest age bracket were residents who were 55 to 59 years old. The third largest age bracket were residents who were 45 to 49 years old. The fourth largest age brackets were three age groups; 10 to 14 years, 15 to 19 years, and 65 to 69 years of age.
The three largest population age brackets that comprised 24.9% of the 2010 Dayton Township population are classified as the baby boomer generation.
It is important to understand the baby boomer generation in regards to planning
The baby boomer generation are individuals who were born from 1946 to 1964. They are the largest population group in history. As the earliest baby boomers are now entering retirement it is important to note that most baby boomers desire to be active and maintain their well-being throughout retirement. Most experts agree that the way baby boomers live out their retirement years will look very different from the historical, stereotypical image of senior citizens.
Rather than retiring into the background of our society, many baby boomers will remain vibrant and active throughout their retirement years than was the case of previous generations. More baby boomers are college graduates than any generation before them. In addition most live in two income households versus a one income household of the generation before them.
Table 4: 2010 Dayton Township Population
Subject
Number
Percent
Total Population
1,848
100.0%
under 5
108
5.8%
5 to 9 years
114
6.2% 10 to 14 years 123 6.7% 15 to 19 years 124 6.7%
20 to 24 years
75
4.1%
25 to 29 years
94
5.1%
30 to 34 years
94
5.1%
35 to 39 years
91
4.9%
40 to 44 years
112
6.1% 45 to 49 years 139 7.5% 50 to 54 years 168 9.1% 55 to 59 years 153 8.3%
60 to 64 years
113
6.1% 65 to 69 years 124 6.7%
70 to 74 years
87
4.7%
75 to 79 years
70
3.8%
80 to 84 years
34
1.8%
85 years and over
25
1.4%
Source: U.S. Federal Census 2010
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Population Projections
Projecting the future population of Dayton Township helps predict the future demographic character of the Township. This is critically important for the Township’s planning and policy decisions regarding capital investments, land use, and zoning changes. Between 1980 and 2010 Dayton Township experienced an average growth rate of approximately 7 percent. From 1980 to 2010 Dayton Township grew at an average annual growth rate of 0.2%. With an average annual growth rate of 0.2% Dayton Township can expect to have an estimated population of 1,950 residents by 2037.
Table 4.1: 2010 Male Population
Subject
Number
Percent
Total Population
958
51.8%
under 5
60
3.2%
5 to 9 years
65
3.5% 10 to 14 years 70 3.8%
15 to 19 years
61
3.3%
20 to 24 years
36
1.9%
25 to 29 years
37
2.0%
30 to 34 years
56
3.0%
35 to 39 years
46
2.5%
40 to 44 years
52
2.8% 45 to 49 years 71 3.8% 50 to 54 years 86 4.7% 55 to 59 years 78 4.2% 60 to 64 years 66 3.6% 65 to 69 years 66 3.6%
70 to 74 years
39
2.1%
75 to 79 years
39
2.1%
80 to 84 years
19
1.0%
85 years and over
11
0.6%
Source: U.S. Federal Census 2010 Table 4.2: 2010 Female Population
Subject
Number
Percent
Total Population
890
48.2%
under 5
48
2.6%
5 to 9 years
49
2.7%
10 to 14 years
53
2.9% 15 to 19 years 63 3.4%
20 to 24 years
39
2.1%
25 to 29 years
57
3.1%
30 to 34 years
38
2.1%
35 to 39 years
45
2.4%
40 to 44 years
60
3.2% 45 to 49 years 68 3.7% 50 to 54 years 82 4.4% 55 to 59 years 75 4.1%
60 to 64 years
47
2.5%
65 to 69 years
58
3.1%
70 to 74 years
48
2.6%
75 to 79 years
31
1.7%
80 to 84 years
15
0.8%
85 years and over
14
0.8%
Source: U.S. Federal Census 2010
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Education Demographics
Table 5 on the left is from the 2014 Federal Community Survey of Dayton Township concerning the educational attainment of residents. According to the survey, the majority of residents over the age of 18 years have acquired a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certification.
A lower percentage of residents have obtained a bachelor or higher degree. A significant number of residents have attended college but have not obtained a degree.
Table 5: Educational Attainment
Subject
Estimate Total
Male Estimate
Female Estimate Population 18 to 24 years 145 60 85
Less than high school graduate
21.4%
33.3%
12.9%
High school graduate/equivalency
42.1%
58.3%
30.6%
Some college or associate’s degree
34.5%
8.3%
52.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
2.1%
0.0%
3.5% Population 25 years and over 1,124 584 540
Less than 9th grade
2.5%
2.6%
2.4%
9th to 12th, no diploma
8.0%
10.6%
5.2%
High-school graduate/equivalency
51.7%
59.9%
42.8%
Some college, no degree
20.6%
13.9%
28.0%
Associate's degree
6.5%
4.3%
8.9%
Bachelor's degree
8.3%
6.8%
9.8%
Graduate or professional degree
2.4%
1.9%
3.0% Total population 18 years and over 1,269 644 625 High school graduate or higher 89.5% 86.8% 92.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher
10.7%
8.7%
12.8%
Source: 2014 American Fact Finder
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Dayton Township Employment Demographics
There are two classifications concerning employment demographics employment by occupation and employment by industry. The occupational classification reflects the type of job or work that the person does, while the industry classification reflects the business activity of their employer or company. Table 6: Employment by Industry
Subject
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Average Number Employed
Civilian employed population 16 years and over
612
637
585
573
608
603
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
10
6
7
14
15
10
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
0
0
0
0
0
0 Construction 54 65 71 52 74 63 Manufacturing 81 80 70 64 124 84
Wholesale trade
3
14
14
7
10
10 Retail trade 80 107 89 102 78 91
Transportation and warehousing,
30
18
24
20
13
21
Information
3
8
7
8
6
6
Utilities
3
0
0
4
4
2
Finance and insurance
15
10
7
6
3
8
professional, scientific, and technical services
26
35
31
27
20
28
Administrative and support and waste management services
6
6
5
14
17
10
Management of companies and enterprises
0
0
0
0
0
0
Educational services
80
64
39
33
27
49 Health care and social assistance 114 107 103 102 104 106
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
9
11
10
11
15
11
accommodation and food services
35
50
47
36
45
43
Other services, except public administration
48
43
37
46
19
39
Public administration
15
13
24
27
34
23
Total
612
637
585
573
608
603
Source: American Fact Finder
Table 8 above lists the five year employment by industry estimates for Dayton Township. The largest employed group was in the health care and social assistance industry classification. The second largest employment group was in the retail trade with manufacturing and construction filling the third and fourth largest groups.
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Table 7: Employment by Occupation
Subject
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Average Number Employed
Civilian employed population 16 years and over
612
637
585
573
608
603
Management occupation
29
20
24
32
29
27
Business and financial operations
11
15
14
22
17
16
Computer, engineering and science
13
13
10
10
16
12
Computer and mathematical
3
4
0
0
4
2
Architecture and engineering
10
9
7
7
9
8
Life, physical, and social science
0
0
3
3
3
2
Community and social services
21
16
14
16
4
14
Legal
0
0
0
0
0
0
Education, training, and library
62
48
22
19
11
32
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media
10
13
11
5
5
9 Healthcare practitioner and technical 33 63 60 68 63 57
Health diagnosing and treating, practitioners and other technical
24
19
18
17
18
19
Health technologists and technicians
9
44
42
51
45
38
Healthcare support
24
20
19
19
21
21
Protective service
13
11
9
9
17
12
Firefighting and prevention and other protective service workers including supervisors
6
6
9
9
17
9
Law enforcement workers including supervisors
7
5
0
0
0
2
Food preparation and serving
35
50
45
33
42
41
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance
12
8
3
18
24
13
Personal care and service
13
9
16
11
22
14
Sales and office
48
46
29
28
14
33 Office and administrative support 94 78 95 92 88 89
Farming, fishing, and forestry (non-farm)
0
0
0
0
2
0 Construction and extraction 57 65 71 52 74 64
Installation, maintenance, and repair
49
60
50
39
30
46 Production 67 70 93 59 96 77
Transportation
17
32
28
34
21
26
Material moving
4
0
6
7
12
6
Total
671
724
698
660
704
691
Source: American Fact Finder
According to the five year estimates concerning employment by occupation the office and administrative support categories was the largest sector of employment for residents. The next
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 20
largest was Production, followed by construction and extraction and healthcare practitioner and technical services occupations.
Information from Table 10 above shows the yearly income ranges for households, families, married couple families, and nonfamily households. For planning purposes this information is valuable because it provides necessary information concerning yearly incomes for residents. The information also provides a view of the median and mean income for each of the listed resident groups.
The Median income is the amount that divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having income above that amount, and half having income below that amount. For example, half of the households of Dayton Township had a 2010 income above $43,945.00 and half had a 2010 income below $43,945.00. The mean income is the average income for each group according to the 2010 Federal Census.
Table 8: 2014 Dayton Township Resident Income Estimates
Subject
Household
Families
Married-couple Families
Nonfamily Households
Total
629
485
367
144
Less than $10,000
4.9%
3.5%
2.2%
9.7%
$10,000 to $14,999
4.8%
4.7%
3.5%
4.9%
$15,000 to $24,999
13.8%
10.9%
7.1%
30.6%
$25,000 to $34,999
14.6%
11.3%
7.1%
20.8%
$35,000 to $49,999
17.5%
16.3%
20.4%
19.4%
$50,000 to $74,999
23.8%
27.8%
30.5%
10.4%
$75,000 to $99,999
8.6%
9.9%
9.8%
4.2%
$100,000 to $149,999
10.3%
13.4%
16.6%
0.0%
$150,000 to $199,999
1.6%
2.1%
2.7%
0.0%
$200,000 or more
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Median income (dollars)
$ 43,945
$ 51,550
$ 54,803
$ 26,750
Mean income (dollars)
$ 51,253
$ 56,745
N/A
$ 31,600
Source: American Fact Finder
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 21
Information shown from Table 11 below shows that the majority of employed residents drive themselves to work, while a small percentage carpool to work. The majority of residents who work, do so outside of Tuscola County. The majority of these residents drive an hour or more to their workplace, and the majority of working residents leave for work between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Table 9: 2014 Commuting to Work Information Commuting Information Total Male Female
Workers 16 years and over
602
333
269 Means of Transportation to Work
Car, truck, or van
94.7%
97.9%
90.7%
Drove alone
80.1%
75.7%
85.5%
Carpooled
14.6%
22.2%
5.2%
In 2-person carpool
10.8%
15.3%
5.2%
In 3-person carpool
3.8%
6.9%
0.0%
In 4-person carpool
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
Walked
2.0%
0.0%
4.5%
Worked at Home
3.3%
2.1%
4.8% Place of Work
Worked in Michigan
99.3%
98.8%
100.0%
Worked in Tuscola County
39.2%
37.5%
41.3%
Worked Outside of Tuscola County
60.1%
61.3%
58.7%
Worked Outside of Michigan
0.7%
1.2%
0.0%
Worked in Dayton Township
8.5%
7.8%
9.3% Time Leaving to Work
12:00am to 4:59am
5.7%
7.0%
3.9%
5:00am to 5:29am
11.0%
12.3%
9.4%
5:30am to 5:59am
11.5%
17.5%
3.9%
6:00am to 6:29am
11.3%
13.5%
8.6%
6:30am to 6:59am
7.9%
9.5%
5.9%
7:00am to 7:29am
17.2%
18.1%
16.0%
7:30am to 7:59am
2.6%
1.2%
4.3%
8:00am to 8:29am
6.7%
0.9%
14.1%
8:30am to 8:59am
0.3%
60.0%
0.0%
9:am to 11:59pm
25.8%
19.3%
34.0% Travel Time To Work
Less than 10 minutes
7.4%
3.7%
12.1%
10 to 14 minutes
5.3%
4.9%
5.9%
15 to 19 minutes
9.8%
10.1%
9.4%
20 to 24 minutes
11.0%
8.3%
14.5%
25 to 29 minutes
7.2%
2.5%
13.3%
30 to 34 minutes
11.7%
17.8%
3.9%
35 to 44 minutes
8.1%
10.1%
5.5%
45 to 59 minutes
12.4%
7.4%
18.8%
60 or more minutes
27.1%
35.3%
16.8%
Mean Travel Time To Work (Minutes)
41.2
46.4
34.6
Source: American Fact Finder
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 22
Housing Characteristics
Dayton Township’s rural landscape is dotted with houses and in several small areas, residential neighborhoods. Most residences are scattered throughout the Township and are frequently located on lots of ten to forty acres or more. Approximately 22% of the Township’s dwelling units are located within two fairly compact residential development areas – Cat Lake and Shay Lake. Combined they occupy less than one percent of the total Township area. Cat Lake and Shay Lake are two of the five lakes in Dayton Township, all of which range between approximately 15 to 70 acres in size and are located in the northern half of Dayton Township. Nearly all dwelling units in Dayton Township are single family dwellings.
According to the 2010 Federal Census, there was a total of 632 owner occupied housing units and 79 renter occupied housing units. Table 5 on the left, provides information on the size and number of household which own their home. The majority of owner housing units in Dayton Township were 2-person households. The second largest owner housing group was single person households.
According to Table 6, on the left, the majority of households who rent their home were comprised of single persons. The second largest group of renters was 3-person households. The next highest renter groups were the two and four person households.
Table10: Owner housing units Owner occupied housing units Number Percentage
1-person household
128
20.3% 2-person household 276 43.7%
3-person household
89
14.1% 4-person household 72 11.4%
5-person household
39
6.2% 6-person household 17 2.6%
7 or more person household
11
1.7% Total Owner Units 632 100.0%
Source: 2010 U.S. Federal Census Table10.1: Renter housing units 1-person household 25 31.6%
2-person household
15
19.0% 3-person household 18 22.8%
4-person household
13
16.5% 5-person household 5 6.3%
6-person household
1
1.3% 7 or more person household 2 2.5%
Total Renter Units
79
100.0% Source: 2010 U.S. Federal Census
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Tables 7 and 7.1 are the household ownership and household renters broken down by age groups as recorded in the 2010 Federal Census.
According to the 2010 Federal Census there were 632 owner occupied households. The largest resident group who owned their homes in 2010 was 55 to 64 years of age. The next largest group was 45 to 54 years of age. This would indicate that the majority of homeowners in Dayton Township are classified as baby boomers. Interestingly, the majority of home owners in Dayton Township are retired or those nearing retirement. According to the 2010 Federal Census there were 79 households in Dayton Township who rented their home. From the information shown in Table 7.1 the largest group to rent their home was from those who were 25 to 34 years of age. The next largest group was from residents who were 35 to 44 years of age.
Table11: Household Age bracket Ownership Subject Number Percentage of Total
Total Occupied Housing Units
632
100.0% 15 to 24 years 4 0.6%
25 to 34 years
55
8.7% 35 to 44 years 84 13.3%
45 to 54 years
133
21.0% 55 to 64 years 155 24.5%
65 to 74 years
115
18.2% 75 to 84 years 67 10.6%
85 years and over
19
3.0% Source: 2010 Federal Census Bureau Table 11.1: Household Age Bracket Renters Subject Number Percentage of Total
Total Occupied Rental Units
79
100.0% 15 to 24 years 5 6.3%
25 to 34 years
23
29.1% 35 to 44 years 18 22.8%
45 to 54 years
17
21.5% 55 to 64 years 7 8.9%
65 to 74 years
5
6.3% 75 to 84 years 3 3.8%
85 years and over
1
1.3% Source: 2010 Federal Census Bureau
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 24
Natural Resources and Environment
Map 3: Dayton Township Soil Association
According to the Dayton Township Soil Association map
above, Dayton Township is comprised of the following soil
associations.
5. Wixom-Wolcott-Pipestone Association
This association makes up eight percent of Tuscola County
and a very small portion of Dayton Township. The class is composed of 30% Wixom 25%
Wolcott, and 15% Pipestone Series. The Wixom and Pipestone are typically found on broad flats
and on low ridges. Wixom soils are found on nearly level and gently undulating slopes and are
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 25
somewhat poorly drained. The soils of the Wolcott soil group are normally found in low, broad areas, depressions, and drainage ways. They are very poorly drained. Very poorly drained soils are defined by free water remaining at or on the surface during most of the growing season. Pipestone soils are nearly level and gently undulating and are somewhat poorly drained.
The other 30% of the soils are well combined with the somewhat poorly drained Capac and the poorly drained Belleville soils. Cultivated cropland tends to be the primary use of this class with wetness being the key challenge to overcome. The major soils are poorly suited to sanitary facilities due to poor filtration, slow percolation, and ponding. Building development is precluded due to wetness.
7. Perrin-Wasepi-Gilford Association
This association covers 10% of Tuscola County and is the second largest soil association in Dayton Township. Perrin soils (35% of class) are nearly level and gently undulating. They tend to be moderately well drained. Measures to prevent wind erosion, water erosion, and seasonal drought should be considered. Wasepi (30% of class) are generally found on the lower side of slopes and on ridges. They are nearly level and somewhat poorly drained. Gilford (10% of class) are nearly level and very poorly drained.
The rest of the class (25%) is mixed with the well-drained Spinks and Boyer soils, and the Londo, Metamora, Tappan, and Wixom soils that are poorly drained. Most areas of this association are used as woodland and cropland. Some sand and gravel extractive operations are present as well. Cultivated crop suitability is fair with corn, beans, and wheat often comprising the main crops. Building development on Perrin soils is fair to poor due to local wetness conditions. The other major classes preclude development due to poor drainage. All major soil series are severely limited for sanitary facilities, as poor filtration and wetness are typical.
8. Pipestone-Granby-Chelsea Association
These series composes about 16% of the County and a very small portion of Dayton Township. Pipestone soils (40%) tend to be somewhat poorly drained, as mentioned earlier. Granby soils (20%) are found on nearly level slopes and are typically poorly drained. This type can be visually identified by its black, loamy fine sand about 11 inches thick. The Chelsea (16%) series is found on nearly level to gently rolling slopes and is generally well drained. Its surface layer tends to be composed of dark, gray-brown fine sand about five inches thick.
The other series or minor extent (24%) are somewhat poorly drained Wixom and very poorly drained Wolcott soils. Most areas of this association are used for cultivated crops, pasture, or woodland. While the wetness of the Granby and Pipestone soils is the main farming limitation, the whole class is fairly suited for cultivation. Wind erosion, organic matter content, and seasonal drought are added management concerns. While the Chelsea soils are well suited for
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 26
building development, the other soil series are poorly suited. Sanitary facilities are limited with the poor filtering and wet characteristics of all the major soil groups involved.
9. Marlette-Capac-Spinks Association
This soil association comprises 15% of Tuscola County and is the largest soil association in Dayton Township. It is composed of the Marlette (42%), Capac (15%), and Spinks (12%) soil series. While the Marlette and Spinks are often located on high ridges and knolls and in broad, undulating areas, the Capac is normally found in lower areas. Marlette soils tend to be well drained and are found on steep to undulating slopes. The surface layer is dark grayish brown composed of sandy loam. This series has only slight limitations for building yet has severe restrictions on sanitary uses due to slow percolation. It is also subject to water erosion.
Capac soils were earlier described and are somewhat poorly drained. Methods for removing excess water are often needed. Spinks tends to be well drained with a fine, loamy-sand surface layer about seven inches thick. Control measures to prevent soil blowing should be considered.
Septic absorption varies from fair to very poor, depending on the site. The other minor extents or other soil groups (31%) combine the well-drained Boyer and Meteasoils, which are found on slopes similar to the Marlette and Spinks. Also, the poorly drained Metamora, Wixom, and Wolcott soils are present and often found on low, broad flats, and in depressions of drainage ways. Wetness, slope, water erosion, and wind erosion are farming management concerns. Building limitations include greater slopes, often shallow depth to the water table, and poor permeability. Generally, this association is suitable for cultivated crops, pasture, or woodlands.
10. Houghton-Adrian Association
Comprising 2% of Tuscola County’s land area and the third largest soil association in Dayton Township, this group is found in bogs and depressions located on flood plains. The Houghton series makes up 30% of the group characterized by black muck extending to a depth of 51 inches. The Adrian series composes 30% made up of a shallow muck of only 11 inches. The rest of the class (40%) is a mixture of poorly drained Marlette, Capac, Pipestone, and Wolcott soils. Most areas of this association are used as woodlands or wildlife habitat. The major soil series are generally unsuited to cultivated crops, sanitary facilities, and building development due to frequent ponding.
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Map 4: Hydric/Non Hydric Soil
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 28
Soil Moisture Characteristics
As depicted on the Natural Conservation Service map above a portion of Dayton Township is classified as hydric soils. These soils are defined as soils that are saturated, flooded, or pond during part of the growing season and are classified as poorly drained and very poorly drained.
Hydric soils generally have poor potential for building site development and sanitary facilities. Wetness and frequent ponding are severe problems that can be difficult and costly to overcome. Sites with high water tables may be classified as wetlands and a wetlands permit would-be required to develop these areas.
Non-hydric soils are defined as being well drained or moderately well drained. These types tend to show wetness or flooding only after significant periods of rainfall or during the seasonal spring thaw.
Woodland areas are complex ecological systems and consequently, provide multiple benefits to the environment and its wildlife and human inhabitants. Woodlands also reduce air pollutants by absorbing certain air borne particles. In addition to providing wildlife habitat, woodland vegetation moderates the effects of winds and temperatures while stabilizing and enriching the soil. For human inhabitants, woodland areas offer scenic contrasts within the landscape and with the changing of the season. Woodlands act as buffers from noise on heavily traveled roads. Primary non-preservation uses of woodlands are the production of forest products and woodland recreation. Recreation activities include small and large game hunting. Wildlife species include deer, turkey, rabbit, and ruffled grouse.
Approximately 10.5% or 2,413 acres of Upland Tree Acreage are found in Dayton Township. Upland trees include aspen-white birch, northern hardwoods (sugar/red maple, American beech, cherry, and basswood) and pine (jack, white and red).
Approximately 2,338 acres or 10.2% of Dayton Township is comprised of Lowland Tree Acreage. Lowland tree species include red maple, silver maple, green ash, cottonwood, elm, and basswood. These species tend to grow on poorly drained soils with high water tables.
Residents of Michigan are becoming increasingly more aware of the value of wetlands, also referred to as marshes, swamps, or bogs. Beyond their aesthetic value, wetlands protect the water quality of lakes and streams by filtering polluting nutrients, organic chemicals, and toxic heavy metals. Wetlands are closely related to high groundwater tables and serve to discharge or recharge aquifers. Wetlands support wildlife and wetland vegetation and protect shorelines from erosion.
Michigan’s Wetland Protection Act defines wetlands as “land characterized by the presence of water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support wetland vegetation or aquatic life and is commonly referred to as a bog, swamp or marsh.” The Act further specifies State jurisdiction over certain wetlands depending upon their proximity to a lake, stream, pond, or Great Lake, and/or having a direct hydrological relationship with it. Wetlands, which meet the statute criteria, are considered regulated and require a permit before draining, filling, dredging or constructing upon. Approximately 1,217 acres or 5.3% of land in Dayton Township is classified as Wetlands.
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 29
Map 5: Generalized Woodlands and Wetlands
(Source: 2000 Dayton Township Zoning Plan)
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 30
Dayton Township Land Use
Map 6: Dayton Township Land Use Map
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 31
Land Use and Development
Agriculture
Agricultural activities comprise approximately 54%of the total Township acreage. Of the approximately 12,430 acres of farmland in the Township, over 97% is used for cropland production. The most commonly harvested crop is corn, although considerable acreage is also devoted to hay, soybeans, wheat, and to a lesser degree, potatoes and sugar beets. Agricultural lands are located throughout all areas of the Township. Most of the acreage in the Township not devoted to agriculture is of a wooded and /or wetland character.
Residential
Residential development comprises approximately 2% of the acreage in Dayton Township. The 2010 Federal Census recorded 1,042 dwelling units in the Township, of which 711 were occupied, 331 were vacant and 194 were seasonal and/or recreational.
According to the 2015 Federal American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Dayton Township had 645 occupied housing unity with a margin of error of +/- 72 dwellings. Of the occupied units 576 were owner occupied units and 69 were renter occupied units. Also according to the 2015 estimate 89% of the housing units were single family dwellings and 9.5% were mobile homes or other type of housing. Of the 69 rental units 73.9% were single family dwellings, 14.5% were 3 to 4 apartments units and 11.6% were mobile homes or other type of housing.
As of the 2015 American Community Survey approximately 64.1% of the dwelling units in Dayton Township were constructed from 1960 to 2013. The largest era for dwelling development was 1960 to 1979 for owner occupied dwellings (30.4%) and 1939 or earlier for rental dwellings (24.6%).
Approximately 22% of Dayton Township’s dwelling units are located within two fairly compact residential development areas, Cat Lake and Shay Lake which are the two exceptions to the predominant scattered residential development pattern throughout the Township. Though these more urban areas comprise approximately 22% of all the dwelling units in the Township, they occupy less than 1% of the total Township area. Though not nearly as large, the community of Silverwood includes a compact residential area of approximately 30 dwelling units located primarily in Rich Township in Lapeer County.
The majority of these more intensely developed residential areas are composed of lots created prior to the enactment of the Subdivision Control Act of 1967. Many of the lake area plats provided for lots no wider than 50 or 60 feet nor greater in area than 7,000 to 8,000 square feet, lots which would normally not be permitted today by the State of Michigan in light of concerns and hazards regarding sewage disposal and potable water. Table 12: Land Use and Development
Land Use
Approximate Acreage
Approximate Percent of Township Area
Agriculture
12,430
53.7%
Natural Area
10,040
43.4%
Residential Areas
420
1.8%
Water Bodies
160
0.7%
Commercial/Industrial
--- *
--- *
* less than 10 acres (less than 0.05% of Township Area)
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 32
Commercial
Commercial development in Dayton Township is generally limited in scale to a handful of on-site service and retail-based establishments. For larger scaled commercial enterprises the residents of Dayton Township depend on services offered in Mayville, Caro, or Lapeer. The establishments currently operating in Dayton Township are as follows:
 2 bar/restaurant establishments, one located in Silverwood, and one along M-46 near Lee Hill Road
 An assisted living facility (comparatively limited use) on Shays Lake Road near Turner Road.
 1 machine repair shop, located on Shaw Road just south of M-46
 1 mini-storage facility, located on M-24 east of Mayville
 1 well drilling operation located on M-24 east of Mayville
 1 health clinic located on M-24 east of Mayville
 1 truck hauling operation along M-46 near Murray Road
Industrial
Dayton Township has a zoned light industrial district located in the southwestern portion of the Township. The district lies between Mayville and Brown Roads along the eastern portion of Treasurer Road.
Community Facilities and Services
As is often found in rural communities, Dayton Township has a very low level of community facilities and services. Electrical utility service is provided throughout the Township by Detroit Edison Company and Thumb Electric Cooperative. Natural gas service has yet to be introduced in the Township. There is not public sewer or water in Dayton Township and police protection is provided primarily by the Tuscola County Sherriff Department and Michigan State Police Department on an as needed basis and through random drive-troughs. Both are stationed in Caro which is approximately 15 miles from Dayton Township. Fire protection is provided by the Mayville Fire Department and the Kingston Fire Department, both of which are volunteer departments. The Mayville Fire Department services primarily the southern two thirds of the Township and is stationed in Mayville. The Kingston Fire Department primarily services the northern third of the Township and is stationed in Kingston. Ambulance service is available from Mayville and Marlette.
There are no public recreation facilities in Dayton Township and public buildings are generally limited to the Mayville Historical Museum on M-24 and the Township Hall on Hurds Corner Road which was constructed in 1876. The Township is served by two public school districts. The Kingston School District which covers the northeast half of the Township and Mayville School
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 33
District which covers the balance of the Township. There are no public school facilities in the
Township.
Dayton Township operates and maintains three cemeteries:
 Dayton Center Cemetery on Hurds Corner Road south of the Township Hall
 West Dayton Cemetery at the southeast corner of Blackmore and Treasurer Roads
 St. Agatha Cemetery on Clifford Road east of Hurds Corner Road.
Transportation
Map 7: Dayton Township Transportation Map
(Source: 2000 Dayton Township Zoning Plan)
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 34
Dayton Township Roadway Network
Dayton Township's roadway network is comprised of a traditional grid-like layout characteristic of many rural communities where there are no major natural features or public holdings to disturb the evolution of this pattern.
The Michigan Department of Transportation classifies roads in Townships as principal arteries, minor arteries, collector roads, or local roads. These classifications, and their application to the roads of Dayton Township, can generally be described as follows:
• Principal arteries accommodate major traffic movements for trips typically over long local or regional distances. There are no roads in the Township currently classified as principal arteries.
• Minor arteries interconnect with and provide access to principal arteries, accommodating more modest trip lengths and placing a higher emphasis upon access to land uses than do principal arteries. Within Dayton Township, this classification applies only to M-46 and M-24.
• Collector roads emphasize access to abutting land areas and the collection of traffic for distribution to the larger arterial systems. Within the Township, this classification applies to Clifford, Hurds Corner, and Mayville Roads.
• Local roads emphasize access to abutting properties and the collection of traffic for distribution to collector and arterial corridors. This classification applies to the balance, and vast majority, of the roads in the Township.
Roads designated as "collectors roads" and "local roads" are not eligible for federal funding.
In compliance with the requirements of Michigan Act 51 of 1951, the Tuscola County Road Commission classifies all roads under its jurisdiction as either primary roads or local roads. Generally, the federal designations of collector roads in the Township includes those corridors similarly classified by the Road Commission as primary roads, while those roads federally designated as local roads similarly fall within the Road Commission's local roads classification.
The Tuscola County Road Commission is responsible for maintaining and, where necessary, improving all county primary and county local roads. Complete funding for improvements to county primary roads is provided for by the Road Commission whereas the Township must fund a portion of the costs associated with improving county local roads. The portion of the funding which the Township has been responsible for has historically varied considerably from project to project.
The vast majority of roads in Dayton Township are gravel (see map 7, page 32). The condition of these roads vary considerable depending upon the amount of traffic, water table, and other factors. Many of the roads can be particularly challenging during inclement weather, and dusty with loose gravel during drier times. The drivable surface of some of these roads is 20 feet or less.
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 35
The ability of Dayton Township’s gravel roadway network to accommodate the current level of demand is variable. As few as ten dwellings along a single linear mile of gravel road can result in regular and persistent maintenance problems and lower the safety of such roads.
Strategic Planning
The policies set forth by the Dayton Township Master Plan are largely based on a planning process in which the Dayton Township Planning Commission with the help of community members defined the Township’s primary objectives for the next 20 years.
Community Involvement
Goals reflect the desires of the community and consist of general statements of future conditions regarding specific issues. Goals guide the establishment of policies and objectives within a community. Goals may be adjusted, modified or removed depending on changes within a community.
Policies and objectives are concerned with defining and implementing the broad goals of the Master Plan. Policies are specific statements, principles or actions, which imply a clear commitment toward achieving identified goals. Objectives are statements of measurable activity, benchmarks, to be reached in pursuit of identified goals.
It is through citizen involvement that important Dayton Township issues are identified. Once identified, goals and objectives are established by the Dayton Township Planning Commission. The strategic planning process with the Planning Commission involved three tasks: issue identification, visioning, and tactical planning.
Early on in the planning process the Dayton Township Planning Commission hosted a public opinion survey. Approximately 17% of residents responded to the survey.
The survey responders had the following responses when asked “How important to you are the following in making Dayton Township a particularly desirable place to live?”
Extremely Unimportant
Generally Unimportant
Neither Important or Unimportant
Generally Important
Extremely Important
Total
Rural Character/country living
13
4
16
55
126
214
Quality of schools
11
14
29
61
106
221
Farmland
10
6
30
75
84
205
Local employment opportunities
3
12
52
96
60
223
Local consumer services
6
9
52
95
54
216
Reasonable taxes
9
2
6
65
138
220
Police protection services
7
6
19
91
91
214
Fire protection services
5
6
15
75
109
210
Natural resources, wetlands, woodlands
15
11
18
72
96
212
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 36
From the responses to the survey residents feel maintaining the rural character of Dayton Township is extremely important. In addition, maintaining and protecting farmland, reasonable taxes, and good quality schools is extremely important. Fire protection service is extremely important to residents. Police protection services, local consumer services, local employment opportunities, and natural resources, wetlands, and woodlands is extremely important to generally important.
A large majority of responders felt the Township of Dayton should strive to manage the rate and character of growth and development. A large majority of responders supported land use regulation such as lot size, road frontage that was aimed at preserving agricultural resources by limiting residential development in agricultural areas. A large majority of responders felt there was the right amount of commercial development in the Township. When asked for specific types of commercial development that should be encourage within the Township the majority of responders said none, requests for restaurants and food service/produce/general stores came in second and third place in the tally. When asked if they supported attracting new commercial development that was appropriately located as a means to balance Township revenues and expenditures a large majority said yes.
When asked if industrial development that was appropriately located as a means to balance Township revenues and expenses was supported the 228 responders answered: 98 yes, 82 no, and 48 unsure. When asked if they supported preserving farmland a large majority answered yes. A large majority of responders also felt it was important to have a strategy in place to encourage the preservation of farmland.
Concerning residential and resident needs, a majority of responders feel the elderly and others in Dayton Township should have alternative housing options such as assisted living facilities, apartments, and townhouses. The majority of responders would rather drive to nearby communities such as Mayville, Caro, and Dayton for their shopping needs than see expansion of commercial uses/services in Dayton Township. The top three reasons responders continue to live in Dayton Township is – rural character, abundant open spaces, and recreation opportunities like lakes and hunting. The majority of responders owned 2 acres or less.
The following services or conditions of the Township were rated as good or okay.
 Road Conditions
 Ambulance Service
 Police Protection
 Fire Protection
 Recreation Opportunities
 Zoning Enforcement
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 37
Future Land Use
In the course of preparing the Future Land Use section of the Master Plan, several factors were considered: existing development patterns, demographic trends, regional influences, natural resource conditions, existing land use and zoning, and road patterns. To this extent, it reflects general policy toward future development and redevelopment.
Residential
Future residential development within Dayton Township should follow development guidelines where measures are taken to minimize potential negative impacts of new residential development, including the avoidance of strip residential development patterns and the protection of Dayton Township’s rural character and open spaces.
Future residential development should be categorized under the following:
 Low Density Residential – provides for rural residential development patterns and lifestyles. This category includes, single family dwellings, agriculture residents, etc. Recommended minimum parcel size of 1 to 2 acres, but development density not to exceed approximately 1 dwelling per 5 to 10 acres.
 Medium Density Residential – provides opportunities for suburban residential development patterns and lifestyles. This category includes single family and two family dwellings, nursing homes, religious institutions, etc. Recommended minimum parcel size of 1 acre for single family and two family dwellings should have a minimum parcel size of 2 acres.
 High Density Residential – provides opportunities for urban residential development patterns and lifestyles. This category includes single family and two family dwellings, multiple family swellings, mobile home parks, nursing homes, religious institutions, etc. Recommended minimum parcel size of 15,000 square feet for single family swellings and 20,000 square feet for two family dwelling.
For future vacant residential development it is recommended that vacant land will be zoned to a medium or high density residential district in a slow and incremental manner. This will assist future development in order to:
 Assure landowners are not faced with increased tax burdens until such time when they wish to have their parcel zoned to a higher intensity district
 Minimize the frequency of nonconforming uses due to differences in allowable land uses with the respective districts
 Assure land is zoned in response to an identified need
 Provide the Township with the opportunity to assure public services are adequate to meet the service needs associated with residential density changes and the introduction of new land uses.
Lake Area Residential Development – For the future development of the Township Lake areas it is recommended to encourage the continuation of the residential land uses along the lakes but
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in a manner which more effectively recognizes the sensitive environmental qualities embodied in these resources and their aesthetic and recreational aspects. Future residential development along the lakes should not exceed a development density of approximately one dwelling unit per acre. In addition, keyhole or funnel development should not be allowed without adequate control measures.
Agriculture
For future agriculture development it is recommended that the establishment and continued expansion as necessary of an agriculture conservation district be strongly considered. In addition the encroachment of residential land uses is strongly discouraged to more effectively preserve important agricultural resources. However, it is recognized that the ability of a farmland owner to split off residential lots from the farm acreage, from time to time or multiple splits in a short period of time, is important both for economic gain and assuring the continued operation of the farm. All future development should strive to achieve a greater balance between the need and desire for farmland protect and future residential encroachment. Therefore, it is recommended new lots created for non-farm residences should be limited in area to minimize the loss of farm acreage.
Commercial
For future vacant land commercial development it is recommended that such development be done in a slow and incremental manner. This will assist future development in order to:
 Assure landowners are not faced with increased tax burdens until such time when they wish their parcel zoned to a commercial/industrial area
 Minimize the frequency of nonconforming uses due to differences in allowable land uses within the Township
 Assure land is zoned in response to an identified need
 Provide the Township with the opportunity to assure public services are adequate to meet the service needs associated with commercial changes and the introduction of new land uses.
Industrial
For future light industrial vacant land development it is recommended that such development be done in a slow and incremental manner. This will assist future development in order to:
 Assure landowners are not faced with increased tax burdens until such time when they wish their parcel zoned to a commercial/industrial area
 Minimize the frequency of nonconforming uses due to differences in allowable land uses within the Township
 Assure land is zoned in response to an identified need, such as a solar array
 Provide the Township with the opportunity to assure public services are adequate to meet the service needs associated with light industrial changes and the introduction of new land uses.
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Community Services and Facilities
While the vast majority of land development to occur in the Township will involve privately owned land, it may become necessary for the acquisition and/or development of publicly owned land. While the Township currently owns and operates 3 cemeteries, and the Township Hall on land in the Township, it provides only limited public services to the residents of the Township. As the Township continues to grow and develop, the time may come when the acquisition of additional land and/or the development of existing parcels by the Township for public purposes may become beneficial to meet the increased public service needs of the community. The Township recognizes that development of public lands can negatively impact surrounding land uses and measures should be followed in the acquisition and development of future public lands to minimize such negative impacts.
The Township should acquire and/or develop land for public use only where the proposed acquisition and/or development addresses the maintenance or enhancement of the public health, safety, and welfare based upon a demonstrated need, the site characteristics are compatible with the proposed use, the use will not unreasonably impact adjacent properties, and measures will be taken to minimize potential negative impacts.
It is not the intent of the Dayton Township Master Plan to encourage the provision of new and/or expanded public services throughout the Township, but to generally limit the intro-duction or expansion of such services to those areas of the Township planned to accommodate growth and development of such intensities that such services are highly desirable and/or nec-essary. Accordingly, the Township should monitor growth and development trends and assure that no new land uses are introduced prior to the provision of public services to the project site to meet the new public service demands of that land use.
Where new public services are introduced or expanded, they should be done so in a manner mutually beneficial to, and coordinated with neighboring municipal services where applicable. The provisions of new and/or expanded public services in the Township should not occur in a "band aid" type fashion nor be contingent upon revelations of emergency conditions. The provision of certain public services, such as public sewer and water, requires substantial time and financial resources including feasibility studies, design, and construction, and planning ahead for such services prior to near emergency conditions is critical.
Transportation
Land use is intrinsically related to circulation and, in particular, vehicular access. Industrial and commercial facilities require adequate roadways to accommodate the relatively high volumes of traffic requiring access to such facilities, and residential neighborhoods require adequate roadways to facilitate the day-to-day patterns of area households. In addition, all land parcels require adequate roadways to facilitate emer-gency services. With this in mind, it becomes imperative that the Township's circulation system meet the land use needs of the community today, tomorrow, and into the future. Similarly, it is imperative that land uses are not introduced within the Township unless an
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adequate circulation system exists (or is anticipated, depending upon the circumstance) to meet the apparent land use needs.
The proper balance between roadway infrastructures and land use needs can come about only through a purposeful plan of action. The following policies are established to guide future transportation improvements in the Township.
Roadway Monitoring
The Township should continually monitor traffic flows and roadway conditions to identify existing and potential conflict areas. The intent of this policy is to enable the Township to identify existing and anticipated circulation conflicts so as to plan for their solution before circumstances become extreme, hazardous, or generally in conflict with the health, safety and welfare of the community.
Principal policies regarding roadway monitoring in the Township include:
1) Regular correspondence should be maintained with the Tuscola County Road Commission to review road conditions and indications of potential and necessary improvements.
2) Regular correspondence should be maintained with neighboring municipalities and the East Central Michigan Planning & Development Regional Commission to stay abreast of regional transportation issues which may impact Dayton Township.
3) Intergovernmental coordination should be encouraged with area municipalities to encourage and coordinate roadway improvements, maximize tax dollars, and minimize negative impacts between municipalities as a result of non-coordinated improvement projects.
Prioritized Improvements
Improvements to the roadway network should be based upon an orderly and prioritized ap-proach. Improvements should be based upon substantiated data highlighting the need for such improvements and priority should be given to those improvements addressing immediate haz-ardous conditions and/or increasingly hazardous circumstances where high or increasing traffic flows are present.
Except where hazardous conditions may be present and need immediate attention, all planned road improvements should be critically linked to the planned future land use pattern of the Township. Special attention should be directed toward assuring the roadway infrastructure associated with the Township's planned growth and development areas is adequate to accommodate the anticipated increase in demand.
The need for improvements to these road segments should be closely monitored so that, should improvements be necessary, the improvements can be implemented in a timely fashion and prior to severe congestion, safety, and disrepair problems.
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Principal policies regarding the relative priority of transportation improvements in the Township include:
1) Future improvements to the Township's transportation network will be based upon a number of considerations including roadway infrastructure conditions, existing levels of service, the planned future land use pattern in the Township, and projected decreases in levels of service.
2) Future roadway improvements will be considered of greatest priority where there exist immediate emergency conditions, including impassable roads and bridges. Priority will then be directed toward improvements aimed at increasing the level of service along road segments which are currently experiencing excessive levels of service or expected to experience excessive levels of service in the near future due to existing and/or planned land use patterns.
3) Dayton Township will maintain close contact with the Tuscola County Road Commission in identifying priority road improvements. Special attention will be placed upon county network roadways within and adjacent to the planned Suburban Residential Areas.
Emergency Services
Dayton Township's reliance upon the joint operated area fire department, the county sheriff's department, and the state police for emergency services provides a level of service which is generally considered adequate by area residents. Depending upon the degree of growth experienced by the Township during the coming years, this level of service may decline unless specific actions are taken to maintain or improve the level of service.
Principal policies regarding the future provision of emergency services in the Township include:
1) Dayton Township will continue to be an integral element of the area-wide fire de-partment and strive to improve the level of fire protection in Dayton Township in a manner mutually beneficial to all area municipalities.
2) Dayton Township will continue its reliance upon the county sheriff's department and state police department for police protection. Should the time come when, due to the degree of growth and/or development in the Township, or other contributing factors, it becomes apparent that an improved police protection program is needed; the Township will consider all feasible options in establishing such a program. Options which will be considered at such a time will include, at a minimum, area-wide programs with neighboring municipalities as well as an independently operated Dayton Township program.
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Map 8: Future Land Use Map
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Master Plan Implementation
It is essential that the Planning Commission, Township Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Zoning Administrator, and the public under-stand the purpose of this Plan and its value to the Township. Plan implementation requires the continuous efforts of the Township's decision-makers and the support of the public. Toward this end, the Planning Commission should take the initiative for assuring that both Township officials and residents are continuously apprised of important planning issues facing the Township and that a mechanism be established to encourage and solicit public in-put on such issues.
The participation of Township residents in local planning efforts is critical and should always be encouraged. Accordingly, all pertinent planning data available to the Planning Commission and Township Board should be available to the general public as well so that they may be well informed and capable of providing valuable input into the planning process. Similarly, the Township should utilize alternative avenues of communications including newspapers and mailings to notify residents of particular issues and provide factual insight into these issues.
Constant references to this plan by Township officials and staff when making land use and public services decisions are fundamental for effective implementation of the Plan. The Plan must be used as a tool of reference and valued for the insight it provides. Realizing the Plan's value and its utilitarian quality for local planning efforts is the easiest method of implementation.
There are a variety of regulatory techniques available to assist in implementing an adopted master plan. The most important of these techniques involves zoning regulations.
Zoning: Zoning provisions regulate the use of land and are certainly the most effective means of implementing the Plan. In 1943, the State of Michigan passed the Township Rural Zoning Act (P.A. 184 of 1943, as amended) which vests the legislative authority to enact or amend a zoning ordinance with the Township Board.
The Michigan Acts include a statement defining the purpose of zoning, a portion of which reads as follows:
"...to meet the needs...for food, fiber, energy, and other natural resources, places of residence, recreation, trade, and service...to assure that the use of land (is) situated in appropriate locations and relationships; to limit the inappropriate overcrowding of land and congestion of population...to facilitate adequate and efficient provision for transportation systems, sewage disposal, water, energy, education, recreation, and other public service and facility requirements..."
The Township Rural Zoning Act stipulates that a Township's zoning ordinance must be based upon a "plan," part of the basis for the preparation of the Dayton Township Master Plan. A zoning ordinance typically prescribes and controls the use of land through the establishment of land use zones or districts. Each zone is based upon various land development characteristics including lot sizes, development intensity, use of buildings and lots, and building locations, heights, and bulk.
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Though Dayton Township currently has a zoning ordinance in effect, this ordinance should be revised and updated to reflect the policies of the Plan. In fact, it is generally recommended that zoning ordinances be completely reviewed at least every five years to determine any minor or major amendments which may be needed to address changing trends and conditions in the community. Portions of the zoning ordinance can be revised at any time based upon legally prescribed procedures.
Specific portions of the current Dayton Township Zoning Ordinance which should be reviewed and amended include, at a minimum: 1) district regulations; 2) term definitions; 3) permitted uses in each zoning district; 4) special land use and site plan review provisions; 5) minimum standard for dwellings, including mobile homes; 6) zoning map; and 7) administrative procedures.
Another local method of land use control with an emphasis on the environment is the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program established by Act 116 of 1976. Some parcels in the Township have been enrolled in this program for many years. The Act under which this program is administered was originally designed to alleviate the rapid conversion of agricultural land within the state to more intensive uses which were taking place at the time. The Act also provides for the preservation of privately owned open space land.
Act 116 enables individual land owners of eligible open space land to enter into a development rights easement with the unit of government in whose jurisdiction the property is located. The easement is designed to ensure that the land remains in a particular use for an agreed-upon minimum period of ten years. The easement may be perpetual. In return for the restrictive covenant, the land owner is entitled to certain property tax benefits.
To enroll in the program, the property owner must file an application with the Township. Upon approval, the Township prepares an appropriate easement which, after signing by the land owner, is subsequently recorded with the register of deeds of the county. Property owners should become familiar with all conditions associated with such an easement before entering into an agreement. The Township has an opportunity to support or oppose such agreements and can thus play an important role in this regard.
The Michigan Wetland Protection Act (Act 203 of 1979) was passed to regulate activities in Michigan wetlands. No dredging, filling or construction can take place in wetland areas without a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "Wetland" under the Act is land "characterized by the presence of water of a frequency and duration sufficient to support and that, under normal conditions, does support wetland vegetation."
The Michigan statute applies to all wetlands contiguous to inland lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. They also include the wetlands of five acres or more in size that are not contiguous to surface water bodies and located in counties with populations of 100,000 or more. Noncontiguous wetlands cannot be regulated in a county of less than 100,000 populations unless a wetland inventory is completed.
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Act 203 was designed to protect wetlands, and controls provided for by the Act serve to regulate wetland alteration. Regulatory objectives of the Michigan statute include the pro-tection of wildlife habitats, duck nesting areas, aquifer recharge areas, and the function of wetlands as nutrient and sediment traps for the protection of lakes and streams. The Act's regulatory program is designed to prohibit or control by permit all fill, excavation and structural development in wetlands.
A Township may enact a subdivision ordinance through the authority of the Subdivision Control Act, [Land Division Act].The Subdivision Control Act permits Townships and other municipalities to enact ordinances with the intent of controlling the properness and degree of land subdividing and improvements to the land, including sanitary sewer, water supply, utilities and streets. Such ordinances apply to land divisions where five or more parcels of land, each of which is ten acres or less in area, are created within a ten year period.
Lot split ordinances apply to divisions of land which fall outside of the jurisdiction of the Subdivision Control Act and, as such, result in lots not part of a recorded plat. Lot split ordinances are intended to better assure that the proposed lot splits create lots which do not violate local zoning regulations (minimum lot width, area, etc.) or result in irregularly and/or undesirably shaped lots.
Summary
The Dayton Township Master Plan is designed to aid in the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the Township residents. The future land use plan establishes land use categories in consideration of the social and economic characteristics of the Township, the natural resources of the area, the compatibility of adjacent land uses, and the Township goals. This plan should serve as the base in updating the Township zoning ordinance and be used to help guide future development in Dayton Township.
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Appendix
Dayton Township Survey
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Planning Commission Meeting Minutes – Approval of Master Plan
Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes – Adoption of Master Plan
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2017 to 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT (April, 2017)
Dayton Township Master Plan
Prepared by: Dayton Township Planning Commission With Assistance from: Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation
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Acknowledgements
Dayton Township Board of Trustees
Robert Cook – Supervisor
Amanda Gusek – Clerk
Eleanor Kilmer – Treasurer
Robert Steele – Trustee
Greg Lotter – Trustee
Dayton Township Planning Commission
Travis Klimek – Chairperson
Chris Yens – Vice Chair
Hilary Slusher – Secretary
Robert Steele – Board of Trustees Representative
Doug Graham
Ralph Mock
Ernie Coleman
Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation
Steve Erickson – Executive Director
Vicky Sherry – Communications Director
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RESOLUTION OF ADOPTION
BY THE TOWNSHIP OF DAYTON BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DAYTON TOWNSHIP MASTER PLAN
WHEREAS: Dayton Township, Tuscola County, Michigan established a Planning Commission under State of Michigan Public Act 33 of 2008, as amended, and;
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Planning Commission is required by Section 31 of P.A. 33 of 2008, as amended to make and approve a master plan as a guide for the development within the Township, and;
WHEREAS: The Township retained the services of the Tuscola County Economic Development as its consultant to assist the Planning Commission in preparing this plan, and’
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Planning Commission, in accordance with Section 39(2) of the Act, notified the adjacent communities and the Tuscola County Planning Commission of the intent to develop a plan and, in accordance with Section 41(2) of the Act, distributed the final draft to adjacent communities and the Tuscola County Planning Commission for review and comment, and;
WHEREAS: The plan was presented to the public at a hearing held on ________________, before the Board of Trustees, with notice of the hearing being published in the __________, on _______ in accordance with Section 43(1) of the Act, and;
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Planning Commission has reviewed the proposed plan, considered public comment, and approved the proposed plan by resolution on _________, and;
WHEREAS: The Dayton Township Board of Trustees has by resolution asserted the right to approve or reject the plan, and;
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The content of this document, together with all maps attached to and contained herein are hereby adopted by the Dayton Township Board of Trustees as the Dayton Township Master Plan on this __ day of _______, 2017.
Motion: ________________________ Second: __________________________
Ayes:
Nays:
Absent:
Certification
I hereby certify the above is a true and correct copy of the resolution adopted at the ________ 2016, meeting of the Dayton Township Board of Trustees.
___________________, Clerk
Township of Dayton
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Township of Dayton
Dayton Township Planning Commission
Resolution of Approval of Dayton Township Master Plan
At a regular meeting of the Dayton Township Planning Commission held on ____________ 2017, at 7:00 p.m. at the Dayton Township Hall, 4879 Hurds Corner Road, Mayville, MI 48744, the following Resolution of Approval for Adoption by the Dayton Township Board of Trustees was offered by __________________________________ and supported by _______________________________.
WHEREAS, the Dayton Township Planning Commission developed a proposed Master Plan for the Township, and
WHEREAS, the Dayton Township Planning Commission has prepared the proposed Master Plan for the future use, development, and preservation of lands within the Township in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Public Act 33 of 2008, as amended in 2010, and
WHEREAS, copies of the proposed Master Plan will now be distributed to surrounding municipalities, local utility companies, local rail road companies, and the Tuscola County Planning Commission, and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Dayton Township Planning Commission hereby approves the 2017 to 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan and that the said Master Plan be referred to the Dayton Township Board of Trustees for ratification after a mandatory 65 day public review
ROLL CALL VOTE:
AYES:
NAYES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Resolution declared ____ adopted ____ not adopted
The undersigned Secretary of the Dayton Township Planning Commission hereby certifies that this resolution was duly adopted by the Dayton Township Planning Commission at a regular meeting held on the _____ day of_____, 2017.
____________________________________
Hilary Slusher
Secretary, Dayton Township Planning Commission
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Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ........................................................ 1
Introduction .................................................................... 6
Community Profile .......................................................... 7
Natural Resources and Environment............................ 24
Dayton Township Land Use .......................................... 30
Land Use and Development .......................................... 31
Transportation .............................................................. 33
Strategic Planning ......................................................... 35
Future Land Use............................................................ 37
Master Plan Implementation ........................................ 43
Summary ....................................................................... 45
Maps
Map 1 1875 Plat Map ..................................................... 8
Map 2: Location Map ..................................................... 9
Map 3: Soil Association .................................................. 23
Map 4: Hydric/Non Hydric Soil ....................................... 26
Map 5: Woodlands and Wetlands .................................. 28
Map 6: Land Use ............................................................. 29
Map 7: Transportation ................................................... 32
Map 8: Future Land Use ................................................. 41
Tables
Table 1: Historical Population ........................................ 11
Table 2: Trends and Growth Rates ................................. 12
Table 3: 50 Year Population ........................................... 13
Table 4: 2010 Population ................................................ 14
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Table 4.1: 2010 Male Population ................................... 15
Table 4.2: 2010 Female Population ................................ 15
Table 5: Education Attainment ....................................... 16
Table 6: Employment by Industry .................................. 17
Table 7: Employment by Occupation ............................. 18
Table 8: 2014 Income Estimates..................................... 19
Table 9: Commuting to Work ......................................... 20
Table 10: Owner Housing Units ...................................... 21
Table 10.1: Renter Housing Units ................................... 21
Table 11: Household Age of Ownership ......................... 22
Table 11.1: Household Age of Renter ............................. 22
Table 12: Land Use and Development ............................ 30
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Introduction
Master Plan Purpose and Overview
The purpose of the Dayton Township Master Plan is to provide guidelines for future development within the community, while protecting the natural resources and rural Township character. The Michigan Planning Enabling Act (P.A. 33 of 2008, as amended in 2010) authorizes Townships to develop master plans. As stated in the enabling legislation; the general purpose of a master plan is to guide and accomplish, in the planning jurisdiction and its environs, development that satisfies all of the following criteria:
A. Is coordinated, adjusted, harmonious, efficient, and economical.
B. Considers the character of the planning jurisdiction and its suitability for particular uses, judged in terms of such factors as trends in land and population development.
C. Will, in accordance with present and future needs, best promote public health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare.
D. Provide the foundation for zoning and other Dayton Township development ordinances.
All sections of this master plan will be used as tools to provide a quality community while it protects the natural features that create a sense of identity for Dayton Township.
The Dayton Township Master Plan presents background information on social and economic data, natural resources, existing community services and facilities, and existing land uses. The background information is used to identify important characteristics, changes, and trends in Dayton Township. A public survey was conducted and a public meeting was held to gather input from residents and landowners. Based on information gathered the Dayton Township Planning Commission developed goals and objectives. These goals and objectives, along with a series of maps provide the basis for the Future Land Use Map. The future land use map recommends locations for various types of future development within Dayton Township.
This master plan was developed by the Dayton Township Planning Commission with assistance from the Tuscola County Economic Development Corporation. This Master Plan looks at a twenty year planning horizon, with suggested revisits every five years or sooner if needed.
Future of Dayton Township
Dayton Township has developed as a rural agricultural community. Dayton Township’s development has been gradual. The Township is fortunate to have an outstanding agricultural heritage, which continues to enhance our community, and will continue to do so with proper protective measures and planning.
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With careful attention to the goals and objectives of this Master Plan, and through the implementation of Master Plan policies and strategies, Dayton Township has the opportunity to work proactively to protect the unique rural character of the community while also building a future that incorporates the best characteristics of the 21st century, respects our heritage, and protects our natural environment.
Community Profile
This section contains an overview of the historical and regional context of Dayton Township, and the social and economic factors that shape our community. The topics covered here include population growth and composition, income levels and economic characteristics, housing data, and other relevant factors.
Dayton Township History
Dayton Township lies just east of Freemont and was organized January 6, 1867. It was comprised of territory taken from Dayton Township and is described as follows: Town 11 north or range 10 and 11 east.
Mr. William Meade lived one and one half miles east of Mayville and took up his farm from the government. He was born in England in 1824. He married Martha Chapman in 1844. He migrated to New York in 1851, and moved to Ohio where he lived for two years. He then moved to Dayton in early 1855. He cut his own road through the forest for 12 miles. He was here to welcome Rev. C.B. Mills and others who came. William and Martha brought with them two sons: William was born in England June 22, 1848, and James, born in Ohio September 9, 1852.
Two of the early settlers in the Township were George W. Spencer and Joseph Crawford (known as little Joe) who came in the spring of 1856 and found the Meade family waiting to greet them.
The names of the freeholders in the Township were: William Meade, G.W. Spencer, Joseph Crawford, J.P. Weaver, Daniel Lynch, M. Shay, J. Lynch, George Green, Joseph Green, James Heister, L. Hurd, George Bellamy, Benjamin Docker, and William Hamilton. The first Township meeting was held at the home of G.W. Spencer in section 33. James Weaver, G.W. Spencer, and William Meade were inspectors of the first election. Fifteen votes were cast and the following men were elected:
Supervisor - Lorenzo Meade
Clerk - Jonas Weaver
Constables - Dennis Harmon and George Bellamy
Directors of the poor - Dennis Harmon and Joseph Crawford
$250.00 was voted for roads.
The first sermon preached in the Township was by Rev. Mills in May 1856, in the home of William Meade.
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The first school was taught in a log cabin in the west corner of the Township, and it later became the Cottage School.
The year of 1857 was known as the "year of the famine". The entire Township was almost wiped out by that infamous famine. The fields swarmed with chipmunks, mice, and other vermin, which destroyed the crops, devoured the corn, and dug up and carried away the potatoes. So great was the destitution among the settlers that starvation would have resulted had there not been relief sent by neighboring locations.
Two years after the first settlers, there were practically no roads, only the north and south center road cut thru the Township. Most of the supplies were brought in from Lapeer, it being almost impossible to reach Dayton with a team and the cost of bringing in food was three times the first cost. N. D. Phelps came to the Township in February 1857, lived in section 16 and packed all his supplies from Dayton. His usual load was about fifty pounds. One day he hiked to Dayton in the morning, ate dinner, and in the afternoon carried home fifty pounds of flour on his back, a trip of 35 miles through the woods. Mr. Phelps was born in 1820, in New York, the son of Elijah and Clarissa (Bosworth) Phelps. He married Rebecca Ostrander on April 4, 1846 in New York and they had eleven children. They built a stone house on Phelps Lake Rd., which is still a landmark. He died July 12, 1900.
The Township was named in honor of the candidate for the vice-presidency on the Free Soil or Republican Party ticket in 1856. The following year the Township was organized and the selection of a name commemorated the fact that in the previous presidential election, which elected Buchanan, every vote in the Township was cast for Fremont and Dayton.
In 1859, $1ooo.00 was ordered for road purposes in Dayton Township. Daniel Lynch and his wife, Mary O'Connor brought their family of four sons and two daughters to America in 1846 from their Irish farm on the shore of Tralee Bay. One more son was born in this country. The Lynch family inched eastward, working as they came. For a time they stopped at Astubula, Ohio, where some of the relatives remained. In 1854 the father and older sons came to Michigan and took up land in Sections 33 and 34 of Dayton Township. The family followed the next spring.
The family of Daniel and Mary Lynch were: Michael (18J21907), who married Margot Day; Jeremiah who married Johannah; Thomas who married Marie Day; Daniel (1846-1866) who was killed in a logging accident during his first winter of "going to camp"; John (1853-1904); Bridget who married Daniel Tubbs; and Johannah who married Thomas Tubbs.
Steward Goodell came to Michigan from New York in 1855 and purchased his farm in Dayton Township for fifty cents an acre. He married Amelia Clinesmith in 1860 and they raised 13 children. By 1860, the Township's population had grown to 129, including 28 families and dwellings and 18 farms. Numerous saw mills and gristmills began appearing throughout the Township into the early 1900's. Telephone service arrived in the Township around 1910 and was followed by electricity around 1938.
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Map 1: 1875 Dayton Township Plat Map
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Map 2: Dayton Township Location Map
Map 2 above shows the location of Dayton Township within Tuscola County. As shown it is bounded by five Townships in Tuscola County and by Lapeer County.
Dayton Township
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Location
Dayton Township is a predominantly rural township located in the southeastern border of Tuscola County. Of the approximately 23,140 acres comprising Dayton Township, approximately 54% is devoted to agriculture. Woodlands, wetlands, and herbaceous and shrubby fields characterize an additional 43% of the Township area. Agriculture within Dayton Township is predominantly crop farming, although a number of livestock and dairy operations are present. Bay City, Birch Run, Detroit, Flint, Frankenmuth, Midland, MBS Airport, Flint Bishop Airport, and Saginaw are a short driving distance away.
Demographic Profile
As part of the master plan process, Dayton Township’s population and housing characteristics were analyzed and compared with those of neighboring communities and Tuscola County totals to gain insight and perspective concerning Dayton Township’s past, present, and future. Population estimates, household size, age, and occupational characteristics were analyzed, and total housing units and persons per household were reviewed to find the Township’s unique housing characteristics and trends.
Understanding historic changes provides an important base for understanding how the Township will evolve over the next ten to twenty years. Demographic analysis is essential to determine what physical, social and economic changes may occur in the future. Population projections provide the basis for creating and evaluating the goals, objectives, and land use recommendations of this Master Plan.
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Population Overview
Table 1 below shows the historical population of Dayton Township and the percentage of population it holds in Tuscola County since the 1890 Federal Census. While Dayton Township has experienced a mostly steady growth rate since 1890 the percentage of population comprising Tuscola County runs from 2.3% on the low end to 3.9% on the high end of this calculation. From 1890 to 2010 Dayton Township’s population comprised an average of 3% of Tuscola County’s total population.
Table 1: Dayton Township Historical Population Year Dayton Township Population Tuscola County Population Percentage of Tuscola County Population
1890
1,279
32,598
3.9% 1900 1,309 35,890 3.6%
1910
1,201
34,913
3.4% 1920 1,028 33,220 3.1%
1930
911
32,934
2.8% 1940 897 35,694 2.5%
1950
862
38,258
2.3% 1960 1,011 43,305 2.3%
1970
1,138
48,603
2.3% 1980 1,728 56,961 3.0%
1990
1,706
55,498
3.1% 2000 1,869 58,266 3.2%
2010
1,848
55,729
3.3% Source: U.S. Federal Census
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 13
Table 2 below indicates Dayton Township has experienced fairly stable growth or minute decline over the past 90 years. The largest era for growth was from 1970 to 1980 when the population experienced a 5.1% increase. The largest era for decreased population was 1940 to 1950 with a decreased population rate of 0.4%. Table 2: Population Trends and Growth Rates Year
Dayton Township
Growth Rate
Tuscola County
Growth Rate
Michigan
Growth Rate 1930
911
32,934
4,842,325
1940
897
-0.2%
35,694
7.7%
5,256,106
7.9% 1950
862
-0.4%
38,258
6.7%
6,371,766
17.6% 1960
1,011
1.7%
43,305
11.7%
7,823,194
18.6% 1970
1,138
1.2%
48,603
10.9%
8,881,826
11.9% 1980
1,728
5.1%
56,961
14.7%
9,262,078
4.1% 1990
1,706
-0.1%
55,498
-2.6%
9,295,297
4.0% 2000
1,869
0.9%
58,266
4.9%
9,938,444
6.9% 2010
1,848
-0.1%
55,729
-4.3%
9,883,640
-0.6% Source: Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget Note: numbers in read mean a negative growth rate
Another useful source concerning planning for Dayton Township is the historical population compared to Dayton Township’s neighboring communities. Table 3 on the following page shows the past 50 years of population for Dayton Township and their neighboring communities. As Table 3 shows, Dayton Township has experienced a fairly steady population base, especially compared to the population base of their neighboring communities.
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 14
Another useful source concerning planning for Dayton Township is the historical population compared to Dayton Township’s neighboring communities. Table 3 below, shows the past 50 years of population for Dayton Township and their neighboring communities. As Table 3 shows, Dayton Township has experienced a fairly steady population base, especially compared to the population base of their neighboring communities.
Table3: Historical Population
Municipal
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010 Tuscola County Dayton Township 1,138 1,728 1,706 1,869 1,848
Fremont Township *
2,200
2,871
3,153
3,559
3,312
Indianfields Township *
7,088
7,037
6,699
6,595
6,048
Kingston Township *
1,307
1,539
1,498
1,615
1,574
Koylton Township *
991
1,399
1,446
1,585
1,579
Watertown Township
1,626
2,122
2,132
2,231
2,202
Wells Township
1,002
1,501
1,528
1,743
1,773 Lapeer County
Burlington Township *
1,423
1,562
1,495
1,402
1,478
Rich Township
1,172
1,249
1,162
1,412
1,623
Source: U.S. Federal Census Bureau * = Village that resides in Township
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 15
Table 4 on the left, provides an age breakdown and the percentage each age group comprises of the 2010 population of Dayton Township. The largest population age bracket were residents who were 50 to 54 years old. The second largest age bracket were residents who were 55 to 59 years old. The third largest age bracket were residents who were 45 to 49 years old. The fourth largest age brackets were three age groups; 10 to 14 years, 15 to 19 years, and 65 to 69 years of age.
The three largest population age brackets that comprised 24.9% of the 2010 Dayton Township population are classified as the baby boomer generation.
It is important to understand the baby boomer generation in regards to planning
The baby boomer generation are individuals who were born from 1946 to 1964. They are the largest population group in history. As the earliest baby boomers are now entering retirement it is important to note that most baby boomers desire to be active and maintain their well-being throughout retirement. Most experts agree that the way baby boomers live out their retirement years will look very different from the historical, stereotypical image of senior citizens.
Rather than retiring into the background of our society, many baby boomers will remain vibrant and active throughout their retirement years than was the case of previous generations. More baby boomers are college graduates than any generation before them. In addition most live in two income households versus a one income household of the generation before them.
Table 4: 2010 Dayton Township Population
Subject
Number
Percent
Total Population
1,848
100.0%
under 5
108
5.8%
5 to 9 years
114
6.2% 10 to 14 years 123 6.7% 15 to 19 years 124 6.7%
20 to 24 years
75
4.1%
25 to 29 years
94
5.1%
30 to 34 years
94
5.1%
35 to 39 years
91
4.9%
40 to 44 years
112
6.1% 45 to 49 years 139 7.5% 50 to 54 years 168 9.1% 55 to 59 years 153 8.3%
60 to 64 years
113
6.1% 65 to 69 years 124 6.7%
70 to 74 years
87
4.7%
75 to 79 years
70
3.8%
80 to 84 years
34
1.8%
85 years and over
25
1.4%
Source: U.S. Federal Census 2010
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 16
Population Projections
Projecting the future population of Dayton Township helps predict the future demographic character of the Township. This is critically important for the Township’s planning and policy decisions regarding capital investments, land use, and zoning changes. Between 1980 and 2010 Dayton Township experienced an average growth rate of approximately 7 percent. From 1980 to 2010 Dayton Township grew at an average annual growth rate of 0.2%. With an average annual growth rate of 0.2% Dayton Township can expect to have an estimated population of 1,950 residents by 2037.
Table 4.1: 2010 Male Population
Subject
Number
Percent
Total Population
958
51.8%
under 5
60
3.2%
5 to 9 years
65
3.5% 10 to 14 years 70 3.8%
15 to 19 years
61
3.3%
20 to 24 years
36
1.9%
25 to 29 years
37
2.0%
30 to 34 years
56
3.0%
35 to 39 years
46
2.5%
40 to 44 years
52
2.8% 45 to 49 years 71 3.8% 50 to 54 years 86 4.7% 55 to 59 years 78 4.2% 60 to 64 years 66 3.6% 65 to 69 years 66 3.6%
70 to 74 years
39
2.1%
75 to 79 years
39
2.1%
80 to 84 years
19
1.0%
85 years and over
11
0.6%
Source: U.S. Federal Census 2010 Table 4.2: 2010 Female Population
Subject
Number
Percent
Total Population
890
48.2%
under 5
48
2.6%
5 to 9 years
49
2.7%
10 to 14 years
53
2.9% 15 to 19 years 63 3.4%
20 to 24 years
39
2.1%
25 to 29 years
57
3.1%
30 to 34 years
38
2.1%
35 to 39 years
45
2.4%
40 to 44 years
60
3.2% 45 to 49 years 68 3.7% 50 to 54 years 82 4.4% 55 to 59 years 75 4.1%
60 to 64 years
47
2.5%
65 to 69 years
58
3.1%
70 to 74 years
48
2.6%
75 to 79 years
31
1.7%
80 to 84 years
15
0.8%
85 years and over
14
0.8%
Source: U.S. Federal Census 2010
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 17
Education Demographics
Table 5 on the left is from the 2014 Federal Community Survey of Dayton Township concerning the educational attainment of residents. According to the survey, the majority of residents over the age of 18 years have acquired a high school diploma or a high school equivalency certification.
A lower percentage of residents have obtained a bachelor or higher degree. A significant number of residents have attended college but have not obtained a degree.
Table 5: Educational Attainment
Subject
Estimate Total
Male Estimate
Female Estimate Population 18 to 24 years 145 60 85
Less than high school graduate
21.4%
33.3%
12.9%
High school graduate/equivalency
42.1%
58.3%
30.6%
Some college or associate’s degree
34.5%
8.3%
52.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
2.1%
0.0%
3.5% Population 25 years and over 1,124 584 540
Less than 9th grade
2.5%
2.6%
2.4%
9th to 12th, no diploma
8.0%
10.6%
5.2%
High-school graduate/equivalency
51.7%
59.9%
42.8%
Some college, no degree
20.6%
13.9%
28.0%
Associate's degree
6.5%
4.3%
8.9%
Bachelor's degree
8.3%
6.8%
9.8%
Graduate or professional degree
2.4%
1.9%
3.0% Total population 18 years and over 1,269 644 625 High school graduate or higher 89.5% 86.8% 92.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher
10.7%
8.7%
12.8%
Source: 2014 American Fact Finder
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 18
Dayton Township Employment Demographics
There are two classifications concerning employment demographics employment by occupation and employment by industry. The occupational classification reflects the type of job or work that the person does, while the industry classification reflects the business activity of their employer or company. Table 6: Employment by Industry
Subject
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Average Number Employed
Civilian employed population 16 years and over
612
637
585
573
608
603
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
10
6
7
14
15
10
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
0
0
0
0
0
0 Construction 54 65 71 52 74 63 Manufacturing 81 80 70 64 124 84
Wholesale trade
3
14
14
7
10
10 Retail trade 80 107 89 102 78 91
Transportation and warehousing,
30
18
24
20
13
21
Information
3
8
7
8
6
6
Utilities
3
0
0
4
4
2
Finance and insurance
15
10
7
6
3
8
professional, scientific, and technical services
26
35
31
27
20
28
Administrative and support and waste management services
6
6
5
14
17
10
Management of companies and enterprises
0
0
0
0
0
0
Educational services
80
64
39
33
27
49 Health care and social assistance 114 107 103 102 104 106
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
9
11
10
11
15
11
accommodation and food services
35
50
47
36
45
43
Other services, except public administration
48
43
37
46
19
39
Public administration
15
13
24
27
34
23
Total
612
637
585
573
608
603
Source: American Fact Finder
Table 8 above lists the five year employment by industry estimates for Dayton Township. The largest employed group was in the health care and social assistance industry classification. The second largest employment group was in the retail trade with manufacturing and construction filling the third and fourth largest groups.
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 19
Table 7: Employment by Occupation
Subject
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Average Number Employed
Civilian employed population 16 years and over
612
637
585
573
608
603
Management occupation
29
20
24
32
29
27
Business and financial operations
11
15
14
22
17
16
Computer, engineering and science
13
13
10
10
16
12
Computer and mathematical
3
4
0
0
4
2
Architecture and engineering
10
9
7
7
9
8
Life, physical, and social science
0
0
3
3
3
2
Community and social services
21
16
14
16
4
14
Legal
0
0
0
0
0
0
Education, training, and library
62
48
22
19
11
32
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media
10
13
11
5
5
9 Healthcare practitioner and technical 33 63 60 68 63 57
Health diagnosing and treating, practitioners and other technical
24
19
18
17
18
19
Health technologists and technicians
9
44
42
51
45
38
Healthcare support
24
20
19
19
21
21
Protective service
13
11
9
9
17
12
Firefighting and prevention and other protective service workers including supervisors
6
6
9
9
17
9
Law enforcement workers including supervisors
7
5
0
0
0
2
Food preparation and serving
35
50
45
33
42
41
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance
12
8
3
18
24
13
Personal care and service
13
9
16
11
22
14
Sales and office
48
46
29
28
14
33 Office and administrative support 94 78 95 92 88 89
Farming, fishing, and forestry (non-farm)
0
0
0
0
2
0 Construction and extraction 57 65 71 52 74 64
Installation, maintenance, and repair
49
60
50
39
30
46 Production 67 70 93 59 96 77
Transportation
17
32
28
34
21
26
Material moving
4
0
6
7
12
6
Total
671
724
698
660
704
691
Source: American Fact Finder
According to the five year estimates concerning employment by occupation the office and administrative support categories was the largest sector of employment for residents. The next
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 20
largest was Production, followed by construction and extraction and healthcare practitioner and technical services occupations.
Information from Table 10 above shows the yearly income ranges for households, families, married couple families, and nonfamily households. For planning purposes this information is valuable because it provides necessary information concerning yearly incomes for residents. The information also provides a view of the median and mean income for each of the listed resident groups.
The Median income is the amount that divides the income distribution into two equal groups, half having income above that amount, and half having income below that amount. For example, half of the households of Dayton Township had a 2010 income above $43,945.00 and half had a 2010 income below $43,945.00. The mean income is the average income for each group according to the 2010 Federal Census.
Table 8: 2014 Dayton Township Resident Income Estimates
Subject
Household
Families
Married-couple Families
Nonfamily Households
Total
629
485
367
144
Less than $10,000
4.9%
3.5%
2.2%
9.7%
$10,000 to $14,999
4.8%
4.7%
3.5%
4.9%
$15,000 to $24,999
13.8%
10.9%
7.1%
30.6%
$25,000 to $34,999
14.6%
11.3%
7.1%
20.8%
$35,000 to $49,999
17.5%
16.3%
20.4%
19.4%
$50,000 to $74,999
23.8%
27.8%
30.5%
10.4%
$75,000 to $99,999
8.6%
9.9%
9.8%
4.2%
$100,000 to $149,999
10.3%
13.4%
16.6%
0.0%
$150,000 to $199,999
1.6%
2.1%
2.7%
0.0%
$200,000 or more
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
0.0%
Median income (dollars)
$ 43,945
$ 51,550
$ 54,803
$ 26,750
Mean income (dollars)
$ 51,253
$ 56,745
N/A
$ 31,600
Source: American Fact Finder
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 21
Information shown from Table 11 below shows that the majority of employed residents drive themselves to work, while a small percentage carpool to work. The majority of residents who work, do so outside of Tuscola County. The majority of these residents drive an hour or more to their workplace, and the majority of working residents leave for work between 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Table 9: 2014 Commuting to Work Information Commuting Information Total Male Female
Workers 16 years and over
602
333
269 Means of Transportation to Work
Car, truck, or van
94.7%
97.9%
90.7%
Drove alone
80.1%
75.7%
85.5%
Carpooled
14.6%
22.2%
5.2%
In 2-person carpool
10.8%
15.3%
5.2%
In 3-person carpool
3.8%
6.9%
0.0%
In 4-person carpool
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
Walked
2.0%
0.0%
4.5%
Worked at Home
3.3%
2.1%
4.8% Place of Work
Worked in Michigan
99.3%
98.8%
100.0%
Worked in Tuscola County
39.2%
37.5%
41.3%
Worked Outside of Tuscola County
60.1%
61.3%
58.7%
Worked Outside of Michigan
0.7%
1.2%
0.0%
Worked in Dayton Township
8.5%
7.8%
9.3% Time Leaving to Work
12:00am to 4:59am
5.7%
7.0%
3.9%
5:00am to 5:29am
11.0%
12.3%
9.4%
5:30am to 5:59am
11.5%
17.5%
3.9%
6:00am to 6:29am
11.3%
13.5%
8.6%
6:30am to 6:59am
7.9%
9.5%
5.9%
7:00am to 7:29am
17.2%
18.1%
16.0%
7:30am to 7:59am
2.6%
1.2%
4.3%
8:00am to 8:29am
6.7%
0.9%
14.1%
8:30am to 8:59am
0.3%
60.0%
0.0%
9:am to 11:59pm
25.8%
19.3%
34.0% Travel Time To Work
Less than 10 minutes
7.4%
3.7%
12.1%
10 to 14 minutes
5.3%
4.9%
5.9%
15 to 19 minutes
9.8%
10.1%
9.4%
20 to 24 minutes
11.0%
8.3%
14.5%
25 to 29 minutes
7.2%
2.5%
13.3%
30 to 34 minutes
11.7%
17.8%
3.9%
35 to 44 minutes
8.1%
10.1%
5.5%
45 to 59 minutes
12.4%
7.4%
18.8%
60 or more minutes
27.1%
35.3%
16.8%
Mean Travel Time To Work (Minutes)
41.2
46.4
34.6
Source: American Fact Finder
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 22
Housing Characteristics
Dayton Township’s rural landscape is dotted with houses and in several small areas, residential neighborhoods. Most residences are scattered throughout the Township and are frequently located on lots of ten to forty acres or more. Approximately 22% of the Township’s dwelling units are located within two fairly compact residential development areas – Cat Lake and Shay Lake. Combined they occupy less than one percent of the total Township area. Cat Lake and Shay Lake are two of the five lakes in Dayton Township, all of which range between approximately 15 to 70 acres in size and are located in the northern half of Dayton Township. Nearly all dwelling units in Dayton Township are single family dwellings.
According to the 2010 Federal Census, there was a total of 632 owner occupied housing units and 79 renter occupied housing units. Table 5 on the left, provides information on the size and number of household which own their home. The majority of owner housing units in Dayton Township were 2-person households. The second largest owner housing group was single person households.
According to Table 6, on the left, the majority of households who rent their home were comprised of single persons. The second largest group of renters was 3-person households. The next highest renter groups were the two and four person households.
Table10: Owner housing units Owner occupied housing units Number Percentage
1-person household
128
20.3% 2-person household 276 43.7%
3-person household
89
14.1% 4-person household 72 11.4%
5-person household
39
6.2% 6-person household 17 2.6%
7 or more person household
11
1.7% Total Owner Units 632 100.0%
Source: 2010 U.S. Federal Census Table10.1: Renter housing units 1-person household 25 31.6%
2-person household
15
19.0% 3-person household 18 22.8%
4-person household
13
16.5% 5-person household 5 6.3%
6-person household
1
1.3% 7 or more person household 2 2.5%
Total Renter Units
79
100.0% Source: 2010 U.S. Federal Census
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 23
Tables 7 and 7.1 are the household ownership and household renters broken down by age groups as recorded in the 2010 Federal Census.
According to the 2010 Federal Census there were 632 owner occupied households. The largest resident group who owned their homes in 2010 was 55 to 64 years of age. The next largest group was 45 to 54 years of age. This would indicate that the majority of homeowners in Dayton Township are classified as baby boomers. Interestingly, the majority of home owners in Dayton Township are retired or those nearing retirement. According to the 2010 Federal Census there were 79 households in Dayton Township who rented their home. From the information shown in Table 7.1 the largest group to rent their home was from those who were 25 to 34 years of age. The next largest group was from residents who were 35 to 44 years of age.
Table11: Household Age bracket Ownership Subject Number Percentage of Total
Total Occupied Housing Units
632
100.0% 15 to 24 years 4 0.6%
25 to 34 years
55
8.7% 35 to 44 years 84 13.3%
45 to 54 years
133
21.0% 55 to 64 years 155 24.5%
65 to 74 years
115
18.2% 75 to 84 years 67 10.6%
85 years and over
19
3.0% Source: 2010 Federal Census Bureau Table 11.1: Household Age Bracket Renters Subject Number Percentage of Total
Total Occupied Rental Units
79
100.0% 15 to 24 years 5 6.3%
25 to 34 years
23
29.1% 35 to 44 years 18 22.8%
45 to 54 years
17
21.5% 55 to 64 years 7 8.9%
65 to 74 years
5
6.3% 75 to 84 years 3 3.8%
85 years and over
1
1.3% Source: 2010 Federal Census Bureau
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 24
Natural Resources and Environment
Map 3: Dayton Township Soil Association
According to the Dayton Township Soil Association map
above, Dayton Township is comprised of the following soil
associations.
5. Wixom-Wolcott-Pipestone Association
This association makes up eight percent of Tuscola County
and a very small portion of Dayton Township. The class is composed of 30% Wixom 25%
Wolcott, and 15% Pipestone Series. The Wixom and Pipestone are typically found on broad flats
and on low ridges. Wixom soils are found on nearly level and gently undulating slopes and are
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 25
somewhat poorly drained. The soils of the Wolcott soil group are normally found in low, broad areas, depressions, and drainage ways. They are very poorly drained. Very poorly drained soils are defined by free water remaining at or on the surface during most of the growing season. Pipestone soils are nearly level and gently undulating and are somewhat poorly drained.
The other 30% of the soils are well combined with the somewhat poorly drained Capac and the poorly drained Belleville soils. Cultivated cropland tends to be the primary use of this class with wetness being the key challenge to overcome. The major soils are poorly suited to sanitary facilities due to poor filtration, slow percolation, and ponding. Building development is precluded due to wetness.
7. Perrin-Wasepi-Gilford Association
This association covers 10% of Tuscola County and is the second largest soil association in Dayton Township. Perrin soils (35% of class) are nearly level and gently undulating. They tend to be moderately well drained. Measures to prevent wind erosion, water erosion, and seasonal drought should be considered. Wasepi (30% of class) are generally found on the lower side of slopes and on ridges. They are nearly level and somewhat poorly drained. Gilford (10% of class) are nearly level and very poorly drained.
The rest of the class (25%) is mixed with the well-drained Spinks and Boyer soils, and the Londo, Metamora, Tappan, and Wixom soils that are poorly drained. Most areas of this association are used as woodland and cropland. Some sand and gravel extractive operations are present as well. Cultivated crop suitability is fair with corn, beans, and wheat often comprising the main crops. Building development on Perrin soils is fair to poor due to local wetness conditions. The other major classes preclude development due to poor drainage. All major soil series are severely limited for sanitary facilities, as poor filtration and wetness are typical.
8. Pipestone-Granby-Chelsea Association
These series composes about 16% of the County and a very small portion of Dayton Township. Pipestone soils (40%) tend to be somewhat poorly drained, as mentioned earlier. Granby soils (20%) are found on nearly level slopes and are typically poorly drained. This type can be visually identified by its black, loamy fine sand about 11 inches thick. The Chelsea (16%) series is found on nearly level to gently rolling slopes and is generally well drained. Its surface layer tends to be composed of dark, gray-brown fine sand about five inches thick.
The other series or minor extent (24%) are somewhat poorly drained Wixom and very poorly drained Wolcott soils. Most areas of this association are used for cultivated crops, pasture, or woodland. While the wetness of the Granby and Pipestone soils is the main farming limitation, the whole class is fairly suited for cultivation. Wind erosion, organic matter content, and seasonal drought are added management concerns. While the Chelsea soils are well suited for
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 26
building development, the other soil series are poorly suited. Sanitary facilities are limited with the poor filtering and wet characteristics of all the major soil groups involved.
9. Marlette-Capac-Spinks Association
This soil association comprises 15% of Tuscola County and is the largest soil association in Dayton Township. It is composed of the Marlette (42%), Capac (15%), and Spinks (12%) soil series. While the Marlette and Spinks are often located on high ridges and knolls and in broad, undulating areas, the Capac is normally found in lower areas. Marlette soils tend to be well drained and are found on steep to undulating slopes. The surface layer is dark grayish brown composed of sandy loam. This series has only slight limitations for building yet has severe restrictions on sanitary uses due to slow percolation. It is also subject to water erosion.
Capac soils were earlier described and are somewhat poorly drained. Methods for removing excess water are often needed. Spinks tends to be well drained with a fine, loamy-sand surface layer about seven inches thick. Control measures to prevent soil blowing should be considered.
Septic absorption varies from fair to very poor, depending on the site. The other minor extents or other soil groups (31%) combine the well-drained Boyer and Meteasoils, which are found on slopes similar to the Marlette and Spinks. Also, the poorly drained Metamora, Wixom, and Wolcott soils are present and often found on low, broad flats, and in depressions of drainage ways. Wetness, slope, water erosion, and wind erosion are farming management concerns. Building limitations include greater slopes, often shallow depth to the water table, and poor permeability. Generally, this association is suitable for cultivated crops, pasture, or woodlands.
10. Houghton-Adrian Association
Comprising 2% of Tuscola County’s land area and the third largest soil association in Dayton Township, this group is found in bogs and depressions located on flood plains. The Houghton series makes up 30% of the group characterized by black muck extending to a depth of 51 inches. The Adrian series composes 30% made up of a shallow muck of only 11 inches. The rest of the class (40%) is a mixture of poorly drained Marlette, Capac, Pipestone, and Wolcott soils. Most areas of this association are used as woodlands or wildlife habitat. The major soil series are generally unsuited to cultivated crops, sanitary facilities, and building development due to frequent ponding.
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Map 4: Hydric/Non Hydric Soil
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Soil Moisture Characteristics
As depicted on the Natural Conservation Service map above a portion of Dayton Township is classified as hydric soils. These soils are defined as soils that are saturated, flooded, or pond during part of the growing season and are classified as poorly drained and very poorly drained.
Hydric soils generally have poor potential for building site development and sanitary facilities. Wetness and frequent ponding are severe problems that can be difficult and costly to overcome. Sites with high water tables may be classified as wetlands and a wetlands permit would-be required to develop these areas.
Non-hydric soils are defined as being well drained or moderately well drained. These types tend to show wetness or flooding only after significant periods of rainfall or during the seasonal spring thaw.
Woodland areas are complex ecological systems and consequently, provide multiple benefits to the environment and its wildlife and human inhabitants. Woodlands also reduce air pollutants by absorbing certain air borne particles. In addition to providing wildlife habitat, woodland vegetation moderates the effects of winds and temperatures while stabilizing and enriching the soil. For human inhabitants, woodland areas offer scenic contrasts within the landscape and with the changing of the season. Woodlands act as buffers from noise on heavily traveled roads. Primary non-preservation uses of woodlands are the production of forest products and woodland recreation. Recreation activities include small and large game hunting. Wildlife species include deer, turkey, rabbit, and ruffled grouse.
Approximately 10.5% or 2,413 acres of Upland Tree Acreage are found in Dayton Township. Upland trees include aspen-white birch, northern hardwoods (sugar/red maple, American beech, cherry, and basswood) and pine (jack, white and red).
Approximately 2,338 acres or 10.2% of Dayton Township is comprised of Lowland Tree Acreage. Lowland tree species include red maple, silver maple, green ash, cottonwood, elm, and basswood. These species tend to grow on poorly drained soils with high water tables.
Residents of Michigan are becoming increasingly more aware of the value of wetlands, also referred to as marshes, swamps, or bogs. Beyond their aesthetic value, wetlands protect the water quality of lakes and streams by filtering polluting nutrients, organic chemicals, and toxic heavy metals. Wetlands are closely related to high groundwater tables and serve to discharge or recharge aquifers. Wetlands support wildlife and wetland vegetation and protect shorelines from erosion.
Michigan’s Wetland Protection Act defines wetlands as “land characterized by the presence of water at a frequency and duration sufficient to support, and that under normal circumstances does support wetland vegetation or aquatic life and is commonly referred to as a bog, swamp or marsh.” The Act further specifies State jurisdiction over certain wetlands depending upon their proximity to a lake, stream, pond, or Great Lake, and/or having a direct hydrological relationship with it. Wetlands, which meet the statute criteria, are considered regulated and require a permit before draining, filling, dredging or constructing upon. Approximately 1,217 acres or 5.3% of land in Dayton Township is classified as Wetlands.
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Map 5: Generalized Woodlands and Wetlands
(Source: 2000 Dayton Township Zoning Plan)
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Dayton Township Land Use
Map 6: Dayton Township Land Use Map
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Land Use and Development
Agriculture
Agricultural activities comprise approximately 54%of the total Township acreage. Of the approximately 12,430 acres of farmland in the Township, over 97% is used for cropland production. The most commonly harvested crop is corn, although considerable acreage is also devoted to hay, soybeans, wheat, and to a lesser degree, potatoes and sugar beets. Agricultural lands are located throughout all areas of the Township. Most of the acreage in the Township not devoted to agriculture is of a wooded and /or wetland character.
Residential
Residential development comprises approximately 2% of the acreage in Dayton Township. The 2010 Federal Census recorded 1,042 dwelling units in the Township, of which 711 were occupied, 331 were vacant and 194 were seasonal and/or recreational.
According to the 2015 Federal American Community Survey 5-year Estimates, Dayton Township had 645 occupied housing unity with a margin of error of +/- 72 dwellings. Of the occupied units 576 were owner occupied units and 69 were renter occupied units. Also according to the 2015 estimate 89% of the housing units were single family dwellings and 9.5% were mobile homes or other type of housing. Of the 69 rental units 73.9% were single family dwellings, 14.5% were 3 to 4 apartments units and 11.6% were mobile homes or other type of housing.
As of the 2015 American Community Survey approximately 64.1% of the dwelling units in Dayton Township were constructed from 1960 to 2013. The largest era for dwelling development was 1960 to 1979 for owner occupied dwellings (30.4%) and 1939 or earlier for rental dwellings (24.6%).
Approximately 22% of Dayton Township’s dwelling units are located within two fairly compact residential development areas, Cat Lake and Shay Lake which are the two exceptions to the predominant scattered residential development pattern throughout the Township. Though these more urban areas comprise approximately 22% of all the dwelling units in the Township, they occupy less than 1% of the total Township area. Though not nearly as large, the community of Silverwood includes a compact residential area of approximately 30 dwelling units located primarily in Rich Township in Lapeer County.
The majority of these more intensely developed residential areas are composed of lots created prior to the enactment of the Subdivision Control Act of 1967. Many of the lake area plats provided for lots no wider than 50 or 60 feet nor greater in area than 7,000 to 8,000 square feet, lots which would normally not be permitted today by the State of Michigan in light of concerns and hazards regarding sewage disposal and potable water. Table 12: Land Use and Development
Land Use
Approximate Acreage
Approximate Percent of Township Area
Agriculture
12,430
53.7%
Natural Area
10,040
43.4%
Residential Areas
420
1.8%
Water Bodies
160
0.7%
Commercial/Industrial
--- *
--- *
* less than 10 acres (less than 0.05% of Township Area)
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Commercial
Commercial development in Dayton Township is generally limited in scale to a handful of on-site service and retail-based establishments. For larger scaled commercial enterprises the residents of Dayton Township depend on services offered in Mayville, Caro, or Lapeer. The establishments currently operating in Dayton Township are as follows:
 2 bar/restaurant establishments, one located in Silverwood, and one along M-46 near Lee Hill Road
 An assisted living facility (comparatively limited use) on Shays Lake Road near Turner Road.
 1 machine repair shop, located on Shaw Road just south of M-46
 1 mini-storage facility, located on M-24 east of Mayville
 1 well drilling operation located on M-24 east of Mayville
 1 health clinic located on M-24 east of Mayville
 1 truck hauling operation along M-46 near Murray Road
Industrial
Dayton Township has a zoned light industrial district located in the southwestern portion of the Township. The district lies between Mayville and Brown Roads along the eastern portion of Treasurer Road.
Community Facilities and Services
As is often found in rural communities, Dayton Township has a very low level of community facilities and services. Electrical utility service is provided throughout the Township by Detroit Edison Company and Thumb Electric Cooperative. Natural gas service has yet to be introduced in the Township. There is not public sewer or water in Dayton Township and police protection is provided primarily by the Tuscola County Sherriff Department and Michigan State Police Department on an as needed basis and through random drive-troughs. Both are stationed in Caro which is approximately 15 miles from Dayton Township. Fire protection is provided by the Mayville Fire Department and the Kingston Fire Department, both of which are volunteer departments. The Mayville Fire Department services primarily the southern two thirds of the Township and is stationed in Mayville. The Kingston Fire Department primarily services the northern third of the Township and is stationed in Kingston. Ambulance service is available from Mayville and Marlette.
There are no public recreation facilities in Dayton Township and public buildings are generally limited to the Mayville Historical Museum on M-24 and the Township Hall on Hurds Corner Road which was constructed in 1876. The Township is served by two public school districts. The Kingston School District which covers the northeast half of the Township and Mayville School
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District which covers the balance of the Township. There are no public school facilities in the
Township.
Dayton Township operates and maintains three cemeteries:
 Dayton Center Cemetery on Hurds Corner Road south of the Township Hall
 West Dayton Cemetery at the southeast corner of Blackmore and Treasurer Roads
 St. Agatha Cemetery on Clifford Road east of Hurds Corner Road.
Transportation
Map 7: Dayton Township Transportation Map
(Source: 2000 Dayton Township Zoning Plan)
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Dayton Township Roadway Network
Dayton Township's roadway network is comprised of a traditional grid-like layout characteristic of many rural communities where there are no major natural features or public holdings to disturb the evolution of this pattern.
The Michigan Department of Transportation classifies roads in Townships as principal arteries, minor arteries, collector roads, or local roads. These classifications, and their application to the roads of Dayton Township, can generally be described as follows:
• Principal arteries accommodate major traffic movements for trips typically over long local or regional distances. There are no roads in the Township currently classified as principal arteries.
• Minor arteries interconnect with and provide access to principal arteries, accommodating more modest trip lengths and placing a higher emphasis upon access to land uses than do principal arteries. Within Dayton Township, this classification applies only to M-46 and M-24.
• Collector roads emphasize access to abutting land areas and the collection of traffic for distribution to the larger arterial systems. Within the Township, this classification applies to Clifford, Hurds Corner, and Mayville Roads.
• Local roads emphasize access to abutting properties and the collection of traffic for distribution to collector and arterial corridors. This classification applies to the balance, and vast majority, of the roads in the Township.
Roads designated as "collectors roads" and "local roads" are not eligible for federal funding.
In compliance with the requirements of Michigan Act 51 of 1951, the Tuscola County Road Commission classifies all roads under its jurisdiction as either primary roads or local roads. Generally, the federal designations of collector roads in the Township includes those corridors similarly classified by the Road Commission as primary roads, while those roads federally designated as local roads similarly fall within the Road Commission's local roads classification.
The Tuscola County Road Commission is responsible for maintaining and, where necessary, improving all county primary and county local roads. Complete funding for improvements to county primary roads is provided for by the Road Commission whereas the Township must fund a portion of the costs associated with improving county local roads. The portion of the funding which the Township has been responsible for has historically varied considerably from project to project.
The vast majority of roads in Dayton Township are gravel (see map 7, page 32). The condition of these roads vary considerable depending upon the amount of traffic, water table, and other factors. Many of the roads can be particularly challenging during inclement weather, and dusty with loose gravel during drier times. The drivable surface of some of these roads is 20 feet or less.
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The ability of Dayton Township’s gravel roadway network to accommodate the current level of demand is variable. As few as ten dwellings along a single linear mile of gravel road can result in regular and persistent maintenance problems and lower the safety of such roads.
Strategic Planning
The policies set forth by the Dayton Township Master Plan are largely based on a planning process in which the Dayton Township Planning Commission with the help of community members defined the Township’s primary objectives for the next 20 years.
Community Involvement
Goals reflect the desires of the community and consist of general statements of future conditions regarding specific issues. Goals guide the establishment of policies and objectives within a community. Goals may be adjusted, modified or removed depending on changes within a community.
Policies and objectives are concerned with defining and implementing the broad goals of the Master Plan. Policies are specific statements, principles or actions, which imply a clear commitment toward achieving identified goals. Objectives are statements of measurable activity, benchmarks, to be reached in pursuit of identified goals.
It is through citizen involvement that important Dayton Township issues are identified. Once identified, goals and objectives are established by the Dayton Township Planning Commission. The strategic planning process with the Planning Commission involved three tasks: issue identification, visioning, and tactical planning.
Early on in the planning process the Dayton Township Planning Commission hosted a public opinion survey. Approximately 17% of residents responded to the survey.
The survey responders had the following responses when asked “How important to you are the following in making Dayton Township a particularly desirable place to live?”
Extremely Unimportant
Generally Unimportant
Neither Important or Unimportant
Generally Important
Extremely Important
Total
Rural Character/country living
13
4
16
55
126
214
Quality of schools
11
14
29
61
106
221
Farmland
10
6
30
75
84
205
Local employment opportunities
3
12
52
96
60
223
Local consumer services
6
9
52
95
54
216
Reasonable taxes
9
2
6
65
138
220
Police protection services
7
6
19
91
91
214
Fire protection services
5
6
15
75
109
210
Natural resources, wetlands, woodlands
15
11
18
72
96
212
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From the responses to the survey residents feel maintaining the rural character of Dayton Township is extremely important. In addition, maintaining and protecting farmland, reasonable taxes, and good quality schools is extremely important. Fire protection service is extremely important to residents. Police protection services, local consumer services, local employment opportunities, and natural resources, wetlands, and woodlands is extremely important to generally important.
A large majority of responders felt the Township of Dayton should strive to manage the rate and character of growth and development. A large majority of responders supported land use regulation such as lot size, road frontage that was aimed at preserving agricultural resources by limiting residential development in agricultural areas. A large majority of responders felt there was the right amount of commercial development in the Township. When asked for specific types of commercial development that should be encourage within the Township the majority of responders said none, requests for restaurants and food service/produce/general stores came in second and third place in the tally. When asked if they supported attracting new commercial development that was appropriately located as a means to balance Township revenues and expenditures a large majority said yes.
When asked if industrial development that was appropriately located as a means to balance Township revenues and expenses was supported the 228 responders answered: 98 yes, 82 no, and 48 unsure. When asked if they supported preserving farmland a large majority answered yes. A large majority of responders also felt it was important to have a strategy in place to encourage the preservation of farmland.
Concerning residential and resident needs, a majority of responders feel the elderly and others in Dayton Township should have alternative housing options such as assisted living facilities, apartments, and townhouses. The majority of responders would rather drive to nearby communities such as Mayville, Caro, and Dayton for their shopping needs than see expansion of commercial uses/services in Dayton Township. The top three reasons responders continue to live in Dayton Township is – rural character, abundant open spaces, and recreation opportunities like lakes and hunting. The majority of responders owned 2 acres or less.
The following services or conditions of the Township were rated as good or okay.
 Road Conditions
 Ambulance Service
 Police Protection
 Fire Protection
 Recreation Opportunities
 Zoning Enforcement
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Future Land Use
In the course of preparing the Future Land Use section of the Master Plan, several factors were considered: existing development patterns, demographic trends, regional influences, natural resource conditions, existing land use and zoning, and road patterns. To this extent, it reflects general policy toward future development and redevelopment.
Residential
Future residential development within Dayton Township should follow development guidelines where measures are taken to minimize potential negative impacts of new residential development, including the avoidance of strip residential development patterns and the protection of Dayton Township’s rural character and open spaces.
Future residential development should be categorized under the following:
 Low Density Residential – provides for rural residential development patterns and lifestyles. This category includes, single family dwellings, agriculture residents, etc. Recommended minimum parcel size of 1 to 2 acres, but development density not to exceed approximately 1 dwelling per 5 to 10 acres.
 Medium Density Residential – provides opportunities for suburban residential development patterns and lifestyles. This category includes single family and two family dwellings, nursing homes, religious institutions, etc. Recommended minimum parcel size of 1 acre for single family and two family dwellings should have a minimum parcel size of 2 acres.
 High Density Residential – provides opportunities for urban residential development patterns and lifestyles. This category includes single family and two family dwellings, multiple family swellings, mobile home parks, nursing homes, religious institutions, etc. Recommended minimum parcel size of 15,000 square feet for single family swellings and 20,000 square feet for two family dwelling.
For future vacant residential development it is recommended that vacant land will be zoned to a medium or high density residential district in a slow and incremental manner. This will assist future development in order to:
 Assure landowners are not faced with increased tax burdens until such time when they wish to have their parcel zoned to a higher intensity district
 Minimize the frequency of nonconforming uses due to differences in allowable land uses with the respective districts
 Assure land is zoned in response to an identified need
 Provide the Township with the opportunity to assure public services are adequate to meet the service needs associated with residential density changes and the introduction of new land uses.
Lake Area Residential Development – For the future development of the Township Lake areas it is recommended to encourage the continuation of the residential land uses along the lakes but
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in a manner which more effectively recognizes the sensitive environmental qualities embodied in these resources and their aesthetic and recreational aspects. Future residential development along the lakes should not exceed a development density of approximately one dwelling unit per acre. In addition, keyhole or funnel development should not be allowed without adequate control measures.
Agriculture
For future agriculture development it is recommended that the establishment and continued expansion as necessary of an agriculture conservation district be strongly considered. In addition the encroachment of residential land uses is strongly discouraged to more effectively preserve important agricultural resources. However, it is recognized that the ability of a farmland owner to split off residential lots from the farm acreage, from time to time or multiple splits in a short period of time, is important both for economic gain and assuring the continued operation of the farm. All future development should strive to achieve a greater balance between the need and desire for farmland protect and future residential encroachment. Therefore, it is recommended new lots created for non-farm residences should be limited in area to minimize the loss of farm acreage.
Commercial
For future vacant land commercial development it is recommended that such development be done in a slow and incremental manner. This will assist future development in order to:
 Assure landowners are not faced with increased tax burdens until such time when they wish their parcel zoned to a commercial/industrial area
 Minimize the frequency of nonconforming uses due to differences in allowable land uses within the Township
 Assure land is zoned in response to an identified need
 Provide the Township with the opportunity to assure public services are adequate to meet the service needs associated with commercial changes and the introduction of new land uses.
Industrial
For future light industrial vacant land development it is recommended that such development be done in a slow and incremental manner. This will assist future development in order to:
 Assure landowners are not faced with increased tax burdens until such time when they wish their parcel zoned to a commercial/industrial area
 Minimize the frequency of nonconforming uses due to differences in allowable land uses within the Township
 Assure land is zoned in response to an identified need, such as a solar array
 Provide the Township with the opportunity to assure public services are adequate to meet the service needs associated with light industrial changes and the introduction of new land uses.
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Community Services and Facilities
While the vast majority of land development to occur in the Township will involve privately owned land, it may become necessary for the acquisition and/or development of publicly owned land. While the Township currently owns and operates 3 cemeteries, and the Township Hall on land in the Township, it provides only limited public services to the residents of the Township. As the Township continues to grow and develop, the time may come when the acquisition of additional land and/or the development of existing parcels by the Township for public purposes may become beneficial to meet the increased public service needs of the community. The Township recognizes that development of public lands can negatively impact surrounding land uses and measures should be followed in the acquisition and development of future public lands to minimize such negative impacts.
The Township should acquire and/or develop land for public use only where the proposed acquisition and/or development addresses the maintenance or enhancement of the public health, safety, and welfare based upon a demonstrated need, the site characteristics are compatible with the proposed use, the use will not unreasonably impact adjacent properties, and measures will be taken to minimize potential negative impacts.
It is not the intent of the Dayton Township Master Plan to encourage the provision of new and/or expanded public services throughout the Township, but to generally limit the intro-duction or expansion of such services to those areas of the Township planned to accommodate growth and development of such intensities that such services are highly desirable and/or nec-essary. Accordingly, the Township should monitor growth and development trends and assure that no new land uses are introduced prior to the provision of public services to the project site to meet the new public service demands of that land use.
Where new public services are introduced or expanded, they should be done so in a manner mutually beneficial to, and coordinated with neighboring municipal services where applicable. The provisions of new and/or expanded public services in the Township should not occur in a "band aid" type fashion nor be contingent upon revelations of emergency conditions. The provision of certain public services, such as public sewer and water, requires substantial time and financial resources including feasibility studies, design, and construction, and planning ahead for such services prior to near emergency conditions is critical.
Transportation
Land use is intrinsically related to circulation and, in particular, vehicular access. Industrial and commercial facilities require adequate roadways to accommodate the relatively high volumes of traffic requiring access to such facilities, and residential neighborhoods require adequate roadways to facilitate the day-to-day patterns of area households. In addition, all land parcels require adequate roadways to facilitate emer-gency services. With this in mind, it becomes imperative that the Township's circulation system meet the land use needs of the community today, tomorrow, and into the future. Similarly, it is imperative that land uses are not introduced within the Township unless an
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adequate circulation system exists (or is anticipated, depending upon the circumstance) to meet the apparent land use needs.
The proper balance between roadway infrastructures and land use needs can come about only through a purposeful plan of action. The following policies are established to guide future transportation improvements in the Township.
Roadway Monitoring
The Township should continually monitor traffic flows and roadway conditions to identify existing and potential conflict areas. The intent of this policy is to enable the Township to identify existing and anticipated circulation conflicts so as to plan for their solution before circumstances become extreme, hazardous, or generally in conflict with the health, safety and welfare of the community.
Principal policies regarding roadway monitoring in the Township include:
1) Regular correspondence should be maintained with the Tuscola County Road Commission to review road conditions and indications of potential and necessary improvements.
2) Regular correspondence should be maintained with neighboring municipalities and the East Central Michigan Planning & Development Regional Commission to stay abreast of regional transportation issues which may impact Dayton Township.
3) Intergovernmental coordination should be encouraged with area municipalities to encourage and coordinate roadway improvements, maximize tax dollars, and minimize negative impacts between municipalities as a result of non-coordinated improvement projects.
Prioritized Improvements
Improvements to the roadway network should be based upon an orderly and prioritized ap-proach. Improvements should be based upon substantiated data highlighting the need for such improvements and priority should be given to those improvements addressing immediate haz-ardous conditions and/or increasingly hazardous circumstances where high or increasing traffic flows are present.
Except where hazardous conditions may be present and need immediate attention, all planned road improvements should be critically linked to the planned future land use pattern of the Township. Special attention should be directed toward assuring the roadway infrastructure associated with the Township's planned growth and development areas is adequate to accommodate the anticipated increase in demand.
The need for improvements to these road segments should be closely monitored so that, should improvements be necessary, the improvements can be implemented in a timely fashion and prior to severe congestion, safety, and disrepair problems.
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Principal policies regarding the relative priority of transportation improvements in the Township include:
1) Future improvements to the Township's transportation network will be based upon a number of considerations including roadway infrastructure conditions, existing levels of service, the planned future land use pattern in the Township, and projected decreases in levels of service.
2) Future roadway improvements will be considered of greatest priority where there exist immediate emergency conditions, including impassable roads and bridges. Priority will then be directed toward improvements aimed at increasing the level of service along road segments which are currently experiencing excessive levels of service or expected to experience excessive levels of service in the near future due to existing and/or planned land use patterns.
3) Dayton Township will maintain close contact with the Tuscola County Road Commission in identifying priority road improvements. Special attention will be placed upon county network roadways within and adjacent to the planned Suburban Residential Areas.
Emergency Services
Dayton Township's reliance upon the joint operated area fire department, the county sheriff's department, and the state police for emergency services provides a level of service which is generally considered adequate by area residents. Depending upon the degree of growth experienced by the Township during the coming years, this level of service may decline unless specific actions are taken to maintain or improve the level of service.
Principal policies regarding the future provision of emergency services in the Township include:
1) Dayton Township will continue to be an integral element of the area-wide fire de-partment and strive to improve the level of fire protection in Dayton Township in a manner mutually beneficial to all area municipalities.
2) Dayton Township will continue its reliance upon the county sheriff's department and state police department for police protection. Should the time come when, due to the degree of growth and/or development in the Township, or other contributing factors, it becomes apparent that an improved police protection program is needed; the Township will consider all feasible options in establishing such a program. Options which will be considered at such a time will include, at a minimum, area-wide programs with neighboring municipalities as well as an independently operated Dayton Township program.
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Map 8: Future Land Use Map
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Master Plan Implementation
It is essential that the Planning Commission, Township Board, Zoning Board of Appeals, Zoning Administrator, and the public under-stand the purpose of this Plan and its value to the Township. Plan implementation requires the continuous efforts of the Township's decision-makers and the support of the public. Toward this end, the Planning Commission should take the initiative for assuring that both Township officials and residents are continuously apprised of important planning issues facing the Township and that a mechanism be established to encourage and solicit public in-put on such issues.
The participation of Township residents in local planning efforts is critical and should always be encouraged. Accordingly, all pertinent planning data available to the Planning Commission and Township Board should be available to the general public as well so that they may be well informed and capable of providing valuable input into the planning process. Similarly, the Township should utilize alternative avenues of communications including newspapers and mailings to notify residents of particular issues and provide factual insight into these issues.
Constant references to this plan by Township officials and staff when making land use and public services decisions are fundamental for effective implementation of the Plan. The Plan must be used as a tool of reference and valued for the insight it provides. Realizing the Plan's value and its utilitarian quality for local planning efforts is the easiest method of implementation.
There are a variety of regulatory techniques available to assist in implementing an adopted master plan. The most important of these techniques involves zoning regulations.
Zoning: Zoning provisions regulate the use of land and are certainly the most effective means of implementing the Plan. In 1943, the State of Michigan passed the Township Rural Zoning Act (P.A. 184 of 1943, as amended) which vests the legislative authority to enact or amend a zoning ordinance with the Township Board.
The Michigan Acts include a statement defining the purpose of zoning, a portion of which reads as follows:
"...to meet the needs...for food, fiber, energy, and other natural resources, places of residence, recreation, trade, and service...to assure that the use of land (is) situated in appropriate locations and relationships; to limit the inappropriate overcrowding of land and congestion of population...to facilitate adequate and efficient provision for transportation systems, sewage disposal, water, energy, education, recreation, and other public service and facility requirements..."
The Township Rural Zoning Act stipulates that a Township's zoning ordinance must be based upon a "plan," part of the basis for the preparation of the Dayton Township Master Plan. A zoning ordinance typically prescribes and controls the use of land through the establishment of land use zones or districts. Each zone is based upon various land development characteristics including lot sizes, development intensity, use of buildings and lots, and building locations, heights, and bulk.
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Though Dayton Township currently has a zoning ordinance in effect, this ordinance should be revised and updated to reflect the policies of the Plan. In fact, it is generally recommended that zoning ordinances be completely reviewed at least every five years to determine any minor or major amendments which may be needed to address changing trends and conditions in the community. Portions of the zoning ordinance can be revised at any time based upon legally prescribed procedures.
Specific portions of the current Dayton Township Zoning Ordinance which should be reviewed and amended include, at a minimum: 1) district regulations; 2) term definitions; 3) permitted uses in each zoning district; 4) special land use and site plan review provisions; 5) minimum standard for dwellings, including mobile homes; 6) zoning map; and 7) administrative procedures.
Another local method of land use control with an emphasis on the environment is the Farmland and Open Space Preservation Program established by Act 116 of 1976. Some parcels in the Township have been enrolled in this program for many years. The Act under which this program is administered was originally designed to alleviate the rapid conversion of agricultural land within the state to more intensive uses which were taking place at the time. The Act also provides for the preservation of privately owned open space land.
Act 116 enables individual land owners of eligible open space land to enter into a development rights easement with the unit of government in whose jurisdiction the property is located. The easement is designed to ensure that the land remains in a particular use for an agreed-upon minimum period of ten years. The easement may be perpetual. In return for the restrictive covenant, the land owner is entitled to certain property tax benefits.
To enroll in the program, the property owner must file an application with the Township. Upon approval, the Township prepares an appropriate easement which, after signing by the land owner, is subsequently recorded with the register of deeds of the county. Property owners should become familiar with all conditions associated with such an easement before entering into an agreement. The Township has an opportunity to support or oppose such agreements and can thus play an important role in this regard.
The Michigan Wetland Protection Act (Act 203 of 1979) was passed to regulate activities in Michigan wetlands. No dredging, filling or construction can take place in wetland areas without a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. "Wetland" under the Act is land "characterized by the presence of water of a frequency and duration sufficient to support and that, under normal conditions, does support wetland vegetation."
The Michigan statute applies to all wetlands contiguous to inland lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. They also include the wetlands of five acres or more in size that are not contiguous to surface water bodies and located in counties with populations of 100,000 or more. Noncontiguous wetlands cannot be regulated in a county of less than 100,000 populations unless a wetland inventory is completed.
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Act 203 was designed to protect wetlands, and controls provided for by the Act serve to regulate wetland alteration. Regulatory objectives of the Michigan statute include the pro-tection of wildlife habitats, duck nesting areas, aquifer recharge areas, and the function of wetlands as nutrient and sediment traps for the protection of lakes and streams. The Act's regulatory program is designed to prohibit or control by permit all fill, excavation and structural development in wetlands.
A Township may enact a subdivision ordinance through the authority of the Subdivision Control Act, [Land Division Act].The Subdivision Control Act permits Townships and other municipalities to enact ordinances with the intent of controlling the properness and degree of land subdividing and improvements to the land, including sanitary sewer, water supply, utilities and streets. Such ordinances apply to land divisions where five or more parcels of land, each of which is ten acres or less in area, are created within a ten year period.
Lot split ordinances apply to divisions of land which fall outside of the jurisdiction of the Subdivision Control Act and, as such, result in lots not part of a recorded plat. Lot split ordinances are intended to better assure that the proposed lot splits create lots which do not violate local zoning regulations (minimum lot width, area, etc.) or result in irregularly and/or undesirably shaped lots.
Summary
The Dayton Township Master Plan is designed to aid in the protection of the health, safety, and general welfare of the Township residents. The future land use plan establishes land use categories in consideration of the social and economic characteristics of the Township, the natural resources of the area, the compatibility of adjacent land uses, and the Township goals. This plan should serve as the base in updating the Township zoning ordinance and be used to help guide future development in Dayton Township.
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Appendix
Dayton Township Survey
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 47
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 48
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 49
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 50
Planning Commission Meeting Minutes – Approval of Master Plan
Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes – Adoption of Master Plan
2017 – 2037 Dayton Township Master Plan DRAFT 51