East Bay Township Zoning Ordinance

East Bay Township adopted a master plan with an emphasis on environmental protection and carefully managed growth. This project, a full re-write and re-formatting of the East Bay Township Zoning Ordinance, sought to implement the goals and objectives of the township’s master plan while also providing the Township with a more user-friendly ordinance. The project used a series of publicly accessible steering committee meetings to develop and refine the ordinance language. The final ordinance was converted to Giffels Webster’s Clearzoning format, and accomplished the following:

Master Plan Implementation. The zoning map and districts were modified to reflect the Township’s future land use plan, and environmental protection regulations were strengthened.
Enhanced Navigation and User-Friendliness. The Clearzoning format added numerous illustrations, improved the organization of the ordinance, and provided improved ease of navigation with internal hyperlinking and consistent menus on every page.

Improved Processes. The zoning re-write brought increased clarity to development procedures, consistent use of terminology throughout the ordinance, and streamlined review processes.

Alignment with Best Practices, Case Law, and Statutory Language. The new zoning ordinance provides greater flexibility to developers, including more market-driven parking
standards and more opportunities for mixed use and density bonuses. Sign and wireless tower regulations were among the standards that were updated in light of case law and statutory
changes.

The new East Bay Township Zoning Ordinance positions the Township to intelligently guide future growth while protecting its most vulnerable natural assets, including an extensive inland lake system, from overdevelopment and pollution.