Preserving rural character in the Manchester area: a forum for local officials and residents
August sunset over a field in Manchester Township. Photo credit: Sara Swanson.
submitted by Sybil Kolon, Manchester Township Land Preservation Committee
This monthly forum is open to anyone who wants to share their thoughts about the topics of land preservation and rural character in the Manchester area. Please contact me (sybil.kolon@gmail.com) or the Mirror to submit your thoughts. If you are on Facebook, and even if you’re not, please share this and other related articles with your friends and family around the Manchester area.
This month we will provide you with a few items to pique your interest in Land Preservation. Some of this is specific to Manchester Township but could be applicable to other locations as well. Most is widely applicable and we hope will encourage you to think more about the role you play in maintaining our rural character.
As indicated at the end of this article, the Village of Manchester also has a stake in the future of Manchester Township, and vice versa. The “Manchester Area” is comprised of the Village near the center of the four surrounding townships. That configuration helps define us, and I believe is an advantage that has contributed to our sense of community. Our futures are intertwined and it is important to recognize that.
How do we maintain our rural character? We know that change is coming. We actually have the ability to shape that change. If we sit back and keep our views to ourselves, there is no way to find out what others are thinking. Sharing ideas constructively can make this community stronger. We each bring our own perspective to this issue. If we listen and consider, I believe we may find there are many answers and that most are not exclusive of the others. In other words, there are lots of options for people to be better stewards of the land, without the expectation that everyone will participate.
Manchester Township’s Land Preservation Committee (LPC) met for the first time on September 7. Sybil Kolon of the Manchester Township Planning Commission (MTPC) was elected as chair and Mike Fusilier of the Manchester Township Board and MTPC was elected as secretary. The other members are Doug Brooks of the MTPC, Carl Blaine, and Mike Lowery. The committee expects to meet at least monthly and will sunset in one year unless the township board extends their term.
Several tasks have been defined, including one to develop a comprehensive list of land preservation methods and programs that the township could employ to preserve targeted land. We want landowners to know that participation in any program is strictly voluntary. We also know there are many landowners who are managing their lands with stewardship in mind — whether farmers, hunters, or nature enthusiasts in general, and we believe there is enough interest in land stewardship and long-term land preservation to justify this effort.
One of our early tasks is to find out more about what our adjoining townships are doing, including Norvell Township to our west in Jackson County, and Franklin Township to our south in Lenawee County. And, of course, Bridgewater, Freedom, and Sharon Townships. Members of the committee will be reaching out to various local officials in the next few weeks.
As the committee gets situated, we will be seeking public input and responses to specific ideas. We plan to look at the pros and cons of everything we are considering. Please contact me or other members with questions or comments.
A Handy Tool for Understanding Your Property
Don’t forget to check out Manchester Township’s new Land Preservation page on the township website located at https://twp-manchester.org/land-preservation. In last month’s article we suggested you check out the ArcGIS Web Application that can be found on that page under Natural Resource Information & Management. There is a bit of an explanation there on how to use it, but we found something more helpful in an article on the Washtenaw County Conservation District website. This is from a series called “In My Backyard” located at https://www.washtenawcd.org/in-my-backyard-part-4.html. It provides detailed but simple instructions to help you compare a recent aerial photo of your property with what was found during the original land survey of the Manchester area in 1824. For anyone considering land stewardship activities this is a great place to start.
A Couple of Announcements of Interest
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners is looking to fill two positions on the Agricultural Lands Preservation Advisory Committee (ALPAC) representing Agricultural Production/Operator Agricultural Business and Environmental/Conservation Group/Natural Resources, each for a three-year term expiring December 31, 2026. Applications are due October 31. See https://www.washtenaw.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=2546 for information on applying.
The Manchester Township Board and Planning Commission have set a workshop meeting to discuss Township Identity, to be held at 7pm on Thursday, September 28, at the Township Hall. This meeting is open to the public. All Manchester Township residents are encouraged to attend to share their views on what direction the township should head over the coming years. Village residents are also township residents. Whether or not village residents vote in November to become a city, our fates are tied together. That point is clear in the Manchester Area Joint Master Plan, which the Village and Township are working to update. The decision on renewing the joint plan will likely be made after the vote in November.
Until next month, enjoy the transition to fall and all the beauty that brings to us.
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