Manchester Township considering PDR ordinance

Photo courtesy Manchester Township website.

by Sybil Kolon

Members of the Manchester Township Planning Commission and Board met on February 22 to continue discussions about the future of Manchester Township. This meeting focused on preservation of farmland and natural areas, which is a key concern of the Board and Planning Commission as well as residents who have attended previous meetings. Matt Kapp of the Michigan Farm Bureau and Susan LaCroix of Legacy Land Conservancy were invited by the township to provide their expertise on available options. A few members of the public attended.

The primary topic of this meeting was purchase of development rights (PDR), which provides compensation to willing landowners who want to permanently protect their property from unwanted development. This is done through conservation easements, which limit the development of the property through a legal document that is recorded with the register of deeds. The document is negotiated between the township or a land conservancy and the property owner. These documents can provide the current and future owners with the ability to continue or expand farm operations and to possibly allow for an additional single-family home, among other considerations. More information on this option can be found online at LTA Land Conservation Options.

Those who are interested in permanent protection of their land can approach a local land conservancy to initiate the process on their own. Under discussion tonight was the option of Manchester Township passing its own PDR ordinance. That would allow the township to collaborate with other partners to help bring additional funding from other organizations to offset costs to the township and to provide compensation to property owners who want to enter into a conservation easement. A PDR ordinance would allow the township and its active farmers to qualify for funding through the program offered by the State of Michigan. The township is typically required to provide some matching funds, which can be raised through a millage voted on by township residents. The township could also allocate funding from its general budget, or seek other funding.

Manchester Township is in the early stages of looking at ways to preserve its rural character. No decisions have been made. Other programs are available to property owners that can provide incentives for more short-term preservation options. Visit the Manchester Township Land Preservation web page, which has links to many of these programs: https://twp-manchester.org/land-preservation/

LaCroix provided detailed information about how Legacy Land Conservancy could assist the township if it chooses to pass a PDR ordinance. Kapp indicated that the Michigan Farm Bureau is supportive of the use of PDR to preserve farmland and considers it a tool to help farmers stay on their land, and even expand their operations.

Sybil Kolon, who is on the Planning Commission and is the chair of the township’s Land Preservation Committee, indicated planning and zoning tools can also be used to facilitate protection of farmland and natural areas. The joint master plan between the township and city of Manchester, which is in the process of being updated, can be especially helpful, as it can allow for more intense development to be adjacent to the city, reducing development pressure on rural areas.

Another question was how the township can support the continuation of farming. The Planning Commission has stepped back from looking at an agri-tourism ordinance, after comments that it could impose regulations that could make it harder for farmers to sell directly to the public. The planning commission is beginning to look at the potential for creating agricultural overlay districts. Kapp will provide some ordinances that other townships have enacted.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.