East Bay Township will host a public Riparian Zoning Workshop on Tuesday, February 21 at 6pm at the township hall on Three Mile Road as part of an effort to update the the township's zoning ordinance to better protect local water quality.

East Bay Township is in the process of rewriting the zoning ordinance for the entire township based on its recently adopted master plan. "Through this public process, the topic of protecting water quality through zoning standards on inland lakes and streams, wetlands, floodplains, and on East Grand Traverse Bay has been rated a top priority by survey respondents, focus group participants, and township officials," according to a township release. "While East Bay Township has robust zoning standards to protect these critical resources, there is opportunity to review the ordinances to keep pace with new trends and ensure the standards are meeting the underlying protection goals of the township."

The workshop will kick off with educational presentations from the Watershed Center, Grand Traverse County, and township planning consultants Giffels Webster focusing on the importance of the riparian zone and tools for protection, the state and county policy framework, and an overview of current township zoning standards. After the presentation, attendees will break into small groups to discuss successes, challenges, and opportunities related to zoning for the water and natural resources in East Bay Township. A meeting agenda is available online here.

A subcommittee made up of township elected and appointed officials, staff, and legal counsel have been meeting biweekly to review and discuss possible amendments to the zoning ordinance under the guidance of Giffels Webster. "Recommendations from the subcommittee will be presented to the planning commission for consideration, deliberation, and public hearings," according to the township release. "All amendments will ultimately be adopted by the township board. The full zoning ordinance rewrite process is expected to take approximately 11 months, and the process officially kicked off in September 2022."