Master Plan
Township Master Plan
The Fife Lake Area Planning Commission received a grant for their master plan. Williams & Works have been hired as the professional planner to work with them on this project.
Fife Lake Township Master Plan
Proposed Amendments
February 12, 2019
Page 17 – Section 3, Community FacilitiesState Correctional Facility
The Pugsley Correctional Facility is located on Walton Road, west of M-115. The facility originally opened as a camp in 1956 and then was converted to a Secure Level I prison in January 2001. The facility proper is located on 23 acres which contains 3 housing buildings containing 48 cubicles, housing up to 384 prisoners per building. The former camp building was renovated when the facility was being constructed and is able to house up to 190 prisoners, for a total capacity of 1,342 prisoners. Additional buildings contained on the property include a chapel, programs, gymnasium, food service, health care, administration, human resources, training, maintenance, warehouse, and store. According to the U.S. Census, the 2010 institutionalized population for group quarters in Fife Lake Township (for the Pugsley Correctional Facility) was 1,329. This amount comprised 47.6% of the total population of Fife Lake Township. This facility closed on September 24, 2016.
Pages 22-23: Section 5, Goals and Objectives
Goal #6, Economic Development
Fife Lake Township encourages the promotion of a level of retail and industrial development appropriate to the needs of the community.
• Objective: Share with other economic development entities an inventory of development sites in the Township including the parcel size, cost, description of available services, contacts, and other information potential businesses shall need to locate in Fife Lake Township.
• Objective: Maintain regulations and ordinances to regulate low-intensity home-based businesses that strengthen the Township and reduce the demand on transportation systems while maintaining the attractive residential character of the Township’s neighborhoods.
• Objective: Foster and maintain a productive relationship with the State of Michigan Department of Corrections regarding the future of the now-closed Pugsley Correctional Facility.
• Objective: Establish a Planned Development zoning district for select areas of the Township with unique development potentials.
Page 29, Section 6, Future Land Use Plan
Planned Development – PD
Throughout the Township, there are areas with unique characteristics and development potentials. These are shown on the future land use map as “Planned Development”. The intention of illustrating these areas in such a manner is to suggest some flexibility in dealing with future land use given that plans can be drawn to address each area comprehensively.
These areas that can be summarized as follows:
Camp Pugsley and Surrounding Area
The former “Camp Pugsley” is located at the northeast corner of Walton Road and Hodge Road. It operated as a correctional facility from 1956 to 2016, when it was closed due to a declining prison population within the state of Michigan. There are no plans to re-open the facility and the State of Michigan is actively marketing the facility to a private entity for a commercial or other purpose, should such an opportunity arise.
The site contains a number of buildings and infrastructure improvements including an on-site water distribution and wastewater collection and treatment system, recreational facilities and office. This Master Plan does not set forth a specific desired end use for the property, although the Township desires that the facility be put to a productive purpose. Due to its close proximity to M-113, US-131, active rail line, and central location between the communities of Fife Lake and Kingsley, possible future uses could include commercial, industrial, residential or recreational uses. While this Master Plan calls for flexibility to allow for creative reuse of the property, it is important that future uses be designed and operated in a manner that is harmonious with surrounding properties and the natural environment.
State/Railroad Area
The Southwest portion of Fife Lake Township bound by Camp Pugsley, M-113, an active rail line (South), and Hodge Road is composed largely of state forest land. Like the Camp Pugsley PD, this area may also pose a unique redevelopment opportunity, given its close proximity to M-113, US-131, and an active rail line. Possible future uses could include commercial, industrial, residential, and recreational.
The Township Master Plan is a direct result of the work of our Planning Commission. It is a work in progress showing that our township land use needs are continually changing over time. The Master Plan provides information relative to physical and societal features, community facilities, existing land uses, safe public traffic planning and economic trends within the township.
It can be utilized to provide guidance to individuals and local units of government when making future zoning and land development decisions such as housing development, agricultural uses, open spaces, forested area preservation, street and road layouts to name just a few concepts covered by the Master Plan.
The State of Michigan requires a review and update to Master Plans every five years. Our Planning Commission started their review in 2010 and has just completed their review and update in 2011. The formal hearing for the public to view the Master Plan is scheduled for May of 2011.
The link below contains the Fife Lake Township Master Plan as adopted in January, 2000, amended in 2003, reviewed in 2007 and amended in 2011.