Chapter 7:

Existing Land Use Profile

This chapter profiles the community character and existing land use pattern for Suttons Bay Township. Data used in this analysis was collected through field surveys conducted in 1997, and supplemented with information gathered from the Leelanau General Plan.

Community Character

The Leelanau Peninsula has a particularly diverse geography and natural resource base. Lowland conifer swamps, rolling upland hardwoods, active sand dunes, extensive inland and great lakes coastal areas, and a climate moderated by Lake Michigan provides an environment which hosts a variety of land use activities.

Generally speaking, urbanized areas (residential, commercial and industrial development) are concentrated in villages, in areas adjacent to Traverse City, and along the inland and Great Lake shorelines. Small-scale tourist services, cottage developments and residential areas dominate the character of urbanized areas.

Suttons Bay Township can be characterized as a rural community that is intensively developed with seasonal and year-round single-family dwelling units along the scenic shorelines of Grand Traverse Bay, Suttons Bay, and Lake Leelanau. The rolling hills found within the interior portion of the township support scattered large lot residential development that take advantage of scenic views.

Orchards, agricultural fields and pastures are an important and defining Township attribute. These lands are primarily broken into large tracts and are found throughout the Township and many take advantage of unique and prime farmland (For a more detailed discussion of the township’s agricultural resources, see the Environmental Profile and Map 5).

The Village of Suttons Bay serves both as the focal point and as the activity center of the Township. The Village is compact and characterized by small scale development and a pedestrian-friendly environment. Most of the commercial and industrial development that serves the community is located within the Village.

There are two business nodes in the Township. The first is along M-22 south of Suttons Bay Village. This is an important segment of M-22 because it serves as the gateway into the Village thus forming a first impression for the traveler. The second is found north of the Village along M-22 in Peshawbestown. This area of development is centered around the casino and related facilities. There is a third area, comprised mainly of commercial recreation/resort facilities, found along South Lake Leelanau Road, just north of O’Brien Road.

The land development patterns in Suttons Bay Township can be organized into subareas of unique character. These development subareas will provide a framework for evaluating how well future land use recommendations respond to the character of specific township areas.

Five subareas have been identified and named consistent with a predominant feature located within the subarea. The following describes the location and distinguishing characteristics of each subarea. The subareas are depicted in Figure 3, Community Character Subareas.

Ø Stony Point Area: Encompasses the land area within the peninsula of land which extends between Suttons Bay and the Grand Traverse Bay, extending south to the Bingham Township line. The west boundary is formed by M-22, ending at Peck Road. The Stony Point area is characterized by the dense single-family residential development along the shoreline and interior orchards.

Ø Suttons Bay Village Area: Encompasses the land that surrounds the village. The eastern boundary follows M-22 to Peck Road. The western boundary extends to Pine View Road and follows the half-section line of Sections 29 and 20. The northern boundary follows Dumas Road. The Suttons Bay Village Area is characterized by a variety of uses (residential, commercial, industrial, public/semi-public) which are natural and physical extensions of development that exists in the village.

Ø Lake Leelanau Area: The Lake Leelanau area is bounded by the south side of M-204 on the north the half-section lines of Section 20 and 29 on the east and extends to the Bingham Township line and Lake Leelanau. The area is characterized by development that is currently oriented toward the lake and shoreline area. The majority of residential development fronts the lake or Lake Leelanau Drive. Some interior residential development has occurred along O’Brien and Bernadette Roads, some of which provide views of Lake Leelanau.

Ø Peshawbestown Area: The Peshawbestown area is bounded by Jacobson Road on the west and southwest and extends to the north township line and the Grand Traverse Bay. As with the Suttons Bay Village area, this subarea is dominated by the settlement that forms most of its interior. To avoid land use conflicts, the fringe area should be planned in coordination with development plans for the tribal lands.

Ø Suttons Bay Orchard Area: The Suttons Bay Orchard area is bounded by M-204 on the south and Jacobson Road on the east and extends to the Leland and Leelanau Township lines. This area is characterized by the very low density of single-family dwellings and the mass of agricultural operations, particularly orchards.

Existing Land Use Inventory

In 1997, a field survey was conducted to gather existing land use data. Each parcel of property in Suttons Bay Township was inspected and its use characteristics recorded on aerial photographs (1:400 scale). The land use data was transferred from the field survey notes to a digital format. The information is displayed on a property line base map prepared using digital map files from the Leelanau County Equalization Department.

The following defines the land use classifications used to categorize the existing land uses in Suttons Bay Township and describes the distribution of those uses. The Existing Land Use Map provides a graphical representation of this information. Table 22 summarizes the distribution of existing land use coverage by developed and total acres. Acreage calculations for each land use category were derived directly from the Existing Land Use Map (Map 2).

Table 22 1997 Existing Land Use Acreage
Land Use	Developed Acres		Total Acres
	Acres	Percent	Acres	Percent
Agricultural	N/A	N/A	5,473	36.62
Single-family residential	932	83.33	932	6.23
Two-family residential	3	0.23	3	0.02
Multiple-family residential	2	0.19	2	0.01
Commercial	47	4.17	47	0.31
Office	1	0.12	1	0.01
Industrial	8	0.75	8	0.06
Extraction	4	0.34	4	0.03
Public/semi-public	121	10.87	121	0.81
Rights-of-way, open space, other	N/A	N/A	8,355	55.90
Total	1,118	100.00	14,946	100.00
Source: 1997 field survey

The land use classification system used for this analysis is a derivative of the Michigan Land Cover/Use Classification System which was developed by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for use in statewide current use inventories.

Agriculture

The agriculture category includes lands under cultivation, horse farms, ranching operations, pastures, orchards, vineyards, and tree farms. Agricultural land uses represent the most extensive land use in the Township. There are approximately 5,473 acres of land dedicated to agricultural uses, which is 36.62 percent of the Township’s total land area.

Agricultural uses are concentrated in the nine sections in northwestern portion of the township and the Stony Point area. Agricultural uses noted include cherry orchards, vineyards, field crops and pasture area. A unique feature of the local agricultural industry is the need for migrant workers to assist with the fruit harvest. Thus, a number of farms included migrant worker housing. Most of this housing consists of a grouping of mobile homes located adjacent to a field. Migrant housing located during the field survey is noted on the existing land use map.

Single-family residential

This category includes detached single-family residential dwellings and mobile homes located outside of mobile home parks. Areas designated single-family include associated maintained yards, as well as accessory structures such as garages. Single-family residential use presently covers approximately 932 acres, or 83.33 percent of the Township’s developed land area.

Single-family development has been most concentrated along the shorelines of Grand Traverse Bay and Suttons Bay. Some residential development has also occurred along the shore of Lake Leelanau, but not to the extent of the bay areas. With the exception of the single-family homes within Peshawbestown, the remainder of the township’s single-family homes is scattered throughout the interior area, with frontage along a county road. In a few cases large residential parcels are accessed by a common driveway or private road.

Two-family residential

This classification includes all two-family dwelling units and any accessory structures, as well as the maintained yards. There is no two-family development in the township. There is a small area of two-family residential development within Peshawbestown, off Roubal Road.

Multiple-family residential

This land use category encompasses residential structures that house three or more dwelling units. There are no multiple-family residential uses within Suttons Bay Township. The multiple-family uses depicted on Map 2 lie in Suttons Bay Landing in the village and Peshawbestown.

Commercial

This classification includes all commercial uses but excludes professional offices. Approximately 47 acres of commercial land use exists in Suttons Bay Township. This equates to 4.17 percent of the Township’s developed land area.

Commercial land development is concentrated in Suttons Bay Village and Peshawbestown. Commercial development within the village is varied, providing basic goods and services to the year-round community and specialty retail shops. Commercial development within Peshawbestown is focused around the casino and lodging facilities.

Within the township, commercial uses are concentrated in the general vicinity of M-22 and Peck Road, south of the village. These uses are of a general commercial nature (serve a population greater than the neighborhood and benefit from accessibility/visibility provided by M-22) and include a restaurant, car wash, convenience store appliance repair shop, and a motel.

Other township commercial uses are found at scattered locations along the northern and southern segments of M-22 and near Lake Leelanau. The Fountain Point Cottages, a seasonal resort located on Lake Leelanau Road at O’Brien Road has also been classified as commercial for the purpose of this inventory.

Office

The office category includes business, medical, dental and other professional service offices, and related service establishments. Approximately 1 acre, or 0.12 percent of the Township’s developed land area is used for office purposes.

Within the township, there are only two office uses. A veterinary clinic is located on M-204 near Lake Leelanau. The second is a dental office located on the east side of M-22, north of Peck Road.

Industrial

The industrial land use category includes areas with or without buildings where raw or semi-finished materials are fabricated and lands used for storing raw materials for production. This category includes warehouses, processing facilities, and manufacturing facilities as well as non-manufacturing uses that are industrial in nature such as junk yards and collision shops.

Approximately 8 acres or 0.75 percent of the developed land area in the township is used for industrial purposes. Industrial uses are clustered south of the Village on the west side of M-22, near Peck Road. The uses include solid waste handling facility and a tool and die operation. A warehouse is located immediately adjacent to the village.

Extractive uses

Extractive uses include quarries, gravel pits, mining sites and other operations that remove minerals and other matter from the earth’s subsurface. This category comprises approximately 4 acres or 0.34 percent of the Township’s developed land area. Two extractive sites were identified. One is located on the south side of Kohler Road, near Pine View Road. The other is located on the west side of Herman Road between Bahle Road and Crestwood Drive.

Public/semi-public uses

Public land uses include open land available for cultural, public assembly and recreational purposes, utility substations, educational uses and governmental administration and service buildings. Privately owned land areas that are used for educational or religious purposes, occupied by communication towers, or land which is used for recreation activities and is open to the general public are also included in this category. Public/semi-public uses occupy approximately 121 acres or 10.87 percent of the Township’s total land area.

Public/semi-public uses are generally found in proximity to other types of land development. The majority of public/semi-public uses are found within Suttons Bay Village. Public/semi-public uses that are near but outside the village boundaries include the village sewage lagoons and the Leelanau County Road Commission garage.