By Jessica Mathews/News@whmi.com


The Livingston County Planning Department has received an award for the 2018 Master Plan.

The Small Town & Rural Planning Division of the American Planning Association (APA) sponsors planning awards annually to honor outstanding planning projects throughout the United States. There are four planning award categories. The Livingston County Master Plan received Vernon Deines Award for a Comprehensive Plan/Large Jurisdiction, with population of 51,000 or more. The award is given to an outstanding comprehensive plan or special project plan that addresses the development of a neighborhood, community, county or region.

The Livingston County Master Plan was adopted in October 2018. The entire planning process of creating the document was completed in-house by county planners in collaboration with the seven-person Livingston County Planning Commission. The process was fully funded through the department’s annual budget. A committee of planning professionals was responsible for evaluating the award nominees and selecting the award-winning projects. The Committee utilized various criteria in considering nominees that included innovation, quality, measurable results and implementation, the role of elected officials, transferability, collaboration/public involvement, and long-term sustainability and/or use of smart growth principles.

County Planning Director Kathleen Kline-Hudson told WHMI the master plan is a toolbox of master plan and zoning techniques that local Livingston County communities can implement. An online version of the Master Plan can be accessed through the provided link.