The opinion of most audience members at Leland Township Planning Commission’s public hearing Tuesday on a master plan update is they like what they see, and want little to change.

That’s what worries commission chairman Steve Clem. The commission has been working on replacing the township’s existing master plan for the past year and posted the proposed new plan on the township website in March. Despite heavy promotion of the public hearing, only 14 township residents attended the hearing, with most speaking favorably about the proposal.

The commission will hold a special meeting on Monday, June 25 at 7 p.m. at the township office in Lake Leelanau to continue its review of the proposed master plan and incorporate changes submitted by the public at the public hearing.

Clem said he’s hoped more people would attend the hearing to voice different opinions about land use in the township. He compared what he considers the opposing views on growth and development in the township to a dumbbell. “We’ve got a big group on one side and equally big group on the other,” he said. The problem for Clem is one side doesn’t come to meetings and express their views. “Believe me, they’re out there,” he said, referring to residents who’d like to see more growth.

Gil and Ann Bogley, property owners with frontage on north Lake Leelanau, both said they like the current plan and the proposal’s emphasis on maintaining the township’s rural character and overall quality of life. “We already have a good master plan and what you have here will improve it,” Gil Bogley said.

Ann Bogley said one change she would like to see is specific wording in the new plan that curtails having the township’s sewer system spurring development. She would also like to see the township require septic tank inspections on all properties within its jurisdiction when the properties change owners.

Commission member Keith Ashley said he was concerned about how much more area in the proposed Lake Leelanau Village Mixed-Use portion of the master plan is set aside for commercial use, as compared to the proposed Leland Village Mixed-Use.

Member Richard Plamondon said that was done in response to the 2005 township resident survey in which a majority of Lake Leelanau's residents said they want more commercial space in the village. “They want businesses in Lake Leelanau,” he said.

In other business conducted after the public hearing, the commission:

• Approved amending the site plan for the Provemont Village development to allow developer Wayne Tyge to have garages for each of the project’s 22 condominium units, and restore the existing boat house on the narrows shoreline. The approval will become part of Provemont’s master deed, which Tyge plans to file sometime next week.