A public hearing has been set next month for the long-awaited new Elmwood Township Zoning Ordinance, although two Planning Commission members who helped write it may be in the audience.

Elmwood planner Bill Swanson said some final “tweaking” of the 11⁄2-inch thick document was reviewed Tuesday by members of the Planning Commission. An afternoon and evening open house has been set for Tuesday, Jan. 15, at the township hall, followed by a public hearing on Jan. 22.

“It looks like we’re closing in on the final draft,” said Swanson. Clerk Connie Preston was expected to post the proposed ordinance on the township web site.

Some changes are evident in the ordinance, although most zoning regulations will be retained from the present document, Swanson said. The minimum lot size in the renamed Agriculture-Rural district will remain at 5 acres.

A “Low Density Residential” district will allow one home per 21⁄2 acres in areas not serviced by public water and sewer systems. The minimum lot size is reduced to 1 acre where those utilities are available.

Few changes were made in other residential districts, Swanson said, even through the present R-1 and R-2 districts were combined into a “Medium Density Residential” district. R-1 and R-2 districts now have a minimum lot size of 12,500 square feet, with duplexes allowed in the R-2 District on lots with at least 25,000 square feet. The Medium Density district will continue the 12,500 square feet minimum size per unit, and allow duplexes.

One unit will be allowed per 6,250 square feet in the High Density district, which comes to about six units per acre.

The proposed ordinance has been in the works “forever,” as described by Swanson, starting with a referendum in a township-wide election of a revamped ordinance approved by a previous board in 2003. Former planning consultant Gourdie Fraser and Associates was working with a former planning commission to update that ordinance when a new township board, which included current supervisor Derith Smith, came on board in December 2004.

Smith obtained an opinion from the township attorney that Planning Commission members were appointed to terms that did not meet state requirements, beginning a months-long process to seat a new commission.

Several times, former planning commission chair Jack Kelly said a new ordinance was close to being finalized only to be set back by delays. He did not seek reappointment in June.

Only now have present planning consultant Val Lazdin, Swanson and commissioners put their stamps of approval on a document that will soon be released for a public hearing.

The hearing will likely come after the township Planning Commission’s budget is slashed by the Township Board, which recommended at a special meeting held Nov. 27 that the Planning Commission be reduced from 7 to 5 members to save money. The board authorized the township attorney to provide options on how best to reduce the commission's membership.

Already planned was a reduction in funding for meetings. Township planners now meet twice monthly; clerk Preston said funding was only provided for 18 meetings in the proposed 2008 budget.

The difference between 2007 and 2008 spending by the Planning Commission might be significant, although the new budget is not expected to be finalized until at least the Township Board’s Dec. 11 meeting.

The original 2007 budget for planners allocated $37,100, although expenses had already topped $60,000 through November. The 2008 budget will likely project about $34,000 in spending, Preston estimated.

Wages paid to all Planning Commission members will likely be budgeted at about $6,000 in 2008, compared to the 2007 budget of $9,000.

But the biggest savings would come in less expense to consultant Lazdin, who was hired to help the commission write a new zoning ordinance and to address more immediate changes needed in the present ordinance. “Planning services” was budgeted at $10,000 in 2007, and will likely be budgeted at the same amount in 2008. But actual expenses have totaled $29,998 through the present year, after reaching $55,811 in 2006.

Legal fees have likewise driven up expenses assigned to the Planning Commission.

Although also budgeted at $10,000 in 2007 and expected to be budgeted at the same level in 2008, actual expenses were at $16,251 through November for 2007 and finished at $25,639 in 2006.

Swanson said he understands the need to keep expenses for the Planning Commission under control, and believes a downturn in zoning-related activity and completion of a new Zoning Ordinance will help.

“There is no doubt we’re going into hard times,” he said.