The Dorr Township Planning Commission listened to three presentations Tuesday night for professional planning services in updating the master plan.
Chris Khori from McKenna, Andy Moore from Williams & Works and Kirk Scharphorn Jr. from Professional Code Inspections (PCI) outlined just what they would do to bring the master plan, last updated in 2007, up to speed to better handle changing conditions. The estimated price tags were a flat fee of $12,000 from McKenna, between $9,000 and $13,000 from Williams & Works and $75 per hour from PCI.
McKenna
Khori defined a master plan as “a consensus community vision on which the township will moeve forward.” He added, “Given your proximity to other communities, you are going to grow.”
He told the Planning Commission the process likely would take about a year.
Khori said McKenna is the largest planning firm in Michigan and “We bring you a lot of experience.”
Williams & Works
Moore, who is planner for neighboring Leighton Township, said Williams & Works has had a lot of experience and in the past served as engineer for many Dorr Township projects.
He called a master plan, “A statement of policy for township zoning, a framework for growth.”
He said he and his firm would handle the tasks in five phases — a kickoff, data development and analysis, public input, draft the plan, plan review, and finalization and adoption. Moore agreed the process likely would take about a year.
Professional Code Inspections
Scharphorn acknowledged that PCI, which is based in Dorr, has a long history with zoning enforcement services and only recently has gotten into offering planning services.
“We can do all that,” he said in reference to what was offered by McKenna and Williams & Works. “And nobody knows this township as well as we do.”
Suggesting it will take between 12 and 18 months to get the job done, Scharphorn said, “We’re qualified to do this.”
His cost estimate was $75 per hour.
In an unusual twist, he had high praise for Moore and Williams & Works, which used him for a recommendation.
Planning Commission Chairman Bob Wagner said he and his colleagues needed time to review the proposals and promised they will make a recommendation at its next regular meeting Aug. 20.