BOARD OF TRUSTEES

GENOA CHARTER TOWNSHIP, LIVINGSTON COUNTY, MICHIGAN

NOTICE OF PROPOSED ZONING TEXT AMENDMENT

MAY 5th, 2025

ORDINANCE #Z-25-05 

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION 7.02 SCHEDULE OF COMMERCIAL USES, SECTION 7.02.02 PERMITTED AND SPECIAL LAND USES, SECTION 14.06 OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE DESIGN STANDANDS AND SETBACK REQUIREMENTS AND 18.07.09 TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY.

Pursuant to Michigan Public Act 110 of 2006, (the Zoning Enabling Act) and Michigan Public Act 359 of 1947, (the Charter Township Act), notice is hereby given that the Genoa Charter Township Board of Trustees has introduced and will be considering an ordinance addressing amendments to Zoning Ordinance Section 7.02 Schedule of Commercial Uses and Section 7.02.02 Permitted and Special Land Uses within Article 7 entitled Commercial and Service District”, Section 14.06 Off-Street Parking Space Design Standards and Setback Requirements within Article 14 entitled “Parking and Loading-Unloading Standards and Article 18.07.09 Traffic Impact Study within Article 18 entitled “Site Plan Review” as related to Drive-Through Restaurants. Consideration of said amendment is scheduled for the Board meeting on Monday, May 5, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. The meeting is planned to be held at the Township Hall located at 2911 Dorr Road, Brighton, Michigan 48116.  The complete text of the proposed ordinance is available on the website or at the Township Office during regular business hours.    

Genoa Charter Township will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services to individuals with disabilities at the meeting/hearing upon seven (7) days’ notice to the Township. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the Township in writing or by calling at (810) 227-5225. 

ORDINANCE #Z-25-05

AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ZONING ORDINANCE SECTION 7.02 SCHEDULE OF COMMERCIAL USES AND SECTION 7.02.02 PERMITTED AND SPECIAL LAND USES WITHIN ARTICLE 7 ENTITLED “COMMERCIAL AND SERVICE DISTRICT”. SECTION 14.06 OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE DESIGN STANDANDS AND SETBACK REQUIREMENTS WITHIN ARTICLE 14 ENTITLED “PARKING AND LOADING-UNLOADING STANDARDS AND ARTICLE 18.07.09 TRAFFIC IMPACT STUDY WITHIN ARTICLE 18 ENTITLED “SITE PLAN REVIEW”

THE TOWNSHIP OF GENOA ORDAINS:

SECTION 1:   SHORT TITLE:   This Ordinance shall be known as the “2025 Amendment to Zoning Ordinance Article 7 entitled Commercial and Service Districts”, Article 14 entitled “Parking and Loading-Unloading Standards”, and Article 18 entitled “Site Plan Review”.

SECTION 2:  SUMMARY OF ORDINANCE:  Pursuant to the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (P.A. 110 of 2006), notice is hereby given that an ordinance to amend the Zoning Ordinance regulating the development and use of land in Genoa Charter Township has been adopted by the Township Board on _______, 2025.  The Board conducted the second reading and approved Ordinance #Z-25-05 to adopt the ordinance and amend the Zoning Ordinance of the Charter Township of Genoa by amending Article 7 Commercial and Service Districts, Article 14 Parking and Loading-Unloading Standards and Article 18 Site Plan Review.  The following provides a summary of the regulatory effect of the ordinance. 

Table 7.02 Schedule of Commercial Uses

7.02.02(i)

Drive-through restaurants

7.02.02 Use Conditions:  Uses noted above shall only be allowed where the following requirements are complied with:

(j)         Restaurants or coffee shops with drive-in or drive-through facilities shall comply with the following requirements:

(1)        Principal and accessory buildings shall be setback a minimum of fifty (50) feet from any adjacent public right of way line or property line.

(2)        The establishment of a new drive-through, excluding a drive-in restaurant, shall require the lot be separated a minimum of five hundred (500) feet from any other lot containing a drive-through restaurant.  The Planning Commission may waive this requirement for uses with vehicular access to an internal service drive (and not directly to/from the main roadway), where access to the main roadway is via a shared driveway or signalized intersection, or where the use is expected to generate 50 directional or fewer trips during the a.m. or p.m. peak hour.

(3)        Only one (1) access shall be provided onto any street.

(4)        Such restaurants uses constructed adjacent to other commercial developments shall have a direct vehicular access connection (cross-site access) where possible.

(5)        Where the property abuts a residential land use or zoning district, the site plan shall comply with the applicable landscaping and lighting regulations of Article 12 of the Township Zoning Ordinance.  Additionally, the applicant shall provide a sound study demonstrating compliance with the Township Noise Ordinance (Ordinance #011203).  

(6)        Clear identification and delineation between the drive-through lane and parking lot shall be provided.

(7)        Each drive-through shall provide an escape lane to allow other vehicles to pass those waiting to be served.  The Planning Commission may waive the requirement for an escape lane where it can be demonstrated that such a waiver will not result in an adverse effect on public safety or the convenience of patrons of the facility.

(8)        The drive-through lane and window shall be located on the side or rear elevation of the building to minimize visibility from the public or private roadway.  The Planning Commission may allow a drive-through lane and window in a front yard of a corner lot, provided it is located in the front yard of the secondary street and the greenbelt requirements of Section 12.02.01 of the Township Zoning Ordinance are met.  The Commission may also require additional landscaping/screening of the drive-through lane and window, if deemed necessary.

Sec. 14.06 OFF-STREET PARKING SPACE DESIGN STANDARDS AND SETBACK REQUIREMENTS

14.06.05           Stacking Spaces. Businesses that provide drive-through facilities are required to provide spaces for vehicles waiting in line. The Planning Commission shall have the discretion to increase or decrease the number of stacking spaces required by Section 14.04 above.  Use of such discretion shall be based on data contained in the traffic study or data provided by an applicant or collected by Township staff. Required stacking spaces shall be a minimum nine ten (910) feet wide and twenty (20) feet in length with direct forward access to a service window of a drive-through facility. A stacking space shall be located to prevent any vehicles from extending onto the public right-of-way, or interfering with any pedestrian circulation, traffic maneuvering, or other parking space areas. Stacking spaces for drive-through or drive-in uses may not be counted as required parking spaces.

18.07.09 Traffic Impact Study.

(c)        The contents of the traffic impact study shall include:

(7)        Forecasted trip generation of the proposed use for the a.m. (if applicable) and p.m. peak hour and average day. The forecasts shall be based on the data and procedures outlined in the most recent edition of Trip Generation published by the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE). The applicant may use other commonly accepted sources of data or supplement the standard data with data from at least three (3) similar projects in Michigan, including actual trip generation data (a.m. and p.m. peak hour and average day, in the form of actual hourly directional driveway counts, hourly transaction data, or other method deemed acceptable by the Township) for local or national chains and franchises. The Township may require inclusion of actual data for local or national chains and franchises in the study.

SECTION 3:   REPEALOR:  All ordinances or parts of Ordinances in conflict herewith are repealed.

SECTION 4:   SEVERABILITY:  Should any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause, or word of this Ordinance be held invalid for any reason, such decisions shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of the Ordinance.

SECTION 5:   SAVINGS:  This amendatory ordinance shall not affect violations of the Zoning Ordinance or any other ordinance existing prior to the effective date of this Ordinance and such violation shall be governed and shall continue to be separate punishable to the full extent of the law under the provisions of such ordnance at the time the violation was committed. 

SECTION 6:   EFFECTIVE DATE:  These ordinance amendments were adopted by the Genoa Charter Township Board of Trustees at the regular meeting held ________, 2025 and ordered to be given publication in the manner required by law.  This ordinance shall be effective seven days after publication. 

Our Spring Yard Waste Collection program has been scheduled for the following dates at the Genoa Charter Township Hall from 8 am to 11 am:

Saturday May 3
Saturday June 7

Residents may bring their yard waste to the Township Hall Parking lot. Branches and similar materials must be in 3 foot long bundles.

Please no plastic bags.

More information can be found on our Refuse & Recycling page.

Our new boardroom cameras are up & running!

Subscribe to the Genoa Township Public Channel today to see all of our Board of Trustees and Planning Commission meetings.

We’d still love to see you in person, and if you’d like to participate you’ll have to join us in person, but if you just want to see your local government in action anytime that’s convenient for you – Come check us out!

Livingston County Veteran Services (LCVS) offers a variety of programs and services to assist veterans and their families. LCVS employs nationally accredited Veteran Service Officers to assist veterans in filing for US Dept. of Veterans Affairs benefits. Honorably Discharged veterans registered with LCVS, and their spouse may utilize complimentary LCVS transportation to medical appointments within a 50-mile radius. To schedule a ride, call LETS at (517) 546-6600, select option 3 and mention veteran status. LCVS offers Honorably Discharged veterans who are less fortunate several assistance programs provided by Emergency Relief funds, such as:

• $200 food and toiletry voucher plus an additional $50 for each child in the household,
• $200 clothing vouchers for their school-aged children up to age 18,
• $50 Speedway fuel only cards; and
• Dental assistance of up to $1,000 via LCVS partnership with VINA Dental.

Call (517) 546-6338 to set up an appointment and qualify for these programs.

LIVINGSTON COUNTY RECYCLING EVENTS:

Household Hazardous Waste Drop Off Events (HHW)

Saturday May 3, 2025 - Register at this link
Saturday July 13, 2025 - Signups begin 4 weeks prior to the event
Saturday September 13, 2025 - Signups begin 4 weeks prior to the event

Location of each event will be sent with confirmations. 

If you don’t get a confirmation within 48 hours please email us at solidwaste@livgov.com including name address and email used for the sign up.

IN THE EVENT THAT A SIGN UP IS FULL - Try again every few days as people sign up and cancel regularly and spots will be added weekly.  Generally, the last week before the event there are also a good amount of cancellations.

These events provide a free and convenient opportunity for residents to safely eliminate unwanted hazardous materials from their home, workshop and garage. 

Click on the following link for Accepted Items: HHW Acceptable Items List.  Acceptable Materials List will also be emailed with the online confirmation. 

 Items can only be dropped off on event days and only with a REQUIRED APPOINTMENT. 

We are thrilled to share some exciting news with you – Genoa Township is stepping into the future of citizen engagement with a brand-new mobile app!

The app is a great source of information for news, events, updates, and important links to the website. The app is available for download in the Apple App and Google Play online stores by searching for "MyGenoa".

Once you have the MyGenoa app, you can create an account to customize your settings and tailor what kind of communications you wan to receive from the Township.

To subscribe to the MyGenoa notifications by email only, just click on this link: https://app.govoutreach.com/genoatownshipmi/public/communications/subscribe

DATES: Police-June 19, 20, 23, 2025. Fire-June 24, 25, 26, 2025.
TIME: 8-3pm
CAMP LOCATIONS: Brighton City Police - 440 S. 3rd Street / Fire Station 34 - 2755 Dorr Road

Brighton Area Fire Authority and Brighton City Police Dept. are offering a wonderful summer 6 DAY CAMP opportunity to the youth (ages 14-18) of Livingston County. Campers can learn and experience what it takes to be a firefighter and/or police  officer. Camp activities will promote your development in leadership, teamwork and hopefully inspire you to become a Livingston County Firefighter and/or Police Officer.

For more information and registration, visit https://brightonareafire.com/2025/04/04/2023-brighton-first-responder-summer-youth-camp-2-2/

The Township Board approved the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Township Budget at their meeting on March 03, 2025.  The budget is for the fiscal year beginning April 1, 2025 and ending on March 31, 2026.   The approved budget is provided below.

Any comments or questions in regard to the budget can be directed to Township Supervisor, Kevin Spicher at supervisor@genoa.org. 

Approved April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2026 Budget

This is the fiscal year 25/26 Township Budget as approved by the Township Board on March 3, 2025.

Friday February 28, 2025 was the last day to pay 2024 Summer and Winter Property Taxes.

2024 Property Taxes became delinquent as of March 1, 2025. All payments must be made to the Livingston County Treasurer's Office.

Tax payments cannot be accepted at the Township or the County between March 1st and March 15th.

Please contact the County Treasurer's Office at 517 546-7010 after March 15th for a total amount due.

Thank you!

Join us in a special update of the 2023 Master Plan, intended to confirm the direction of long-term policies with potential refinements as appropriate.

On February 3, 2025, the Township Board approved the start of the update process. This timeline is roughly 10-12 months and meeting dates, along with opportunities for community participation, will be posted here soon!

The process will begin with updating data and meeting with the Planning Commission to discuss goals/objectives and understand conditions in the study area.

For more information, please visit the Genoa Township Master Plan update page at: https://engage.giffelswebster.com/genoa-township-master-plan-update

The Livingston Twilight Rotary has generously donated a Free Little Library for the use of patrons at the Genoa Township Playground. The Free Little Library is installed at the kiosk in the new Survivor Park and will be maintained by the Livingston Twilight Rotary.

New Little Free Library at the Township Survivor Playground

Genoa Township is giving out free radon testing kits. The testing kit and instructions are available at Township Hall. 

The naturally-occurring, tasteless, odorless and colorless gas comes from the natural, radioactive breakdown of uranium in soil, rock and water and gets into the air. It enters buildings through openings in  foundation floors or walls such as sump openings, crawlspaces, floor or wall joints and cracks. 

In Livingston County, approximately 40% of homes have elevated radon levels, according to information on the county's website from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. 

For more information on this program and on radon in general, please visit the Livingston County Health Department Radon page.

Genoa Charter Township is concerned a deadly disease known as oak wilt caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum is a threat to the Township's oak population. Improper tree trimming/removal practices may result in the establishment of oak wilt disease epicenters, which may lead to increased disease activity with devastating aesthetic and economic losses. It is therefore both advisable and prudent to attempt to prevent and control oak wilt.

The entire resolution can be found here

Oak Wilt Resolution

The Brighton Area Fire Authority is seeking residents living in Genoa Township, Brighton Township and the City of Brighton who are willing to serve their community as a Paid-On-Call Firefighter.

• No experience necessary, just the motivation to learn and serve
• All required training is provided and compensated
• Academy classes are held on evening/weekends

To apply, interested applicants can go to www.brightonareafire.com or in person at 615 W. Grand River, Brighton, MI 48116

Any questions please call the Brighton Area Fire Authority at 810 229-6640.

Brighton Area Fire Recruitment Advertisement