A. A Planned Unit Development District consists of an area of land that is zoned, developed, operated and maintained as a single planned development under the terms of a Township-approved plan and ordinance for residential, commercial, recreational, industrial or mixed land uses, approved in accordance with the procedures and standards of this chapter and the requirements of the chapter pertaining to the applicable type of planned unit development.
B. A Planned Unit Development District is intended to foster more innovative or creative land use and development than might otherwise be achieved under the terms of the other available zone districts.
C. Among the objectives of a Planned Unit Development District are the following:
1. To encourage innovation and creativity in the planning, development and use of land.
2. To encourage the use of lands in accordance with a plan which is consistent with their general character and suitability.
3. To promote the preservation of natural resources and natural features.
4. To encourage the efficient use of land by establishing economic and convenient arrangements for buildings, streets, public services and other land use features.
Act No. 177 of the Public Acts of Michigan of 2001 ("Act 177") requires that zoned townships having a population of 1,800 or more and having undeveloped land zoned for residential development must adopt provisions in their zoning ordinances known as "open space preservation" provisions. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of Act 177, the provisions of this article are intended to permit land, satisfying specified criteria, to be developed, at the option of the landowner, with the same number of dwellings otherwise permitted under existing ordinances, laws and rules on the entire land area; but on a portion of the land, not exceeding 50%, while preserving the remaining land, at least 50%, as permanent open space.
A. Qualifying conditions. Land may be developed under the provisions of this subsection, at the option of the landowner, if all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) The land shall be zoned RR Rural Residential/Agricultural or R-1 Low Density Residential;
(2) The zoning district in which the land is located shall permit development at a density equivalent to two or fewer dwelling units per acre, if the land is not served by a public sewer system; or shall permit development at a density equivalent to three or fewer dwelling units per acre, if the land is served by a public sanitary sewer system;
(3) The development of land under this article shall not depend upon the extension of a public sanitary sewer or a public water supply system to the land, unless the development of the land without the exercise of the clustering option provided by this article would also depend on such extension; and
(4) The open space preservation option provided shall not have previously been exercised with respect to the same land.
B. Permitted uses. Only those land uses permitted by the zoning district in which the land is located shall be permitted on land developed or used pursuant to the provisions of this article.
