County Plans

County Plans

 County Plans

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County Master Plan (Approved October 2018)

2018 County Master Plan Approved Final

Individual Master Plan Chapters Page

For optimal use of the document and the vast number of hyperlinks contained within the document, please download and save document to your personal computer or similar device. Doing so will allow the user to clink on a hyperlink within the document, which will then open in a separate browser window, thus allowing the user save their place within the original document.

A master plan is a blueprint for the future. The plan looks at the current state of a unit of government, where it has been, and where it would like to go in the future. That unit of government, whether local, county, or regional, uses the plan to guide decisions affecting land use, such as infrastructure improvements or the preservation of open space, to name two of many.  Preparing a master plan is always a lengthy process requiring input and information from many people, groups, and sources.

The Livingston County Master Plan is a web-based plan that contains many web links of current Planning Trends and provides numerous Best Practices examples from local municipalities, our region, our State and throughout the US, and is intended to be used by local cities, villages and townships during the formation or revision of their own plans, maps, and ordinances. To be fully effective, this plan must be viewed and utilized digitally, although the plan can be downloaded and printed by the user. Any information found in the Livingston County Master Plan is meant to be duplicated in local planning and zoning documents.

Parkscover2.jpg2023-2027 County Parks & Open Space Plan

2023 - 2027 Livingston County Parks and Open Space Plan.pdf

The Livingston County Parks and Open Space Advisory Committee in partnership with the Livingston Planning Department has drafted an update to Livingston County’s current 5 yr. parks and open space plan.

The purpose of this plan is to guide the parks, open space and recreation decision-making of Livingston County government over the next five years. This plan follows the format required by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.


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2020-2021 Livingston County Trails Plan

Livingston County Trails Plan document

Livingston County Trails Plan map

The development of this plan was led by Livingston County.

The need for a Livingston County Trail Plan was identified by LivON: Livingston County Outdoor Network.

Funding for this project was provided, in part, through the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments, Planning Assistance Program for Multi-Community Planning

This group, LivON, is comprised of Livingston County park providers, recreation clubs, conservationists, and Livingston County Township Supervisors, Village Presidents and City Mayors/Managers of each of the twenty local units of government. It is chaired by the Supervisor of Putnam Township and is facilitated by (3) three entities: Livingston County Planning Department; Huron-Clinton Metroparks; and two (2) DNR staff with offices in Livingston County at Island Lake Recreation Area and Brighton State Park. The impetus for this project concept is the current construction and completion of the Mike Levine Lakelands Trail through Green Oak Township and its connection to Island Lake Recreation Area and the Huron Valley Trail in Oakland County as Route #1 of the Great Lake-to-Lake Trails. With the completion of this State of Michigan trailway in mind, LivON members expressed a desire to improve trail connections throughout Livingston County and to better connect secondary trails into the primary Great Lake-to-Lake Trail.


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2022 Livingston County High Quality Natural Areas Assessment

Livingston County High Quality Natural Areas Assessment

Link: High Quality Natural Areas Interactive Map

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In 2004, the Livingston County Planning Department published the document entitled: “Livingston County’s High-Quality Natural Areas”. This publication was the initial version of this assessment. This resource tool has been used by the local units of government in Livingston County in developing Master Plans, and including local communities adding natural features language in their local zoning ordinances. These prioritized land areas are utilized in each of the Livingston County Planning Department's review of township zoning amendments and rezoning cases that come before the Livingston County Planning Commission for review and recommendation.

In 2020, Livingston County Planning Department staff decided to revise and update the original document as considerable development activity had occurred in the County during the 17-year time period. this document is the result of this process.

This report documents the natural feature characteristics of the County, identifies the County’s High-Quality Natural Areas, describes the criteria that Livingston County Planning and Geographic Information Systems Department Staff developed to prioritize the County’s High-Quality Natural Areas, analyzes the results of the prioritization, and lastly presents a number of personal behavior modifications and policy tools that can be used to protect the County’s High-Quality Natural Areas.

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2023-2028 County Capital Improvement Plan

2023-2028 Capital Improvement Plan

Livingston County’s Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) is a planning tool, with a goal to identify and schedule capital improvements annually over a six-year period. The CIP helps track multi-year projects that may require planning, design, land acquisition and construction. The projects identified in the CIP represent the Livingston County’s plan to serve residents and anticipate the needs of a growing and dynamic community.

The general characteristics of capital items for county budgeting/programming purposes are:

a) Large in size
b) Proportionally large in cost (in excess of $50,000)
d) Lengthy in duration (useful life greater than three years)






Transit Master Plan cover page  2019 County Transit Master Plan

2019 County Transit Master Plan

The Livingston County Transit Master Plan is the product of an extensive study of the County's public transportation infrastructure. The Plan presents a set of actions that may be taken in the short, mid, and long term to improve the existing transit system and offer new mobility options for residents and visitors, as well as funding and governance options to achieve their implementation.












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2022 County Hazard Mitigation Plan

2022 Hazard Mitigation Plan

The Hazard Mitigation Plan is a compilation of natural hazards, vulnerabilities, historical events and mitigation strategies specific to Livingston County, Michigan.

This FEMA-approved plan was created through a collaborative effort between county agencies and local jurisdictions. It is intended for review by the public, local jurisdictions, private business, government entities, and others with an interest in Livingston County. The overview of natural hazards, historical events, and mitigation strategies are meant to inspire responsible community planning. It will allow citizens and businesses insight as to what Livingston County recognizes as potential hazards, and give them an opportunity to plan in advance for emergency events. Special thanks to the Livingston County Planning Department, Information and Technology GIS, Drain Commissioner's Office, Health Department, and Emergency Management Department for their efforts to develop and publish this plan.