Meeting Set for New Village Vision

A newly developed vision for the village area of Hartland Township that hopes to enhance its unique "sense of place" will be outlined during a 7 p.m. meeting today at the .

Township officials and a subcommittee that created the plan also will be seeking input from residents of the area. The meeting is open to the public.

The plan, which already has been presented to the Planning Commission and the Township Board, features ideas on how to improve walkways along Avon Street — its main thoroughfare — and establishing a form-based zoning that focuses on flexibility within specific guidelines.

In addition, the plan prioritizes:

• improving and maintaining the village's character.
• consistent property maintenance.
• creating a unified look.
• defining public areas.
• providing signage.
• creating character defining features.
• changing the culture.

Advocates hope to secure grants to help fund improvements, which would help fix damaged sidewalks and areas that collect standing water. Other ideas including adding more trees, new light fixtures and burying utility lines.

"If we could just find the funding and they've got a 100 different avenues they're looking at — that would rejuvenate the downtown," said Tom Parshall, a member of the subcommittee that put together the plan.

First settled in the mid-1800s, the village area offers several of Hartland's signature cultural anchors in the music hall, the and the Florence B. Dearing Museum that focuses on Hartland area history.

For more on the plan, click here.