Pontiac Approves Draft Master Plan, Enters Public Comment Period Before Final Approval
(City of Pontiac, Feb 5, 2025)
Pontiac, MI – Pontiac City Council members adopted a resolution at the Tuesday, February 4, 2025, meeting approving the Draft Master Plan, which begins the minimum 63-day public input process.
City officials hired McKenna and Associates in June 2024 through a Request for Proposal (RFP) process to facilitate the Master Plan Process for the community. The public process began in July with a Key Stakeholder Group and three subcommittees (Residential, Commercial, and Downtown). Additionally, six (6) Public Engagement Sessions were held throughout the City—20 Pop-Ups were conducted where staff and/or consultants discussed or advertised the planning process, and 3 virtual webinars were held to keep the community apprised of the process.
Many of these sessions were held to engage with residents and listen to feedback on topics like vision, neighborhoods, services, and commercial corridors. The City encouraged this feedback so the plan would truly be the City’s Plan, based on consensus from all interested stakeholders in creating the best long-term vision of the City.
“The master plan is our community’s blueprint for what Pontiac residents want in their city. It includes everything from land use to workforce development and from transportation to housing,” said Mayor Tim Greimel. “I want to thank the many hundreds of community members who attended townhalls and listening sessions and provided feedback through surveys. Residents will have continued opportunities to provide feedback on the draft master plan over the next couple months.”
The City of Pontiac last adopted a Master Plan in 2014. While the State recommends Master Plans be reviewed every five (5) years, this is an entirely new plan that adopts fresh strategies to move the City forward. The plan is meant to be foundational, attainable, and respectful so the City can build upon this document through future planning and strategic efforts.
The Plan’s goals target seven main areas:
· Future Land Use
· Housing and Neighborhoods
· Development & Redevelopment
· Historic Preservation
· Downtown & Commercial Corridors
· Future Transportation
· Workforce Development
Each goal in the plan contains analysis, survey results, and recommendations for objectives and action items to achieve the metrics.
The City partnered with several organizations during this process including the Pontiac School District which hosted a Town Hall in September and also Oakland County which provided Geographic Information (GIS) Services for the entire process. And, thanks to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the City was able utilize funding through the State’s Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) program.
The Draft Master Plan is available at visionpontiac.com, and feedback will be received by April 8, 2025. In May, a Final Master Plan will be presented to the Planning Commission during a public hearing where the community can provide feedback. The Commission will then present a recommendation to the City Council, which is the adopting body for the Plan.
