Downtown development and historic preservation key components of 2018 Richmond master plan

City officials collaborate with Macomb County Planning and Economic Development on document

Richmond officials have announced the approval of a new master plan for the city. The document, prepared in a collaborative effort with the Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development, was written over a period of 36 months that included public hearings and visioning workshops with residents, community leaders and officials from neighboring cities. "The city of Richmond is proud to have a new master plan document that will serve as an important driver of growth for the next five years," said Jon Moore, city manager for Richmond. "We are grateful for the assistance that the Macomb County Planning and Economic Development Department staff provided during the master plan process."

The Richmond master plan provides a comprehensive view of the city as it exists today by providing details on population, housing, land use, economic conditions, transportation, natural resources and community facilities. By analyzing these issues, the planners that built the document were able to prescribe solutions for problems and offer guidance for future growth and development.

For instance, a major feature of the plan involved Richmond's downtown. Vision sessions with residents had clearly indicated the importance of this area. In surveys, they praised the available shopping services, tree-lined streets and walkability along Main Street and suggested that downtown development and neighborhood retail/service uses should be encouraged. However, residents also believed that the volume of traffic and insufficient planning for historic preservation were negatively impacting the area and they were concerned with a loss of open space in the city due to the growing amount of subdivisions. Based on this feedback, the master plan outlines how traditional traits of the city can be increased while growing the downtown core. This can be accomplished through preserving Richmond's heritage, investigating and improving traffic issues, reusing existing buildings and empty sites along Main Street and boosting usage of the city's business district.

"Richmond has a unique history and residents that love and embrace its character and charm," said John Paul Rea, director of Macomb County Planning and Economic Development. "Those are all important things to consider when developing a new master plan and details that we took very seriously while building this updated document. I am proud of our collaborative effort with Richmond and I hope that the new plan will help the city continue its growth while maintaining its rich heritage."

Michigan law requires local governments to assess their master plan every five years. The city of Richmond undertook this process in July 2015. The final plan document can be viewed in its entirety here.