PLANNING AND ZONING QUICK LINKS
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Planning & Zoning Process
Zoning controls how land in Cascade Charter Township can be used and developed. The Township is divided into districts, each with its own rules on allowed uses and standards such as setbacks, building height, and lot coverage. Guided by the Master Plan, the Zoning Ordinance turns the Township’s long-term vision into specific district boundaries and development rules. These regulations preserve the character of rural, residential, and commercial areas, protect property values and natural features, and ensure new development fits its surroundings.
Most new Industrial and Commercial projects, along with some residential projects requiring a special use permit, are reviewed through the planning process shown below. It begins with a free Pre Application Conference with Township Planning Staff. To request a Pre Application Conference, submit this Pre-Application Conference form to ngovan@casadetwp.com along with the required documents. Once a complete application is received, there is a 45-day Staff Review before the application goes to the Planning Commission and then the Township Board.
Meeting Schedule: Zoning Board of Appeals & Planning Commission
Planning Commission meetings are held at 6:00pm on the first and third Monday of the month.
Zoning Board of Appeals meetings are held at 5:30pm on Tuesdays on an as needed basis.
Both meetings are held at the Cascade Library Wisner Center located at 2870 Jacksmith Ave SE.
2026 Planning Commission And Zoning Board of Appeals Schedules And Deadline Dates
Overlay & Village Districts
An overlay district is an additional layer of zoning regulations that applies on top of a property’s base zoning district. While the base district sets the primary rules for how land can be used, an overlay adds extra standards or allowances for a specific area with unique characteristics, such as a corridor, natural feature, or area of special interest. Properties in an overlay district must follow both sets of rules, and where the two conflict, the overlay’s requirements generally take precedence.
Overlay districts help the Township address particular goals, like improving the appearance of major roads, maintaining a cohesive style for an area, or encouraging a certain type of development, without changing the underlying zoning.
Community Master Plan
The Township updated the Community Master Plan in 2024. This document guides the vision and direction of Cascade’s land use and development. We heard from you during the development and adoption of the Township’s most recent Strategic Plan, and the Master Plan reflects the voice of the community. This long-term guide focuses on land preservation; revitalization of the village core; proper land use; and smart development that will maintain Cascade's distinctiveness.
Background
Cascade’s previous plan was created in 2019 and left some residential areas and open spaces vulnerable to development pressure, lacked preservation standards and ignored the standards desired in the Village area.
The 2019 plan encouraged growth that could have drastically changed Cascade – particularly the neighborhoods and open spaces immediately south and east of the airport. Protecting and buffering that part of Cascade is a crucial component of this process. The current plan addresses the vision and direction for the Township’s core – "The Village" – centered around the Thornapple River, Cascade Road and 28th Street.
View the 2024 Master Plan |
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