By James Windell
The City of South Haven’s Master Plan is the city’s long‑range blueprint for how it should grow, develop, and invest over the next five to 20 years.
Not only is it a blueprint, but it also serves as a guide that determines how everything – from land use to infrastructure to community services – is to function.
The last Master Plan for the City was adopted by the City Council in 2018. The current revision of that Master Plan has been in the works for more than two years as it has gone back and forth from the Planning Commission to the City Council as changes and revisions were worked out.
The Michigan Planning Enabling Act, Public Act 33 of 2008, as amended, requires the Planning Commission to review the Master Plan every five years and determine whether to begin the process to adopt a new or updated plan. So, while the Master Plan for South Haven was comprehensively rewritten in 2018, the Planning Commission initiated a 2023 review in order to update the plan with a resilient, coastal community lens.
The Planning Commission sent a completed draft of the updated Master Plan to the City Council on April 21, 2025 and it was approved then for public distribution. In August, 2025, the City Council rejected the plan and adopted a statement of objections that was delivered to the Planning Commission. After a special meeting was held in January, 2026 to address the Council objections, the Planning Commission revised the Master Plan, held another public hearing, and again adopted a resolution approving the plan and recommending Council adoption of the plan. The City Council received a presentation about the updated Master Plan at the May 4, 2026 Committee of the Whole meeting, and voted to place the plan on the next regular City Council agenda for consideration of adoption.
At the May 18, 2026 council meeting, the City Council was asked by the City staff to consider approval of Resolution 2026-18, a resolution to adopt the 2026 Master Plan.
City Manager Kate Hosier expressed confidence that the revisions were correct, and she said she hoped the council was ready to pass the resolution to move the Master Plan to adoption.
An immediate motion was made by Councilwoman Mary Hosley to adopt Resolution 2026-18 adopting the 2026 updates to the City of South Haven Master Plan. The motion was supported. Mayor Annie Brown called for a voice vote and the Master Plan was approved.
Various council members thanked current and prior councilmembers, the Planning Commission, and the staff for addressing concerns raised in City Council objections. The Planning Commission’s special meeting on January 28, 2026, was cited as a thoughtful and dedicated discussion of the Master Plan and the objections raised by the City Council.
Council members emphasized it was time to approve the plan and highlighted positive elements for the next five years, including density objectives and erosion/coastline standards. Additional remarks noted the plan was the result of significant work and Councilman Tom Capps said that while the Master Plan is not perfect it was ready for approval.
The Master Plan, as well as previous Master Plans, can be found on the City of South Haven’s website in Official Documents.
