For almost all of its history, Banks Township in Antrim County had no zoning ordinance or zoning map. That changed in 2000, but an ongoing debate may return the township to the way things were.

The purpose of zoning, as stated by the township, is to meet the core needs of residents, ensure appropriate land use, limit overcrowding and congestion, facilitate government services and promote public health, safety and welfare. 

But since 2000, the community has lost significant population — almost 9% from when it stood at just over 1,800 residents. And housing prices in the area are quite pricey.  Strict zoning rules are strongly correlated with higher housing costs and lower population.

This combination of population loss and increased housing prices suggests that the zoning ordinance has not been effective at helping the community grow. And of course, zoning infringes on private property rights. For these reasons, a fight has arisen, with some residents and township officials pushing to scrap the zoning ordinance.

The benefits of zoning are overblown. The key argument from the county and zoning supporters is that it protects the environment. But stringent state and federal laws already apply, and zoning is not effective at environmental protection. Unzoned communities — including some near Banks Township — are capable of managing waste, sewage and traffic. A few members of a township board should not be determining what kind of land use is “appropriate” for every member of the community. 

Zoning is a type of central planning. It may be loose or strict, depending on the planning officials, but it still has all the detriments of central planning. That is, a small group of people aren’t very good at understanding all of the ongoing trade-offs, changes and individual decisions that make a community.  

Most of the growth and development of Michigan’s communities came before zoning took hold. Factories, farms, fuel sources and housing developed naturally and in places where they made sense. As municipalities imposed zoning — often to “keep the character” of communities — they made things worse. Housing prices skyrocket, development stagnates and tourism suffers. These unintended consequences have made communities worse than they would have been.  

Across Michigan and the United States, many small towns, rural counties and even large cities have minimal zoning, or even none. They do a better job adjusting and changing naturally based on what the community wants. Heavily zoned communities end up stuck in time or on a path of managed decline.  

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