Pay your
taxes now,
online!
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Lake Township
Government
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Benzie County
Northwestern Lower
Michigan
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Normal Office Hours:
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Monday: 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
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Wednesday:
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
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Friday:
9:00 am to 12:00 pm
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Office entry is in the rear of the building.
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Lake Township is in the northwest
corner of Benzie County, in the
northwestern portion of Lower
Michigan.
The Lake Township Hall (see red
star on map at left) is located on
M-22 just east of the bridge
crossing the Platte River. We're
roughly 35 miles north of Manistee,
and 40 miles west of Traverse City.
Phone: 231-325-5202
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5153
Scenic Hwy (M-22)
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Honor,
MI, 49640
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UPCOMING
EVENTS: |
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Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2025 |
Lake Township Boards Budget Workshop
will be held at 10 AM at the township hall and is open to the public.
(Posted 1/24/2025) |
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March 2025 Board of Review Meeting
Schedule
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Lake Township organizational
meeting:
Tuesday, March 4th, 10 AM (Please note that appeals will not be
heard at this organizational meeting.)
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March Board of Review meets:
Tuesday, March 11th, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and
Wednesday, March 12th, from 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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The Board of Review will meet as many more days as deemed necessary to hear appeals.
Taxpayers or their agent must appeal in writing or in person prior to the close of
the last meeting. Appeal form 618/L-4035 is available at Michigan.gov or by contacting
the Lake Township Assessor via email or
at 231-325-5202.
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Mail appeals to: Lake Township, Attn: Board of Review, 5153 Scenic Drive, Honor,
MI 49640
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Americans With Disabilities (ADA) Notice: Lake Township will provide necessary reasonable
services to individuals with disabilities at the Board of Review meetings upon request.
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Addition Contacts:
Mary Pitcher, Secretary of Board of Review, email.
Penny Georgevich, Township
Clerk, email,
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County Tentative Ratios: Agricultural 44.98, Commercial 46.63, Residential 40.86
(Posted 2/07/2025) |
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ANNOUNCEMENTS: |
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The Lake Township Short-term Rental
Application is now available on our Documents and Forms
page in the "Forms" section at the top. Also, the Lake Township Short-term
Rental Ordinance 2023-001 is available on the same Documents and Forms page but in the "Non-Zoning Police Ordinances"
section at the bottom.
(Updated 11/20/2023) |
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County Recycling
Please see the county's Materials Management
(Recycling) page for information
on most types of recycling via Benzie County. For any other recycling questions,
contact the Benzie County Recycling Coordinator, at 231-882-0554, or via email.
(Updated 11/26/2024) |
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Master Plan Survey
Results. The Lake Township
Planning Commission is working on updating the Townships Master Plan. As
part of that process the Planning Commission conducted a survey of residents
via a Master Plan online survey. This provided the opportunity for folks to help
shape the goals and strategies that will guide Lake Township in the coming years.
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Here is the Summary
of the Results of the Survey,
as well as an Appendix
offering Detailed Write-In Comments.
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If needed, here is our current Master Plan for 2023 (which is also always available in our
Documents
& Forms page).
(Updated 11/26/2024) |
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Beginning May 7th 2025, under federal law,
Michigan residents will need to present a REAL ID-compliant document to fly
in the U.S. as well as enter a military base, nuclear power plant, and certain federal
facilities. Learn more about obtaining a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or state
ID from this
short article (which shows
the OLD deadline date) and also at this Web page
(Updated 2/05/2025) |
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ZONING REMINDER It has come
to the attention of the Township that some persons anticipating building small structures
such as storage sheds, well houses, etc. are assuming that no permits are required
for these structures because the State Construction Code does not require a Building
Permit for structures less than 200 square feet. (This standard was recently increased
from the previous 100 square feet.)
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The change in Building Permit requirements has no relationship to Township Zoning
Ordinance requirements. ALL STRUCTURES OF WHATEVER SIZE require a Land Use Permit
from the Township Zoning Administrator. The Land Use Permit is necessary to determine
and assure that the placement of any structure meet all zoning requirements, particularly
setback requirements. |
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AT THIS SITE: |
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Monthly township meetings dates
for 2025 are now on the Meetings
page.
(Updated 12/11/2024) |
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Planning Commission meeting dates
for the first quarter of 2025 are now on the Meetings
page.
(Updated 12/13/2024) |
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Keep an eye on our Park
page for updated information.
(Updated 5/17/2017) |
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For details about our monthly and
budget adoption meetings and the minutes from these, please see our Meetings page. |
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See our Documents and Forms page for common forms or documents you
may need as a visitor or resident of the Township. |
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About Us
As one of the least populated but heavily visited areas of Lower Michigan, we
greatly value our many natural resources. When you visit our area you are in a true
"year-round playground," Enjoy...
- skiing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing in the winter,
- mushroom hunting and trilliums in the spring,
- many miles of shoreline and waterways in the summer for swimming, kayaking, and
water sports,
- and salmon fishing, color tours, and hunting in the fall.
We work hard to maintain our undeveloped "up north" feel and preserve
the natural beauty of the area while striving to provide a stable economy and maintain
a high quality of life for all citizens.
Lake Township is also the gateway to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Approximately 10,865
acres of the Lakeshore and approximately 9.1 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline are
located within the boundaries of our Township. Within the Lakeshore there are many
hiking trails and other attractions. Purchase of a Lakeshore pass allows you to recreate
anywhere in this National Lakeshore.
When we talk about the Park on this site, we're referring
to our Lake Township Park the pride of the township, located
at the mouth of the Platte River at Lake Michigan. See the Park
page for more details.
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