What is Land Use Regulation?
Canton Township receives its authority to regulate land development from the State of Michigan. Townships are statutory creatures and have only limited powers. Townships are granted, by the State, specific powers through the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act. The Michigan law authorizes the townships to provide zoning ordinances for the regulation of the use of the land and structures. These ordinances must be reasonable in nature. There are limited tools provided by the State of Michigan to control growth. Community zoning and planning is the most effective method to control both growth and development. Since the historic 1926 United States Supreme Court decision of Euclid v Ambler Realty Co., it has been held that zoning ordinances do not, in principle, offend the United States Constitution. Courts have held that the power to regulate human conduct and promote public welfare through zoning ordinances is a valid exercise of police power when the communities have been authorized to enact su
