it’s a very quiet community and we want to keep it that way,” Township Supervisor Rick Stathakis stresses.“If there were two words to describe Shelby Township, I would say stability and dependability.” He mentions the excellence of the township’s police and fire, and the high quality of life that keeps improving. In addition, Shelby Township is affordable for residents and businesses. Since 2008, the tax millage has remained unchanged at 9.2999. Water rates have not increased for four years, and investment in roads and other infrastructure is ongoing. A VISION FOR A DOWNTOWN AND BEYOND Although Shelby Township lacks a defined downtown, an effort is underway through the DDA (Downtown Development Authority) to create a central hub in the community. “Our zoning ordinance and master plan have the 24 Mile and Van Dyke area identified as the Shelby Downtown District,” explains Planning, Building and Development Director Julijana Rasawehr. “It’s in the preliminary stages. But we are trying to create a place for the residents to be able to come in and enjoy all the amenities that we have here and expand that into a bustling downtown district.” The Van Dyke corridor is the township’s economic heart,evidenced by the few,if any,vacancies along the route. Through the DDA, Shelby Township supports beautification, infrastructure upgrades, and façade improvements to keep the area vibrant. “Our DDA district extends from the southern limits of Shelby Township all the way to the north limits of Shelby Township, about six miles.” expands Rasawehr. Over the years, the Van Dyke corridor has seen significant improvement and redevelopment. Stathakis notes, “15 years ago we used to have a hodgepodge of businesses on Van Dyke. Over time it has consistently gotten better in that we no longer have welding shops next to restaurants or singlefamily homes where they don’t belong.”The northern part of the township, between 24 Mile and 26 Mile is another focus. “We still have considerable infill parcels up and 207 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 06 SHELBY TOWNSHIP, MI
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