Community Profiles: Van Buren Charter Township

Website: http://www.vanburen-mi.org/

Van Buren Township is located on Wayne County’s western boundary and abuts Ypsilanti Township and Washtenaw County. A greater portion of Willow Run Airport lies within our political boundaries. The City of Belleville, while a separate and distinct municipality, is in the middle of the Township. Geographically Van Buren is right in the middle of the Aerotropolis Area.

Our involvement in the Aerotropolis Plan dates back to Van Buren’s study and publishing of our own Ecorse and Haggerty Road Corridor Plan in May of 2000. Commissioned originally to update the Township’s Master Plan, the EHRC Plan continues to be of value in matters of land use location/development and infrastructure improvements. The Plan was one of the major contributing factors in the decision by the Visteon Corporation to locate its Visteon Village in Van Buren.

Van Buren is a very active participant in the Aerotropolis Plan now and for the foreseeable future. We see the tremendous value in:

Developing airport-driven economic development opportunities on and around the land between and just beyond Detroit-Metro and Willow Run Airports;
Creating a zone with a new image designed to attract, construct and retain international investment and change the manner in which government reacts to opportunity;
Revitalizing the economic prosperity in the Metropolitan Detroit region;
Michigan’s highly trained workforce and world recognized institutions of higher education.
The need for speed and agility to successfully compete in the world marketplace;
Quality of life assets such as pedestrian ways, mass transit corridors;
Protection of natural features;
Utilization of efficient technology in information systems, high-speed transportation (airports), fast and flexible inventory and delivery systems.

The Aerotropolis Plan is very ambitious and requires regional collaboration never seen before in Michigan. Van Buren’s is committed to this effort.

Cindy C. King
Supervisor of Van Buren Township