"We've looked at how the township's developed over the last 10-15 years with the zoning we have, where the economy's going, what people want, what business has gone where," explained Howland Township trustee Matthew Vansuch.

And with months of guidance from its nearly 20,000 residents, officials in Howland have come out with a draft of the township's comprehensive plan.
It's focused on five areas and includes input on enhancing traffic flow, enhancing current assets, and future development.

"What the steering committee has looked at is 'are there places where that development is not happening?' 'Could that land be used for the housing we think we're going to need, particularly senior housing and multi-unit housing?'" said Vansuch.

When it comes to the traffic flow part of the plan, Vansuch says the diverging diamond project at Routes 46 and 82 will play a big role.
He promises it will make it easier for folks to get around, whether they're shopping at nearby retail hubs or just getting from point A to point B.

Annexation into the city of Niles continues to be top of mind for lots of folks, too.

"We believe the comprehensive plan includes quality of life indicators that would make people want to reside in Howland and not to move and say I'll annex my residence into Niles," Vansuch said. 

It'll generally take six months to two years to accomplish most of the goals.
Others are ongoing.
This is not the final plan; the township is still taking input from folks once they've had a chance to read it.

You can submit comments and read the draft of the plan BY CLICKING HERE.