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Public Hearing held January 12, 2004. Adopted by the Crystal Falls Planning Commission on January 12, 2004. Adopted by the Crystal Falls City Council on February 9, 2004. City of Crystal Falls Comprehensive Plan TABLE OF CONTENTS 1.0 OVERVIEW AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION 1.0 OVERVIEW AND BRIEF DESCRIPTION 1.1 Introduction This Comprehensive Plan represents the culmination of months of discussion and study by the City of Crystal Falls Planning Commission. The plan can be divided into two primary areas; background information, and goals and objectives, which will guide the City's future development.
The first several chapters of the plan contain background information on population trends, the local economy, land use, and community facilities, among other things. Such information is useful in forming a complete picture of the City's growth and development over time, in other words, "where are we now, and how did we get here?" In order to set the stage for future discussions about goals, policies and strategies, each chapter contains a brief summary of issues and opportunities related to each subject area.
The last chapters of the plan are focused on the future of the City of Crystal Falls. These chapters attempt to address the question of "where do we want to go in the future, and how can we achieve those goals?" The last chapters of this plan build on the first ones, and provide a framework for guiding the City's future development.
Section 6 of the Municipal Planning Act, P.A. 285 of 1931 states that a planning commission "shall make and adopt a master plan for the physical development of the municipality, including any areas outside of its boundaries which, in the commission's judgment, bear relation to the planning of the municipality." It also provides authority for the commission to "amend, extend, or add to the plan." Section 7 of the Act states that the plan's general purpose is "guiding and accomplishing a coordinated, adjusted, and harmonious development of the municipality and its environs which will, in accordance with present and future needs, best promote health, safety, morals, order, convenience, prosperity, and general welfare, as well as efficiency and economy in the process of development; including, among other things, adequate provision for traffic, the promotion of safety from fire and other dangers, adequate provision for light and air, the promotion of the healthful and convenient distribution of population, the promotion of good civic design and arrangement, wise and efficient expenditure of public funds, and the adequate provision of public utilities and other public requirements." Thus, this plan provides guidance for the City's elected officials, boards and commissions, and staff to use when making future decisions. It is a "yardstick" against which proposed projects can be evaluated. This plan serves as the basis for a relationship between elements of all other precepts and relevant efforts pertinent to best practices within this City, and is a reference tool which can also serve to support other planning efforts, such as recreation planning, capital improvements planning, etc.
1.2 Community Description The City of Crystal Falls was founded in the days of iron mining and timber exploration in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Located in southeastern Iron County, Crystal Falls occupies hilly terrain both east and west of the Paint River. In the early 1880s, Crystal Falls was one of the primary mining towns in the Upper Peninsula. Solomon D. Hollister, a native of Sparta, Wisconsin, made his way to the Crystal Falls area in 1880. He came associated with George Runkel (considered the founder of Crystal Falls), born in Germany, who also came to the area in 1880. Together they discovered that there was much ore to be mined, and formed the Crystal Falls Iron Company. In the spring of 1881, Hollister and Runkel were convinced they had discovered a new iron range. Runkel convinced the Chicago Northwestern Railroad to build a line to Crystal Falls, and the railroad was completed in June, 1882. The location for the City of Crystal Falls had been selected due to its location between two mining exploration areas, as well as the availability of land to build the town on. By the time the railroad was completed, there were six active mines in the area, and over 42,000 tons of ore was shipped the first year. Over 30 mines eventually operated in the area. During the Panic of 1893, all but one of the mines, the Paint River Mine, shut down, but opened again when economic conditions improved. By the early 1900s, the town was booming. The community had been incorporated as a village in 1889, and as a city in 1899. Growth continued until the 1940s, when most of the mines had shut down. A few mines re-opened after World War II, but closed again when they could no longer compete with the large open pit mines and pelletized ore. Once the mines had closed, the railroad into Crystal Falls was abandoned. No active rail lines currently enter the City, although the Canadian National (Wisconsin Central) line from Sagola to Amasa runs nearby. The business district continued to flourish until the 1960s, but like many other small communities has since seen the loss of many traditional downtown businesses. Department stores have left the community, as have many smaller retail stores. Recent development, including retail and service businesses, has taken place on the west edge of town, in Crystal Falls Township. The post office, courthouse, city hall, Crystal Theater and Contemporary Center act as anchors to draw people into the downtown area, which still contains a mix of retail and service businesses. While there are some vacant storefronts, the downtown has the advantage of being located on a main highway corridor. Many communities must lure travelers off the highway to visit the downtown area. The City of Crystal Falls offers many municipal services to its residents. While municipal water and sewer are offered almost universally in all cities, Crystal Falls also offers cable television on a city-owned system, and generates electricity for its municipal system at a city-owned hydroelectric dam. Both electricity and cable TV are distributed on a city-owned network of poles and lines. An Industrial Park has recently been designated as a tax-free Renaissance Zone, providing incentives for industry to relocate or expand in the area. The City is actively working to upgrade its infrastructure and market itself as an attractive location for new business, industry, and families, and through development of this plan will chart a course for future growth and development. The city's strategic location at the intersection of U.S. 2, U.S. 141 and M-69 is an advantage for future development. 2.0 POPULATION 2.1 Introduction Population change is the primary component in tracking a community's past growth and forecasting future population trends. Population characteristics relate directly to a community's housing, education, recreation, health care, transportation, and future economic development needs. The growth and characteristics of population in a community are subject to changes in prevailing economic conditions. To fully understand the population issues of a community requires an analysis that includes surrounding areas because of the many ways in which communities are interrelated. Examining trends and changes among communities and drawing comparisons and contrasts helps to paint a fuller demographic picture. It is common for residents to work, shop, recreate and find essential services such as medical care in other communities.
1990 and 2000 population figures for all Iron County jurisdictions are presented in Table 2-1. The City of Crystal Falls experienced a loss of 131 persons over the last decade, from 1,922 to 1,722 people. This amounted to a decline of 6.8 percent, and continues a trend experienced over much of the past 60 years, as shown below in Table 2-2. While the cities in Iron County generally experienced a population decline during the 1990s, the townships surrounding those cities increased in population. This phenomenon was common throughout the U.P. as well as elsewhere in Michigan, with the incorporated communities losing population to the neighboring townships.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Census 2000 SF-1 and 1990 Census SF-1, P1
Over the 60-year period from 1940 to 2000, Iron County experienced a population decline of over one-third. The City of Crystal Falls experienced a similar decline during this time period, losing over 22 percent of its population between 1950 and 2000. The two decades where the most significant population loss occurred were the 1940s, with a 12.6 percent decline, and the 1960s, when the population declined by nearly 20 percent. The drop in population in the 1940s was common in the Upper Peninsula, coinciding with the economic downturn in the mining industry and the general trend of migration to urban areas. In Iron County, the population decline in the 1960s is probably linked to the closure of the last of the iron mines in the region. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000 Census, Table DP-1; 1990 Census, SF-1; University of Virginia Geospatial and Statistical Center, U.S. Census Historical Census Data Browser; WUPPDR. After 1970, the population decline in Iron County slowed significantly, with a loss of 700 people since 1970. While this is more encouraging than continued sharp declines, the fact remains that the population continues to decline. Figure 2-1 compares the population trend in Iron County to neighboring counties in Michigan, as well as Florence County, Wisconsin. All of the counties shown in Figure 2-1 experienced population losses after 1940, but in some cases the trend was reversed in the 1970s and the population is now increasing. Dickinson County, for example, has seen its population recover almost to 1940 levels. Statewide, the population increased in each decade, although the growth rate during the 1980s was very small. This was a period when Michigan as a whole was experiencing large job losses from what was then termed the "Rustbelt," as industries relocated to the nation’s "Sunbelt." Overall, during the 60-year period presented in the comparison, Michigan’s population has increased by 89.1 percent.
2.3 Age and Gender Median ages from the 2000 Census for selected units of government are shown in Table 2-3. Crystal Falls' median age has increased by 4.2 percent over the past decade to 45 years, significantly higher than the state and national averages. Even though Crystal Falls' median age is much higher than the state and the nation, the state and national medians increased by a greater amount. Crystal Falls' population was already almost 11 years older than the statewide median in 1990. Even at this relatively high level, the City's population was still younger on average than other areas in Iron County. The Upper Peninsula in general tends to have a much older population than Lower Michigan. This trend toward a higher median age is a clear indication of the aging of the population. This aging population will in turn affect the types of services local governments are expected to provide, including recreational facilities, transportation, health care, education, housing, etc. It is also related to declining school enrollment.
The increase in the median age is due to several factors. The average life expectancy in the U.S. has continued to the increase, with people living longer than ever before. Families also have fewer children than previous generations, and more women are delaying child-bearing until their 30s or even 40s. Analyzing the age structure of a local population can aid in decision making, and also provide some insight into future age structure. Table 2-4 shows Crystal Falls’, Iron County’s and the state’s population broken down into four broad categories: preschool age, school age, working age and retirement age. Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990 Census of the Population, STF 1A, Table 1; 1970 Census of the Population, Table 33; 2000 Census of Population and Housing, Table DP-1 While there can be variations between these age groups (e.g., one individual may enter the work force at 18, while another does not begin working until after college), these groups give a general representation of the age structure of a community. A change that has occurred almost universally across the country in recent decades is a shift from the school age and working age population into the retired age group. The proportion of individuals in the preschool and school age groups continues to shrink, contributing to enrollment declines in local schools. Meanwhile, as the so-called "baby boomers" reach retirement age, a smaller proportion of the population is in the workforce and contributing to pension funds, etc. that help support retirees. The percentage of preschool-aged children in Crystal Falls is the same as the proportion countywide, but is more than two full percentage points below the statewide average. This low figure indicates a continued decline in the number of young children entering local schools, and eventually the workforce. Those in the 5 to 19 age group, or school-aged, make up 20.4 percent of the City’s total population. The proportion in the County as a whole was lower, while statewide over 22 percent of the population was in this age group. The working age population is significantly lower than the state average for both Crystal Falls and Iron County, but the difference is most striking in the City. Less than half the total population is in the working age group, compared to 58.7 percent statewide. Residents aged 65 and above comprise over a quarter of the City and County population. With 28.7 percent of the 2000 population 65 or older, the City of Crystal Falls retirement age population is over twice the proportion statewide (12.3 percent).
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000, Table DP-1
Nationally, the proportion of working people compared to retirees is shrinking, and with the preschool and school age groups decreasing, the trend can be expected to continue. On a national level, this is reflected in concerns about Social Security and other programs, as the number of working Americans decreases in relationship to retirees. Locally, the ability and/or willingness of working-age residents to support facilities and programs for retirees may decrease; retirees are often perceived as being less willing to support school millages or youth programs.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000, Table DP-1 Age and gender composition of the City’s population in 2000 is presented in Table 2-5. As with the earlier information on the local population, this information helps to form a picture of the types of services which may be needed in a community. For example, Table 2-5 reiterates the information from Table 2-4 which shows that a higher than average segment of the population is 65 and over. This table further shows, however, that the majority of this older population is female. This may have an impact on the types of housing and other services needed by this segment of the population. The general trend is for the younger age groups to have slightly more males than females, reflecting the fact that more males are born than females. The higher life expectancy of females, however, is the primary cause of the high proportion of females in the older age groups. The smallest 10-year age group in the City is those people aged 25 to 34 years old in 2000. By contrast, more than twice as many individuals ages 35 to 44 were living in Crystal Falls in 2000. Rural communities in the U.P., as elsewhere in the country, often complain of losing their "best and brightest" young people after high school, a phenomenon sometimes called "brain drain." The lack of jobs in rural communities is often cited as a factor in communities being unable to retain local youth; however, this factor may be exaggerated. It is not uncommon for young people to leave their hometown even when jobs are available. What the relatively high proportion of residents ages 35 to 44 may show is something observed in other areas in the U.P., that is, the tendency of those raised in a local community to return later in life due to a desire to raise their families in the same sort of environment they grew up in. This trend has not been scientifically proven, but there is significant anecdotal evidence that this is often the reason for people returning to the Upper Peninsula.
The racial composition of Crystal Falls is overwhelmingly white, a common characteristic of the region. Non-white residents are mainly of American Indian descent. Non-whites as a percentage of the population increased from 0.9 percent in 1990 to 2.0 percent in 2000. Persons of Hispanic origin do not figure in this total, as they can be of any race. In 2000, 14 of the 22 people who reported that they were Hispanic characterized themselves as white. For the first time in the 2000 Census, respondents could identify themselves and family members as being of two or more races. There is no direct comparison for this figure in previous years, and it is probably safe to assume that some of those who identified themselves as a member of a single minority group in 1990 are listed in 2000 as being of two or more races. Also in 2000, separate categories were established for Asian and Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. For purposes of comparison to previous years, these figures have been combined in Table 2-6.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990 Census of the Population, STF 1A, Table P006; 1980 Census of the Population, STF 1A, Table 007; Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000, Table DP-1 2.5 Household Characteristics Evaluation of the changes in household characteristics in a community can often provide valuable insights about population trends. Household relationships reflect changing social values, economic conditions, and demographic changes such as increased life spans and the increasing mobility of our society. Table 2-7 and Figure 2-2 illustrate trends from 1990 to 2000. A household is defined as all persons who occupy a housing unit, according to the Bureau of the Census. This can include one person living alone, a single family, two or more families living together, or any groups of related or unrelated persons sharing living quarters. Persons in institutional or group quarters at the time of the Census are not included in households, but instead are counted as in group quarters. Examples of group quarters or institutions include prisons, jails, college dormitories, or nursing homes. A family consists of a householder and one or more persons living in the same household who are related by birth, marriage, or adoption. A non-family household can be one person living alone, or any combination of people not related by blood, marriage, or adoption. Total households within the City decreased by 2.6 percent between 1990 and 2000, from 816 to 795. This decrease was less than the rate of loss of total population however, which was 6.8 percent. This can be attributed to the drop in household size from 2.24 to 2.13 persons per household in 2000. The number of family households decreased over the past decade, although family households still make up nearly 60 percent of the total households in Crystal Falls. The proportion of married-couple families decreased, while the proportion of male or female householder with no spouse present increased. Non-family households increased from 1990 to 2000, with a slight increase in persons living alone. In 1990, 283 of the 312 non-family households were one-person households. Of these, 205 were elderly persons (65 years and older) living alone, and 168 of these elderly households was a woman living alone. In 2000, 177 of the 293 one-person households was an elderly person, and 149 of them were women.
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1990 Census of the Population and Housing, STF 1A, P003, P016 and H017A; 1980 Census of the Population and Housing, STF 1, 003, 016, 035; Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000 Census, Table DP-1
It is somewhat surprising that the number of elderly householders living alone actually fell slightly over the past decade. Given the increase in the proportion of elderly residents, the expectation was that elderly households would increase. One or more of the following factors could account for this: both spouses are living to an older age, resulting in fewer widows and widowers, widowed elderly are living with adult children or other family members; or they are living in group quarters. The group quarters population is not included in the household statistics. In 1990, there were 98 people in group quarters in Crystal Falls, and in 2000 there were 97. According to the 1990 Census, 86 people were in institutions, and 12 were in other types of group quarters. In 2000, 90 were in institutions and seven in other group quarters. 2.6 Population Projections Population projections are useful for community planning endeavors. For instance, demand for certain types of public services can be anticipated by using sound population projections. Formulating projections is complicated and fraught with unknowns such as unforeseen economic events that can greatly influence migration. Other considerations, like fertility and mortality data, also have an impact. In 1996, the Michigan Department of Management and Budget | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
