2026 Hot Topics in Planning & Zoning - Gaylord

The latest issues in planning and zoning are just heating up, but is your team ready? This evening class —offered only every other year —features expert insights from MTA legal counsel at Bauckham, Thall, Seeber, Kaufman & Koches, PC on the following key topics:

• Renewal Energy: As the renewable energy landscape evolves, so do the questions surrounding it. Gain a better understanding of where local authority begins—and ends—including the growing impact of state preemption. Explore siting trends, legal considerations for approvals and denials, and learn how to build clear standards. We’ll also shed light on decommissioning agreements and financial assurances that can help protect your community long after the project is built.

• Data Centers: As data centers reshape development conversations, communities are navigating new legal and zoning questions—and many local ordinances weren’t built with these developments in mind. Explore where local authority exists, where ordinances need updates, and how infrastructure demands and development agreements factor into decision-making. Learn more about creating conditions around issues like noise, generators, water use and buffering.

• Short-term Rentals: The debate isn’t cooling off anytime soon. Across townships, tensions are rising, meetings are becoming more volatile and legal challenges loom. Explore what your township can regulate, where legal vulnerabilities exist, and gain insight into enforcement limitations and restrictions that strengthen defensibility while helping your community strike a workable balance.

• Ordinance Enforcement: When regulations are tested, challenged, or ignored, strong processes matter. From documentation to notices, hearings to appeals and penalties, we’ll unpack what it takes to support effective enforcement. Explore the risks of inconsistency, learn where townships get tripped up and how unclear ordinance language weakens your legal footing.

• Amendments to the Land Division Act: Amendments are paving the way for new development possibilities. Are your township’s zoning and land division ordinances ready? Find out what's new and what it means for your township's planning decisions. 

 

Bring your whole team for this essential how-to guide based on real-life practical experiences!