Saugatuck Township, Michigan
| Saugatuck Township, Michigan | |
|---|---|
| Township | |
 Saugatuck Township
|
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| Coordinates: 42°38′36″N 86°11′25″W / 42.64333°N 86.19028°WCoordinates: 42°38′36″N 86°11′25″W / 42.64333°N 86.19028°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Michigan |
| County | Allegan |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24.2 sq mi (62.7 km2) |
| • Land | 23.4 sq mi (60.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 627 ft (191 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 2,944 |
| • Density | 126/sq mi (48.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 49453 |
| Area code(s) | 269 |
| FIPS code | 26-71720 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1627046 |
| Website | www |
Saugatuck Township is a civil township of Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,944 at the 2010 census, down from 3,590 at the 2000 census. The drop is due to Douglas incorporating into a city.
The cities of Saugatuck and Douglas are within the township survey area, but are not a part of the township.
There are no villages with in the township, but there are two unincorporated communities:
In 1837, Oshea Wilder and his sons founded the community named for the southeastern Asia city of Singapore at the mouth of the Kalamazoo River. In 1875, Singapore was abandoned.
On December 13, 2004, Douglas residents voted to adopt a charter changing the status of the village into a city form of government removing Douglas from the Township.
From 2004-6, Oklahoma billionaire Aubrey McClendon bought 400 acres (160 ha) of undeveloped duneland in Saugatuck Township for $39.5 million with plans to build luxury homes, 28 condos, a hotel, a marina, and a golf course. In 2006, the Saugatuck Township Board re-zoned the land, making McClendon unable to build his planned project. The Saugatuck Dunes Coastal Alliance opposes McClendon's plans, citing environmental concerns. In 2009, McClendon sold 171 acres (69 ha) of the land in order to alleviate the group's concerns. In March 2010, McClendon sued the township in federal court to overturn the zoning. The township has spent more than $250,000 fighting the lawsuit, and has raised taxes in the township in order to raise revenue.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 24.2 square miles (62.7 km2), of which 23.4 square miles (60.5 km2) is land and 0.85 square miles (2.2 km2), or 3.50%, is water.
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,590 people, 1,581 households, and 937 families residing in the township. The population density was 142.2 per square mile (54.9/km²). There were 2,089 housing units at an average density of 82.7 per square mile (31.9/km²). The racial makeup of the township was 96.43% White, 0.42% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.25% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.12% of the population.
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