Elberta’s small-town charm, historic character, maritime heritage and three-mile waterfront, scenic vistas, and access to unique recreation make it a desirable destination to live and visit. While the Village wants to preserve its charm, the residents also noted that residential and commercial development are needed to enhance the economy through reasonable land use regulations.

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The pandemic drew many to Benzie County, but given that the Village population is shrinking, growth happened outside of its boundaries. Some of housing analysis indicates a lack of housing types for newcomers and seasonal workers may be the cause. Given that there is year-round and seasonal housing demand to capture, the Master Plan laid out the data and the approach, helping the Village to begin the process of legally updating Village regulations in the Zoning Ordinance. It is recognized in the plan that this is a part of an economic development strategy - to ensure workers of all incomes can live within the community. This can be a challenge when many of the local jobs are low-paying and seasonal, but increasing housing supply can help drop costs

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The Future Land Use Map sets up a prospective Zoning Map for the Village. In this case, the zones are simplified along the waterfront and in neighborhood commercial to create a more cohesive intent for each area and to strip the Zoning Ordinance of any unnecessary regulations. The Master Plan identifies Village-owned land and areas ripe for redevelopment. Leaning on the public engagement results, the suggested updates to the zoning language are intended to achieve the community's vision for new development.