A Master Plan is the city's foundation for land use decisions and rules for development. The Michigan Planning Enabling Act requires a community with zoning to have that zoning based on the Master Plan, which also includes a Future Land Use Map. This map illustrates the intended land use categories – and also provide the foundation for the zoning districts that tie specific geographic areas of the city to the relevant zoning standards.

In 2015, the City of Vassar adopted a Master Plan with a Future Land Use Map. The Master Plan was updated in 2022, but it does not include a Future Land Use Map.

In this short process, the City of Vassar is amending the Master Plan to ensure the Future Land Use map reflects the vision of the 2022 Master Plan. It is important to note that this process is not changing the zoning, or rules for development, for any properties in the city. This process only aligns the map with the text to establish the vision for the future. This means that when a property owner wants to rezone property, or needs another land use decision made, the Planning Commission and/or City Council will have these important documents consistent with each other.