Willkommen in Macomb Township!

Officially established on March 7, 1834, Macomb Township's heritage is largely German, although today's residents claim ancestries from all over the globe.

From M-59 (or Hall Road as the natives call it) on the south to 26 Mile on the north, Hayes Road on the west and Fairchild Road to the east, Macomb stretches across 36-square-miles and, according to the 2010 census, boasts a population of 79,580.

But all this information is easily accessible through a well-phrased Google search. As a future resident of the township, you want to delve deeper and find the real Macomb. What are the school systems like? Are the taxes high? Where do you shop? What is there to do in Macomb? We answer these questions and more right here.

Schools

Schools of Choice and private options mean not every township resident attends school in the township itself, but it's not for lack of options.

Public

Five public school districts serve Macomb Township residents.

Chippewa Valley Schools

• Elementary: Ojibwa, Mohawk, Fox, Shawnee, Cheyenne, Sequoyah
• Middle: Iroquois, Seneca,
• High School: Dakota Freshman Center, 9; Dakota, 10-12

L'Anse Creuse Public Schools

• Elementary: Atwood, K-5
• Middle: Middle School North, 6-8
• High School: L'Anse Creuse North,

Utica Community Schools

• Elementary: Ebeling, Beck

MISD (Macomb Intermediate School District)

• Glen H. Peters: The school serves students with physical and mental impairments. Students range from young children to adults.

New Haven Community Schools

Private

• Immanuel Lutheran School, Preschool-8
• St. Peter Lutheran School, Preschool-8
• Lutheran High School North, 9-12
• Austin Catholic Academy, 9, opening August 2011
• Oxford Academy, Montessori, K-5
• The Goddard School, six weeks-6 years old

Home Sweet Home (Values, Utilities, Taxes)

Home Values

Most range from $150,000-$350,000. However, Macomb, like almost every other U.S. city, has felt the drop in the housing market.

Macomb Township assessor Phyllis Sharbo told Macomb Patch in an April interview that as far as property values in the township go: "I really believe that we’ve hit a plateau. This year (2011), there was, on residential properties in Macomb Township, a decrease of just under 5 percent in property values. ... In 2012, I would expect little or no decrease at all."

If you haven't settled on a home, and are content to browse for the moment, be sure to check Macomb Patch's "House Hunt." This feature runs every Sunday on the site and showcases five homes currently for sale in Macomb Township.

Utilities

The township is served by DTE Energy, Consumers Power Company, SEMCO Gas Company, AT&T, Detroit Water & Sewer and Comcast Cable.

Waste Management takes out Macomb Township's trash and Great Lakes Recycling handles its recyclables.

Taxes

The average throughout the township for Homestead is 26.2 per thousand dollars of final taxable value.

The Treasurer's Office collects taxes for all taxing units within the township, including the Chippewa Valley, L’Anse Creuse, Utica, and New Haven Schools. The office also bills, collects and maintains all township Special Assessments for water, sewer and pavement.

Taxes can be paid in person at the Treasurer's Office in town hall, online (debit/credit cards only) or via phone (877-264-5676). Cash, checks, money orders, fund transfers, debit or credit cards are accepted as payment for taxes, but there is a convenience fee for the debit card or credit card options.

2011 Millage Rates

• General Operating Mil 0.6757
• Fire Operating SAD 1.0588
• Fire Pension Mil 0.0747
• Police Mil 1.0601
• Parks/Rec Mil 0.8232
• Total: 3.6925

Conveniences (Shopping, Entertainment, Highway Access)

Shopping

Macomb Township is still largely suburbs and farmland, but its Hall Road border is shopping central.

Lakeside Mall and the Mall at Partridge Creek (outdoor and dog-friendly) are just minutes outside Macomb, and chain stores such as Gander Mountain, Home Depot, Target, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble and more can be found in the multiple strip malls along Hall Road.

On the food end, Macomb has three Kroger stores (21, 23 and 26 Mile Roads), Randazzo's and The Polish Market (the place to go for paczki on Paczki Day).

For a complete list of stores and restaurants in Macomb, visit the Patch directory.

Entertainment

Macomb's schools can be looked to for concerts, sporting events, plays and musicals (Dakota, L'Anse Creuse North and Lutheran North) from September through June, and summer recreation programs and events through Macomb Township Parks and Recreation, Macomb Township Little League and local summer camps pick up the slack when school's out.

For movies, most Macombers frequent the MJR Partridge Creek Digital Cinema, 17400 Hall Rd., Clinton Twp. MI 48038, while the Macomb Center for the Performing Arts caters more to those craving the talents of touring bands, musical shows, plays and solo acts.

And for families with young children, the Macomb Township Parks and Recreation Department offers numerous classes, trips and events year-round. To name a few: 

• Tree Lighting and After Glow, near Christmas holiday
• Mr. E. Bunny's Egg-stravaganza, near Easter holiday
• Tons O' Trucks & Wheeled Wonders, June
• Trick-or-Treat Trail, near Halloween

Parks

There are three public parks in the township, but just about every elementary school can lay claim to at least one swingset.

• Macomb Corners: 1-mile asphalt walking path, two football fields, two soccer fields, three lighted baseball diamonds, an inline skating rink, a playscape, a picnic pavilion, a concession stand and restrooms.
• Macomb Town Center: Undeveloped, but regularly used for athletic practices and games, children's activities, sports camps, summer concerts and Movie Under the Stars.
• Waldenburg Park: Playscape with swings, slides and a jungle gym, picnic pavilions, a basketball court, two sand volleyball courts, restrooms and a walking trail.

Highway Access

The bane and savior of Macomb Township existence is M-59, more commonly known as Hall Road, or Road-Rage Central. Three lanes in some places, four in others, the speed limit is 50 mph and the road is never not crowded (except on Sundays). Other than taking alternative routes, there is nothing much you can do but turn up the radio and practice relaxing breathing techniques when you find yourself on Hall during rush-hour (4-6 p.m. Monday through Friday).

M-59 marks the border between Macomb and Clinton townships and connects to M-53 (Van Dyke) on the west and and I-94 on the east. If you keep traveling west it connects to I-75 as well, although construction in this region is generally described as "nightmarish."

Who's in Charge (Government, Police, Fire)

Elected Officials

• Supervisor, Mark H. Grabow
• Clerk, Michael D. Koehs
• Treasurer, Karen Goodhue
• Trustees: Dino F. Bucci Jr., Janet Dunn, Roger M. Krzeminski, Nancy J. Nevers

The Macomb Township Board of Trustees meets the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month. The meetings are held at 7 p.m. in the Board Chambers located at the township's Town Hall, 54111 Broughton Rd. (Word to the wise, this location is unplottable with your GPS. It's located just south of 25 Mile Road, east of Romeo Plank and west of Foss Road. Don't try to get here from North Avenue, unless you really like dirt roads.)

Macomb is a General Law Township.

Police/Fire/EMS

Macomb Township contracts its law enforcement services to the Macomb County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff's deputies patrol Macomb Township's roads and respond to 911 calls.

Four fire stations, manned by on-call firefighters, serve the township and offer child passenger seat inspections, smoke detector evaluations and installations, fire extinguisher use training, blood pressure checks and emergency preparedness training.

• Fire Station No. 1, 586-286-0027, 19925 23 Mile Rd.
• Fire Station No. 2, 586-286-0030, 17800 21 Mile Rd. Burning permits may be obtained here.
• Fire Station No. 3, 586-949-2138, 47711 North Ave.
• Fire Station No. 4, 586-677-1262, 16820 25 Mile Rd. Office of Chief Robert Phillips.

Macomb Township contracts its ambulance services with Medstar. The fire department also provides Medical First Responder services.

Library

Macomb is served by the Clinton-Macomb Public Library's North Branch. A CMPL library card will also provide access to the Main and South branches in Clinton Township.

The library offers thousands of books, DVDs, CDs and magazines, as well as speciality items such as Kindles and Leap Frog Tag systems. The library system also hosts multiple used book sales throughout the year, offers online tutoring programs and organizes seminars and fun classes for children and adults year-round.

Religious Institutions and Nonprofits

Macomb Township is home to more than a dozen churches and nonprofit organizations. For a list, visit the Macomb Patch directory.

Secrets of Macomb

The Halloween House: A must-see haunted attraction at 47882 Tilch Rd. Created by Dave and Sheryl Kazmer every Halloween, this spot boasts more than 30 horror film-worthy creatures and draws some 1,000 visitors every Halloween night.

Waldfest: The Austrian Park, summer home to the Austrian Society of Detroit, MI, is located at 56200 Hayes Rd. (between 25-26 Mile roads). Each summer, the society hosts an authentic Austrian/German festival open to all and featuring ethnic music, dancing and food!

Sod Central: Macomb is the sod capitol of the world. Not really, but there are several sod farms in the township as well as a half dozen family-owned and operated greenhouses and nurseries. Even in the winter, there is always someplace to buy fresh flowers in Macomb. Check our directory for a list of these locations.

Indoor Water Park: The Macomb Township Recreation Center is home to an indoor water park, open year-round. The park features a lazy river, waterslide, log roll, lap pool, jacuzzi and children's splash zone. The center also offers child care (so mom and/or dad can work out without junior), two full gyms, two aerobic dance studios, 64 cardio machines, a 7/10 mile walking track, two party rooms, a game room, indoor playscape and birthday rooms available for rent. There is a fee to use the center, but residents get a reduced price for day passes and annual memberships.

Sk8 Jamz DJ Night at Suburban Ice Macomb: The title doesn't specify, but this evening open skate at the local ice rink is frequented by tweens and teens. As an adult, you'll want to stick to daytime open skate hours.