Finding accurate descriptions of city limits

[markm]

Is there a way find accurate descriptions of city boundaries for Detroit and the suburbs. Descriptions using road names are useful but I can't find anywhere that describes the city limits using that method. The closest I can get is going to require learning about GIS.

An example is looking at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MD...7_126122_7.pdf and using the coloring, it would appear Mack Ave isn't divided in the center as the city borders the entire way. Starting at Fisher, the middle of Mack is colored in but not before that. Is that just a mistake in the coloring or do city boundaries change slightly there?

Or how is the boundary defined for Dearborn Heights's piece of land connecting its north and south sections?

Or how is the boundary for Detroit defined for the land between Melvindale and River Rouge+Ecorse?

Is there a way to get an accurate descriptions of city limits in Michigan?

[Scottathew]

It's not 100% accurate, but try Google Earth with the city boundary layer turned on.

[RO_Resident]

You'll find some marginally more accurate maps here:
http://www.michigan.gov/cgi/0,4548,7...8145--,00.html

Geographies are taken from different sources, so you'll see some features don't quite overlap.

[Gistok]

Markm.... in some areas the border is nicely defined, in other areas the borders literally go thru people's property.

8 Mile is the border bertween Detroit and northern burbs. Ditto for Harper Woods and St. Clair Shores. But once you hit the Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Shores border with St. Clair Shores, 8 Mile Rd. ends, and its starts getting very confusing, because the border literally does go thru private property and peoples houses.

This same scenario happens on the far west side, where Paul St. is part of the border between Detroit and Dearborn. But there is a section of Paul St. that zig-zags up and down again that also cuts thru private property and people's houses.

[Novine]

"An example is looking at http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MD...7_126122_7.pdf and using the coloring, it would appear Mack Ave isn't divided in the center as the city borders the entire way."

Don't rely on those state road maps for accurate boundaries. Much of the data hasn't been updated in years and the map geeks can point out all of the errors that exist in the current maps. They're good enough for general driving directions but in some cases, they're not accurate depictions of community boundaries.

[Detroitnerd]

Or how is the boundary defined for Dearborn Heights's piece of land connecting its north and south sections?

Center of Gulley Road to the center of Beech Daly Road, I always thought...

Although it's kind of weird. At some point the Beech Daly line runs through wilderness...

[animatedmartian]

Somewhat accurate. The lines meander quite a bit but on satellite view you can tell which lots form the dividing line in some areas. Other areas it's sort of guess and assume.

http://maps.huge.info/places.htm

[Novine]

If you want the exact boundaries for Dearborn Heights when it was incorporate, you can read it online.

http://library1.municode.com:80/defa...infobase=11985

[markm]

If you want the exact boundaries for Dearborn Heights when it was incorporate, you can read it online.

Thanks. I've found reading the city codes frequently provides a somewhat human readable description of city boundaries. They always have a description that uses stuff like "Private Claim 531" but usually include a layman's description. Here's a list of some Michigan cities municipal codes. The city borders/boundaries are usually listed in the first part and chapter.

I've heard before, and the wikipedia article states, that Altar road is entirely in Detroit and not the actual border for Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park. It turns out the Detroit/Grosee Pointe Park border is 200 feet east of Altar road:

Starting at a point on the center line of Mack Avenue, so-called, said point being a distance of ***two hundred [[200) feet more or less, East of the East line of Alter Road;*** thence easterly and along the aforesaid center line of Mack Avenue to a point on the center line of Cadieux Road; thence southerly and along the aforesaid center line of Cadieux Road to a point on the South side of Jefferson Avenue; thence continuing in the aforesaid southerly direction to the harbor line of Lake St. Clair; thence westerly and along the aforesaid line of Lake St. Clair to a point on the East line of the City of Detroit, said point being a distance at right angles of two hundred [[200) feet more or less, of the East line of Alter Road, as extended; thence northerly in a straight line and parallel to Alter Road to the place of beginning.

Grosee Pointe Woods' border is based on where Mack Ave used to be: "Beginning at the intersection of the old center line of Mack Avenue, 66 feet wide…" This explains why it cuts through people's houses.

The Detroit boundary is less than useful: "The boundaries of the city existing when this Charter takes effect continue in force until changed in accordance with law."

I still haven't figured out what's up with the coloring changing on Mack Ave in Grosse Pointe Farms since their municipal code isn't online.

[313rd]

I owned a house on the Detroit/Harper Woods Border on the Detroit Side. On my property survey, it shows Harper Woods 1' onto my front lawn. So the entire street would be HW not Detroit. That always pissed me off, because HW would only plow one side of the street during the winters.

[Ray1936]

DPD cars all used to carry maps from the City Engineer's office describing the very precise location of the city boundaries. I wonder if they still do.

[softailrider]

I owned a house on the Detroit/Harper Woods Border on the Detroit Side. On my property survey, it shows Harper Woods 1' onto my front lawn. So the entire street would be HW not Detroit. That always pissed me off, because HW would only plow one side of the street during the winters.

Was [[is) that Woodhall Street? Where one side of the street is Harper Woods and the other side is Detroit ?

[Sandhouse]

There is a series of maps on file at Michigan DOT in Lansing that seem to show city limits very precisely. The purpose of these maps is to record jurisdiction over city streets, county roads, and state highways, so they show exactly where city jurisdiction ends, or is divided lane by lane, and where city street jurisdiction does nor does not match the city limits.

These are called "Act 51 maps" and are in MDOT's asset management section. The electronic editions I have seen seem to show where city limits change along lot lines, although the lot lines themselves are not shown - only streets and city limits. I don't believe they're on line, but a phone call might get one sent to you.

I have used these maps to see which government has jurisdiction over roads I got speeding tickets on [[like, say, in Romulus). That governs the law under which the speed limit is established, and the strategy for fighting the ticket.

My favorite discovery from one of these maps: when the City of Southgate tried to install automatic ticket-issuing cameras at two intersections [[illegal under state law) the MDOT map showed that those two intersections were the only ones in that city where all four legs of the intersection [[and 100% of the fine revenue) were within city limits. The city limit is a few feet west of Allen Road, not down the middle as is usual around here.

[Novine]

Do they look like this?

http://www.livingstonroads.org/maps/Howell-Twp-cert.pdf

http://www.livingstonroads.org/maps/Genoa-Twp-cert.pdf

[313rd]

Was [[is) that Woodhall Street? Where one side of the street is Harper Woods and the other side is Detroit ?

Kingsville Street north of Moross.

[RO_Resident]

Do they look like this?

http://www.livingstonroads.org/maps/Howell-Twp-cert.pdf

http://www.livingstonroads.org/maps/Genoa-Twp-cert.pdf

Act51 certification maps are currently based on the same source data as the link I posted above. The Michigan Geographic Framework is pretty good for some things. For other things, it is a work in progress. I would not rely on it for a survey-grade description of municipal boundaries.