I am finishing mediating our divorce (sigh).
I agree that if you guys are at huge loggerheads, getting the child her own advocate is a really really good idea.
On interesting thing that came up, was that we had negotiated a much higher than 'normal' Spousal Support amount (my soon-to-be-Ex having truly heard my arguments about providing actual financial security for the children--supporting my household was more important than trying to squeeze me to retaliate for my perceived wrongs or whatever). I was worried about it being enforceable: would only the 'normal' amount be legally supported, if he arbitrarily decided to change the amount? My lawyer said that with strong 'findings' in our document, the higher amount should be enforceable. The 'findings' are all those phrases like "In view of their (x) years of marriage, and the young age of the children, and (his) much greater earning capacity ...".
'Standards' are necessarily reflective of 'average' situations ... and of course no specific situation is actually 'average.' That's why they include 'findings' in the documents in the first place! Ask your lawyer (or your child's advocate) what findings might directly and appropriately affect the 'standard' parenting plan, because if the situation is as you describe, especially if you have not been trying to keep him from being more involved in her life, there is reasonable cause to assume he does not understand what this child needs and that he needs to learn that before she is handed into his care. There might need to be a clause that the plan will be reevaluated in two years (or would automatically change in two years), when the child would be developmentally more prepared to change parents for long chunks of time. Or something.
Your husband may believe he has the right to what he's saying--and he might be correct--or he might be trying to scare you into being controlled, or he might just want you to acknowledge his fatherhood.
Even though you don't perceive him to have functioned well as a father, he may feel that you kept him from it, or some other set of things kept him from it. Certainly it sounds like he (correctly!) perceives that you don't see him as having automatically a right to this role ... he of course may or may not see himself as having so-far failed or so-far been alright as a father, and his fight might also be partly to prove to _himself_ his role! In my situation, their dad is now a WAYYYY more involved, emotionally available parent since that we are apart (and for that matter, so am I)--a lot of our emotional energy was going into trying to survive our messed up relationship :(. And when we were together, the stress of being in the same room made us snappish/otherwise worse parents with the kids .. I know he perceives my parenting skills, based on what he really did see!, to be nothing near as good as they were/are when he is not around. I also know that the stress-years actually did make me a worse parent, and I am having to work to try to get back to where I was :(. I have to assume that those factors function both ways.
On the other hand, there are parents who are just horrible and unattachable, and he might be one.
One probably impractical idea, but I'll offer it--do you have a friend in that other city with whom you could stay, so your daughter could spend one night a week with you or something, help her know you still exist? In the books I've read, and I think in the Multnomah County required parenting class (for separating parents), there were clear guidlines for bonding: infants should see the absent parent as close to every day as possible, by age one they can mentally retain the absent parent for something like 5 days, by age two for something like two weeks ... anyhow, I don't remember the numbers exactly because we live close and try to see Daddy at least twice a week, but there are numbers, and as her primary attachment you should have a justified and arguable reason to see her at least as often as the studies say is necessary to prevent attachment disorders.
_I_ think. (Because, you know, I am an Expert in everything : P. )
(Of course, I also think our modern society sets us up for massive failures all around, and you, and I, and our children--and our husbands--are now suffering for it. Here's hoping we get some of it turned around in this growing up generation! Or what the heck, here's hoping we get it turned around in OUR generation; better late than never! Here's to the Rest of Our Lives :)! )
Sorry if I was preachy or anything. But there are lots of legitimate reasons to argue either way on this parenting plan, and you shouldn't fear bringing your reasons and reasoning to your lawyer and to court.
In the end, your daughter will know your fear, or will know your willingness/confidence. Do what you can. It is so hard :( to navigate these negotiations. Trust that you (and she!) will find Peace with whatever the outcome becomes; know that it will be up to you to guide both of you in finding that Peace--and that you can do it: it is there to find. In my faith-tradition, I add: with the help of God.
God bless. Keep loving her. Help her to love her daddy as best you can. And find people to love you.