Waterford Planning Commission reports rise in development; vape moratorium extension and chicken licensing next steps

The joint meeting of the Waterford Township Board of Trustees, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals on April 7 opened with a presentation of the Planning Commission's 2024 annual report and discussion of next steps on a moratorium for vape and smoke shops and on rules for backyard chickens.

The Planning Commission presentation, delivered by Scott (last name not specified), Community Development Grant Coordinator for the township, said the commission held 12 regular meetings and three special meetings during 2024 and reported a 91% attendance rate across those 15 meetings. Scott summarized review activity for the year, saying the commission processed 48 planning commission cases and 38 unique ZBA cases, issued 4,192 individual notices to property owners and occupants for applications, conducted 66 development reviews (including 37 site plans and 29 change-of-use reviews), and completed 36 special-approval reviews. He also said variances numbered 38 last year (32 approved, 4 denied, 1 postponed, 1 accepted the planning commission's original review). Scott said a new master plan was adopted in July 2024 with focus areas that include commercial corridors (Highland Road and Dixie Highway), waterfront and recreation areas, and a Drayton Plains subarea targeted for concentrated commercial and mixed-use development.

Why this matters: the township reported a measurable uptick in both commercial and residential reinvestment, which planning staff and trustees said indicates renewed investor interest and increased permitting and review workload. The planning staff noted that since 2018 standard planning activities have increased markedly and that business registrations rose by about 25% compared with the prior year.

On the township's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, Scott said the township spent just over $500,000 on related activities in the last program year, with about $430,000 from CDBG and roughly $72,000 from CARES Act funding. He said CDBG funds were used primarily for housing rehabilitation and code enforcement; staff reported roughly 12 housing-rehabilitation completions and code-enforcement activity in CDBG target areas.

Zoning items: moratorium on vape and smoke shops and chicken licensing

Sue Camilleri, a member of the Zoning Board of Appeals, asked about the length and status of a six-month moratorium on vape and smoke shops, saying, "You had indicated there's the the board initiated a moratorium on vape and smoke shops, and I'm wondering when did that 6 months start, and when does it finish?" Planning staff replied that about two months remain on the current moratorium and that the township attorney has been working on an extension to add another six months so the township can draft an ordinance. Staff said the vape-shop ordinance is scheduled after completion of the Drayton Plains Central Business District ordinance and its landscaping provisions; staff estimated the vape ordinance could be completed within about eight months.

On backyard chickens, staff said small domestic livestock (including chickens) currently require Planning Commission special approval when located on parcels under 5 acres; a use-by-right allowance exists for properties of 5 acres or more. Staff described the special-approval process (notification within 300 feet, a sketch/site plan, setbacks generally 50 feet from property lines unless a variance is obtained, and limits on flock size and waste-management plans). The Planning Commission voted at a recent meeting to recommend against adopting a moratorium on chickens and instead suggested drafting a licensing ordinance while continuing to process chicken requests via special approval; staff emphasized the Board of Trustees has the final authority on any ordinance change.

Public comment and master plan detail

Resident Robin McGregor questioned how the master plan treats OCC-owned land off Cooley Lake Road; McGregor said one map shows commercial and another shows residential for portions of the same parcel. A township staffer explained that, during master-plan drafting, the OCC sale and its timing prevented a full subarea reanalysis within the available budget and timeline; the area is shown as a planned-unit development (PUD) subarea on the adopted plan and may be revisited in a future, more detailed subarea study.

Votes at a glance

- Motion: Approve agenda for the April 7, 2025 joint meeting — Motion moved and seconded (mover/second not specified in transcript). Vote recorded: Gilbert — yes; Houseworth — yes; Marquis — yes; Bartolotta — yes; Thomas — yes; Wall — yes; Harris — yes. Outcome: approved.

- Motion: Approve minutes of the March 5, 2024 annual meeting — Motion moved and seconded (mover/second not specified in transcript). Vote recorded: Harris — yes; Wall — yes; Marquis — yes; Bartolotta — yes; Houseworth — yes; Gilbert — yes. Outcome: approved.

- Motion: Adjourn meeting — Motion moved and seconded (mover/second not specified in transcript). Vote recorded: Bartolotta — yes; Marquis — yes; Houseworth — yes; Gilbert — yes; Wall — yes; Harris — yes; Thomas — yes. Outcome: approved.

What’s next: staff said the Drayton Plains Central Business District ordinance and its landscaping provisions are near completion, after which the vape-shop ordinance is the next zoning priority; the chicken-licensing amendment will be drafted and ultimately considered by the Board of Trustees. Planning staff encouraged board and commission members to take available training (Michigan Association of Planning and other state-level courses) that the township funds.

Meeting context: the presentation and discussion took place during a scheduled joint meeting among Waterford Township's Board of Trustees, Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals and included a public-comment period. The planning report and ensuing discussion focused on workload, recent policy changes (a temporary vape-shop moratorium and a six-month extension under consideration), and the newly adopted master plan.