Planning commission directs staff to draft tiny-house zoning language

Saginaw Planning Commission on Monday directed staff to prepare zoning ordinance language to allow small “tiny house” dwellings in multiple residential and mixed‑use districts.

The commission voted to ask staff to draft rules that would allow detached tiny houses of 200 square feet or more with limits by zone — one unit in R‑1, up to two in R‑2, up to three in R‑3 and up to five in MU‑1 — and to include design, screening and placement requirements for multi‑unit groupings.

The measure grew from hours of discussion in which commissioners and staff debated minimum unit sizes, density, building‑code constraints and how tiny homes should be sited. Commissioner John Clark moved the original direction to staff, saying the commission should create a regulated option for smaller, code‑built dwellings. “I will move that we direct staff to include language in the proposed zoning code for what is colloquially called tiny houses,” Commissioner Clark said during the meeting.

City planning staff,…