Planning commission hears presentation on comprehensive zoning ordinance rewrite; no votes taken

The Saginaw Planning Commission on March 3 heard a presentation on a comprehensive rewrite of the city’s zoning ordinance but took no formal actions because the meeting lacked a quorum.

Consultants from Giffords Webster reviewed revisions to definitions, building types, district rules, form‑based “MU” (mixed‑use) districts, planned‑unit development (PUD) procedures and proposed map changes. Julia, senior planner at Giffords Webster, and a colleague identified as Andy summarized key policy changes and cross‑referenced state law and court decisions that shaped the draft.

The rewrite consolidates and relocates definitions into a single section, updates sign rules to reflect the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Reed v. Gilbert, and replaces several numeric regulatory tools (such as floor‑area ratio) with clearer building‑height and lot‑coverage rules. The consultants said the draft also introduces new building types (multistory, single‑story, townhouse, urban house and flex space) and a form‑based approach for four MU districts intended to encourage walkable, mixed‑use development.

Julia, senior planner at Giffords Webster, said the consultants “defined all of the new terms and uses that were in the ordinance,” consolidated obsolete terms and altered sign definitions to comply with Reed v. Gilbert, noting that the 2015 ruling prevents governments from regulating sign content. She summarized other definition edits as aligning municipal language to current state agency names (for example, changing DEQ to EGLE) and to licensing definitions for regulated uses such as…