Sterling Heights pushes back on state preemption of local zoning, eyes Michigan Municipal League partnership

Sterling Heights — City Manager Mark Vanderpool used his council report to summarize a state‑level housing discussion and to explain why the city opposes legislation that would preempt local zoning control for housing decisions.

Vanderpool said Sterling Heights has focused on housing needs as it prepares to rewrite its zoning ordinance and that Southeastern Michigan Council of Governments projects local population growth of about 10,000 people by 2050. He said the city estimates a need of roughly 3,000 housing units locally over time and that 76 percent of existing housing in the city is owner‑occupied single‑family homes.

Vanderpool told council that state legislation introduced last year would limit local authority by mandating certain multifamily allowances, permitting duplexes in single‑family neighborhoods and allowing accessory dwelling units by statute. He said the city opposes preemption of home‑rule municipal zoning authority and prefers collaborative alternatives.

He said the Michigan Municipal League coordinated a press conference that highlighted a new program intended to reward communities with best‑practice zoning and offered incentives to build housing without preemption. Vanderpool said the program would be multifaceted and that Sterling Heights was included as a community being showcased for its reforestation and preservation initiatives and for zoning approaches the city considers constructive.

Vanderpool said city staff and council will continue discussions on zoning reform and coordination with state leaders, and that more details will be presented as the city prepares a full redraft of the zoning ordinance.