Staff member (Planning staff) said the city is proposing a comprehensive update to Saginaw’s zoning ordinance, calling zoning “the key to organizing land use within a city.” The presentation described changes intended to align regulations with the 2022 master plan and to make the code easier for residents and developers to use.

The draft ordinance would permit accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in every residential zoning district but would require that the property owner live on the lot. “Accessory dwelling units… are allowed now in every single residential zone,” the staff member said, adding that the main dwelling must be owner‑occupied and an ADU may be used by relatives or for additional rental income.

The rewrite also simplifies the city’s mixed‑use categories into four numbered districts, MU‑1 through MU‑4, with MU‑1 expanded along major corridors and into neighborhoods targeted for infill. The staff member said the change is intended to “create more opportunities for multifamily housing, for some mixed use development, and for businesses that are characteristically related to neighborhoods.”

The presentation said the minimum floor area for a single‑family home would be reduced from 864 square feet to 600 square feet to reflect smaller household sizes and to potentially lower construction costs.

City staff described corrections to long‑standing zoning mismatches—areas currently zoned for manufacturing that have developed as housing, and parcels zoned residential where longstanding businesses operate—so existing uses can continue while the map better reflects actual development. The draft also adds a distinct designation for parks and natural areas (previously covered by a general open‑space zone).

The consultant (Planning consultant) walked attendees through how to use the new ordinance, which combines an interactive map and a reorganized text. “When trying to find out what can be done on their property, they should start by locating the district that their property belongs in by using the interactive zoning map,” the consultant said. The consultant described a use matrix that helps users identify where specific business or institutional uses are permitted.

The rewrite reorganizes the code into clear sections—purpose and intent, definitions, zoning districts, use standards, site standards (signs, landscaping, off‑street parking, lighting, fences and accessory structures), development procedures and administration/enforcement—and includes visual aids and a sidebar navigation to speed lookups. The consultant said the new format is designed to be a “living document” that staff can amend without creating logical conflicts.

Staff recounted nearly two years of public engagement: a steering committee that met roughly every three weeks for about six months, public workshops targeted to developers, residents and businesses, an online community survey, and a citywide meeting in April that captured additional input on outstanding issues. Staff said a project website hosts draft versions, meeting videos, survey results and an interactive map for property owners to check regulations affecting specific parcels.

Policy and procedural changes in the draft include expanded flexibility and review standards for planned unit developments, updated form‑based mixed‑use standards, new standards for signs, landscaping, waste enclosures and off‑street parking, and clarified procedures for the Zoning Board of Appeals (previously called the Board of Zoning Appeals). Staff said the draft also increases administrative oversight for many non‑discretionary requests and simplifies the approval process to give the Planning Commission and staff more ability to work with applicants on redevelopment.

No formal motion or vote was recorded in the presentation excerpt provided; the session presented the draft ordinance and explained how to use it and where to find supporting materials. Staff emphasized that the ordinance is intended to implement the city’s 2022 master plan goals, including stabilizing neighborhoods, encouraging infill and redevelopment of underutilized properties, and strengthening community character.

The presentation closed with instructions to review the draft on the city website and notes that the clear zoning format was intended to make future amendments less likely to produce conflicting rules.