House passes bill changing land-division limits; lawmakers debate infrastructure and farmland risks

The Michigan House of Representatives on April 16 passed House Bill 4081, a measure amending the Land Division Act to allow local jurisdictions to authorize more parcel splits on a single parent parcel within a 10-year period, by a vote of 96-6.

The bill’s sponsor and supporters said the change is a limited tool for expanding housing supply; opponents said it could let developers create residential lots where roads, water, sewers and other infrastructure are not adequate and could lead to loss of farmland.

Representative DeBoer, the bill’s floor advocate, described the measure as a local option: "This just allows them to provide additional lots in a 10 year window on a parent piece of property to take 1 simple step in the direction of making housing more affordable in the state of Michigan." DeBoer said local rules on lot size, setbacks, road frontage, survey requirements and wastewater would still control whether lots could be created.

Representative Skaggs rose in opposition and cautioned that the bill "has several unintended consequences. It brings about a lack of…