Council adopts North Van Dyke Avenue corridor zoning and design standards

The Sterling Heights City Council voted to adopt amendments to Zoning Ordinance No. 278 that establish the North Van Dyke Avenue corridor district and add development and design standards for the corridor.

The council adopted two related ordinance actions: a map amendment delineating parcels that form the NVDA corridor district and an ordinance adding Article 14c to create development and design standards for the district and its four subdistricts. City Planner Dr. Jake Parcel told the council the ordinance text was unchanged from the version introduced at the previous meeting except for a clarification that standalone parking structures are listed as an accessory use in the district.

Why it matters: The ordinance is intended to guide redevelopment and new construction along North Van Dyke with design standards for façades, sidewalks, building placement and transitions to adjacent neighborhoods.

Key discussion points

Drive-throughs and fast food: Council members asked whether “fast food” is permitted in the district. A staff member explained, “The North Van Dyke Avenue will be allowed to have fast food restaurants, but not drive up or drive through service.” The clarification drew comments that a sit‑down fast‑food restaurant without a drive‑through (examples cited to illustrate the distinction) would be allowed, but drive-through or drive-up designs would not.

Entrances, accessibility and fire code: Council members raised a question about a provision that says building entrances should “not open toward the street or public right of way.” Dr. Parcel said the rule is intended to require inward‑opening doors or recessed entries so doors do not swing directly into sidewalks and strike pedestrians. He added that any egress issues outside of zoning—such as required outward‑opening doors for emergency egress—would be resolved through building‑permit reviews and the International Fire Code.

Activation and parking structures: Council members discussed how to avoid “dead” parking-structure façades. Parcel said façade and site‑plan standards and Corridor Improvement Authority design guidelines are intended to require active frontage and high‑quality materials; moving parking structures to be an accessory use helps ensure activation requirements apply.

Height and nonconforming uses: The ordinance sets a top height of about 60 feet in the district core (roughly a five‑story standard) and lower heights in other subdistricts. Council members confirmed that legally nonconforming existing businesses may continue to operate and may transfer ownership under existing nonconforming‑use protections.

Outcome and next steps

Both ordinance actions were moved, supported and approved by the council (voice vote). City staff will administer the new standards through the site‑plan and permitting process and via the City’s Corridor Improvement Authority design rules.

Speakers quoted in this article appear in the meeting record and include the city planner and council members who asked procedural and technical questions.