Commission discusses wide-ranging zoning ordinance clarifications, schedules further review and public hearing

Planning staff on Jan. 22 presented proposed clarifications and corrections to the City of East Lansing zoning ordinance packaged as Ordinance 1543, and the Planning Commission discussed the changes at length, but took no formal vote.

Staff said the package is intended primarily to clarify wording, relocate scattered definitions into a single definitions article, and correct inconsistencies discovered during administration of the code. The proposed edits span multiple articles and include adding or revising definitions (for example: accessory dwelling unit, exterior site boundaries, permeable paving, pool, and structure), relocating existing definitions into Article 1, and a host of renumbering and minor corrections. Staff said the edits are meant to ease administration and public understanding…