Saginaw staff present draft zoning ordinance rewrite; add ADUs, simplify mixed‑use zones

City of Saginaw planning staff and a planning consultant presented a draft zoning ordinance update during a meeting, outlining changes to zoning districts, permitted uses, application procedures and design standards.

The draft is intended to align the city’s zoning regulations with the 2022 master plan and to make the code easier to use for residents, developers and staff. Planning staff said the rewrite includes new district designations, expanded mixed‑use allowances, new accessory dwelling unit rules and a simplified structure for the ordinance text and map.

Planning staff described the purpose of the rewrite as organizing land use, separating incompatible uses and promoting orderly growth. “Zoning is the key to organizing land use within a city,” the planning staff member said. The presenter said the ordinance text and interactive map are intended to be more transparent and easier to navigate than the previous code.

Key changes in the draft include allowing accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, in every…