Staff reports progress on zoning ordinance audit and rewrite; open houses planned

City planning staff reported that the City of Big Rapids has contracted Williams & Works — the same firm that prepared the city’s master plan — to audit and assist with rewriting the zoning ordinance.

Mark Gifford, city manager, and planning staff summarized two early steps in the process: an initial audit that identified housekeeping issues (for example, references to outdated state statutes and reorganizational needs), and subsequent meetings to establish the ordinance layout and the structure of a new land-use table. Staff said they are proposing format changes to make definitions and sections easier to update (for example, grouping definitions alphabetically under lettered subsections rather than by numeric section) and to add language explicitly tying ordinance interpretation to the master plan.

Why it matters: The rewrite aims to clarify ordinance language, reduce confusion about district uses, and improve the process for future amendments. Planning staff said the RP district will likely be part of upcoming substantive discussions because it serves as a transition/mixed-use designation and has caused confusion in recent hearings.

Staff said they expect additional committee meetings and that Williams & Works plans to hold public open-house sessions to gather input before the draft ordinance moves to formal public hearings. Staff will circulate the audit report and public engagement dates when they are scheduled.