Farmington Hills council approves zoning text amendment for 12‑Mile corridor, removes contested height incentive

Farmington Hills City Council on July 14 approved Zoning Text Amendment ZTA 3‑20‑25, revising the OS‑4 Office Research district (the 12‑Mile Road corridor and some properties near I‑275) and updating off‑street parking standards for multifamily residential and office uses.

The amendment revises permitted uses and the district intent, adds definitions (including “artisan manufacturing” and “live‑work unit”), reduces vehicular parking requirements for multifamily and office uses, and adds bicycle parking standards and rules for standalone parking structures. It also clarifies permitted restaurant types and lists them directly in the code rather than by cross‑reference.

The city’s planning consultant, Joe Tangieri of Giffels Webster, summarized the changes, saying the update is intended to align the zoning ordinance with the city’s recently adopted master plan and make the code more user‑friendly. "Sit down restaurants are listed twice, in fact — if they are located within a mixed‑use building they are permitted by right and if they are a stand‑alone building they are a special land use," Tangieri told council during the hearing.

Why it matters: The OS‑4 corridor is a target for infill and mixed‑use redevelopment. The amendment is intended to make development proposals more predictable by reducing parking minimums, incentivizing mixed uses, and adding modern categories (for example, artisan manufacturing and live‑work units). Those changes affect property owners, developers and residents along 12 Mile Road and at the I‑275 edge of the city.

What council changed: Council members raised a specific concern about a proposal in the draft ordinance (section 34‑3.905(e)) that would have allowed additional building height in exchange for set‑asides of 15% of site area for public use (park, plaza or public art). Multiple council members, including Mr. Aldred and Ms. Noll, said they wanted more flexibility and additional study of that incentive. Council moved to remove section 34‑3.905(e) from the ordinance and to revisit it later; the motion also added explicit allowances for indoor recreation uses and private schools in the OS‑4 district, with a square‑footage limit for indoor recreation of 3,300 square feet.

Process and next steps: City staff and the consultant said the ordinance will return to council in August with the formal ordinance language for final adoption. Mayor Theresa Rich confirmed the council’s vote was to proceed with the revisions as amended and to bring the complete ordinance back at the next available meeting.

Vote: The council approved the amendment as amended by roll call (unanimous). The ordinance language for the removed section will be returned for further consideration at a later meeting.

Background details: The amendment also explicitly listed restaurant types among permitted uses in mixed‑use buildings, added bicycle parking standards and defined new use categories that city staff said were not previously identified in the code. The planning consultant noted several edits were made after the June study session to improve clarity and user‑friendliness.

What was not decided: Council did not adopt the removed height incentive; members asked staff to return with options, including potentially changing the language from mandatory ("shall") to discretionary ("may") or moving the incentive into a special approval process (PUD or special land use) to preserve negotiation flexibility.

Evidence and next hearing: Staff said the formal ordinance (with the specified removal of section 34‑3.905(e) and the added indoor recreation/private school provisions) will be provided to council and posted ahead of the August meeting for final action.