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Farmington Hills introduces ordinance to require public art for large redevelopment projects
Summary
Council introduced zoning and administrative amendments to require public art on certain redevelopment projects in targeted corridors and to give the Farmington Area Arts Commission approval authority; measures were introduced by unanimous roll call vote.
Farmington Hills City Council on Oct. 13 introduced a zoning text amendment and a companion city code amendment to require public art for qualifying private redevelopment projects in designated corridors and to give the Farmington Area Arts Commission authority to assist in art approvals.
The zoning amendment would add a new public-art requirement (section 34-5.2) to the zoning code and new definitions for placement and maintenance standards. The requirement applies to projects in specified special-planning corridors (including Orchard Lake Road, the Grand River corridor, M-5 interchange areas, the 8-mile and 12-mile corridors, freeway redevelopment areas and other targeted areas) when the construction cost threshold is met — projects with a construction cost of $2,000,000 or more. Developers would be required to install public art onsite, or make a donation to the city art fund if onsite installation is not feasible. The ordinance ties the art contribution to the construction budget and indexes the threshold to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.
Joe, a planning consultant with Giffels Webster, summarized the policy intent: "This ordinance tries to kind of memorialize that in writing so that when this comes up and an applicant is in one of these certain redevelopment districts...we have much to say about that." The consultant said the approach focuses requirements on corridors identified in the 2024 master plan so the requirement does not apply citywide.
Council also introduced a separate amendment to the City Code (chapter 2, article 4) to give the Farmington Area Arts Commission a role in reviewing and advising on public-art installations and to codify approval authority consistent with the zoning changes. Councilmembers noted the change follows months of joint study sessions with the planning commission and the arts commission and is intended to provide applicants and reviewers predictable standards for placement, visibility and maintenance of public art.
Both parts were introduced by motion and passed introduction on roll-call votes; no public commenters submitted cards for the hearings. Councilmembers who spoke in favor said the policy balances encouraging investment while promoting public art in areas targeted for revitalization.
Next steps: The introduction advances the ordinances toward formal adoption; staff said they will create supporting policies and procedures (including maintenance standards and administrative guidance) before final adoption.
