Battle Creek planning supervisor outlines how zoning, PUDs and brownfield tools shape sustainability and redevelopment

Darcy Schmidt, planning supervisor in the City of Battle Creek planning and zoning division, told the City of Battle Creek Sustainability Committee that “Planning and zoning is really has everything and anything to do with land use, having to do with, natural resources, transportation, commerce, utilities, industry, housing, infrastructure, and recreation.” The briefing explained how zoning processes, planned-unit developments (PUDs), brownfield authorities and stormwater tools interact with the city’s sustainability goals.

Schmidt said the planning division (five employees) coordinates with the Department of Public Works, the clerk’s office and assessing office on long-range plans — including the city master plan, parks and recreation plan, non-motorized plan and capital improvement plan — and on short-term processes such as administrative site plan review, special-use permits and rezonings. She described the planning commission’s advisory role to the city commission and said the commission may postpone recommendations when submissions lack information.

On development standards Schmidt noted that PUD approvals in the city require an open-space component and said current code generally requires 20% of a PUD site to be set aside as open space. She told the committee that the…