Royal Oak planning commission adopts draft Master Plan 2050 after contentious public hearing

The Royal Oak Planning Commission voted to adopt the draft Master Plan 2050 following a lengthy public hearing in April 2015 that drew dozens of residents who sharply disagreed about whether the document protects single‑family neighborhoods or opens the door to more multifamily housing and accessory dwelling units.

The plan, a 100‑page framework that staff and the consultant say guides growth toward corridors and activity centers while preserving most residential neighborhoods, will be forwarded to the City Commission after the Planning Commission required staff and the master‑plan consultant to correct typographical and non‑substantive consistency errors before transmission.

Why it matters: The plan sets a 20‑year policy framework for land use, mobility and housing in Royal Oak. Supporters argued it provides measured options for more housing near transit and commercial corridors and improves pedestrian and bike safety; opponents said changing the label from 'single family' to 'neighborhood residential' will enable developers to introduce duplexes, ADUs and multifamily buildings into long‑established blocks.

At the hearing, Chair Gary Casado emphasized the commission’s role under state law and the document’s limited geographic scope for change. "The Planning Commission shall approve the master plan," he said while noting the plan allocates roughly 15 percent of the city for potential future growth and leaves the vast majority of neighborhoods designated as areas of preservation. Mayor (identified in the record as 'Mayor') reminded the room that the update follows earlier plans dating back to 1955 and defended the outreach process, saying the project had generated nearly 10,000 points of public contact.

Speakers at the hearing offered sharply contrasting views. Several long‑term residents warned that removing the single‑family label would eliminate protections and invited overdevelopment; one commenter, reading a letter from a planning commissioner in a neighboring city, said the draft "eliminates important planning approval processes" and lacked transparency. Other residents, including renters and younger professionals, said the plan is a necessary, pragmatic response to housing scarcity and traffic patterns and praised its emphasis on walkability and multimodal access.

Staff reported that required 63‑day notices were sent to adjacent communities and county agencies and that responses from Huntington Woods, Southfield and Oakland County did not identify conflicts with their own plans. Commissioners also discussed site‑specific controversies raised by residents, including concerns about a proposed Sheetz at Coolidge and 14 Mile and questions about the Royal Oak Golf Course's designation in the plan as open space.

After discussion the commission considered a motion to adopt the plan. Commissioner Ellison successfully added an amendment directing staff and the consultant to correct typographical and other non‑substantive errors (for example, replacing erroneous references to "council" with "City Commission") before the plan is sent forward. The commission then adopted the draft plan with that condition; staff will return the corrected document to the commissioners and then transmit it to the City Commission for its review.

What happens next: The Planning Commission's adopted plan will be transmitted to the City Commission, which — under the process established in 2021 — will review the document and may concur or request further revisions. Any zoning changes required to implement the plan would follow separate code‑amendment and public‑notice procedures.

The meeting closed after non‑agenda public comments and a brief recess. The Planning Commission’s action was procedural — adoption of a guiding document rather than an immediate change to zoning — but it moves the city closer to implementing the strategies outlined in Master Plan 2050.