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Planning commission forwards proposed master plan draft to City Commission for 63‑day review
Summary
After a lengthy public hearing with dozens of speakers both urging delay and urging adoption, the commission voted to adopt the draft master plan (dated 12/02/2024) as the proposed master plan and to forward it to the City Commission for the statutorily required distribution and 63‑day review period under Michigan law.
The Royal Oak Planning Commission voted to adopt the draft master plan dated 12/02/2024 as the commission’s proposed master plan and to forward it to the Royal Oak City Commission so staff can distribute the document to the statutorily required entities for review under the Michigan Planning Enabling Act.
Consultant Matt Lambert reviewed key changes in the second draft: consolidation of action items into 15 topic areas, targeted adjustments to the future land‑use map that reduced some mixed‑use corridor designations, an extended downtown boundary in a limited area, corrected population‑graph presentation (removing an apparent dip caused by graph smoothing), and specific recommendations for transportation, including segment‑level treatments of 11 Mile Road and improved bicycle and greenway connections. The draft also adds a section on a Southwest gateway and frontage improvements downtown.
Public comment was extensive and sharply divided. Several speakers, including neighborhood groups and long‑time residents, urged the commission to delay forwarding the plan and to hold multiple in‑person town halls with mailed notices to properties within 500 feet of affected corridors. They raised concerns that the draft substitutes a broad “neighborhood residential” designation for single‑family zoning in some places and that residents had insufficient time to review a December draft released in January. Other speakers — including homeowners, downtown advocates and cycling proponents — urged the commission to forward the draft so the required statutory review process can begin, saying the document advances walkability, bikeability and modest housing availability while preserving neighborhoods.
Legal counsel and staff explained the next steps under the Michigan Planning Enabling Act (Public Act 33 of 2008): once the City Commission authorizes distribution, staff must send the proposed plan to specified entities (nearby jurisdictions, county planning commission, railroads, utilities, etc.), and those recipients have a minimum 63‑day window to provide comments. During that distribution period the proposed document submitted for review must remain the same; the commission may consider changes after the statutory review period and after at least one required public hearing.
Commissioner Esbury moved to adopt the draft dated 12/02/2024 as the proposed master plan and to forward it to the City Commission for distribution; the motion was seconded and passed by voice vote with no recorded opposition. Staff said the 63‑day review clock will begin once the City Commission authorizes distribution.
