Royal Oak adopts Master Plan 2050 after heated public comment; commission says neighborhoods preserved

The Royal Oak City Commission voted unanimously on May 20, 2025, to adopt the Master Plan 2050, a long-range policy document that city staff and consultants say will guide future land-use changes while leaving existing zoning in place.

The plan, which city planning staff and consultant DPZ CoDesign described as an aspirational “road map” shaped by thousands of public-input touch points, identifies six broad goals—reinforcing city structure, advancing sustainability, expanding housing options, preserving neighborhoods, reinforcing activity centers and increasing mobility—and 15 recommended actions to carry them out. Matt Lambert, the lead consultant, told the commission the intent is to “enable growth where it is desirable and preserve the residential neighborhoods” rather than to change zoning immediately.

Opponents at public comment urged the commission to delay adoption, arguing that substituting the term “neighborhood residential” for “single-family” in the plan’s future land-use categories would open neighborhoods to higher-density development. Trish Oliver, speaking during public comment, told the commission the draft “should not be approved until single-family zoning is placed back in the master plan” and said residents needed more time to review corrected documents posted online.

Supporters, including residents who worked with the consultant in charrettes and surveys, argued the plan is modest and focused on corridors and nodes rather than wholesale change to neighborhoods. Alex Morford, who said he supports the plan’s corridor-focused approach to increase small multifamily housing options by right, told the commission that modest zoning changes in targeted locations can expand housing choices without sweeping redevelopment of single-family blocks.

During debate, Planning Commission Chair Gary Cassata and DPZ repeatedly told the commission and the public that the master plan itself does not rezone property or mandate immediate development. “It doesn’t by itself create any new laws,” Cassata said in his presentation, and Lambert reiterated that “nowhere does [the plan] allow new multifamily in residential neighborhoods.” Legal counsel also reviewed the state statutory adoption steps the commission followed.

Commissioner Douglas moved to adopt the Master Plan 2050 with a corrected adoption date; Commissioner Herzog seconded. The motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The adopted resolution and plan documents will be distributed to the statutorily required jurisdictions and agencies.

What happens next: adoption of the master plan establishes the city’s policy framework; any changes to the zoning ordinance to implement the plan will follow a separate public process. City staff and the planning commission said they will return with implementing zoning and code changes for further public review before any change to property entitlements.

Key voices: Planning Commission Chair Gary Cassata and DPZ consultant Matt Lambert framed the document as guidance, saying it preserves the core of single-family neighborhoods while guiding growth to corridors; multiple residents urged delay and asked that single-family protections be explicitly restored in the text.

The commission adjourned after completing the master plan vote late in the evening.