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Consultants outline form-based approach, housing changes and streamlined review for Royal Oak zoning rewrite
Summary
Clarion Associates and partners presented a full-code drafting plan to the Royal Oak Planning Commission, proposing form-based districts, policies to encourage ADUs and missing‑middle housing, administrative streamlining and a public‑engagement program; the team said the process could take 16–24 months depending on outreach.
Clarion Associates told the Royal Oak Planning Commission it will draft a modernized zoning ordinance using a place‑based (form‑based) approach intended to implement the city’s master plan while making the code easier to use. "Certainly, modernize the zoning ordinance, establish legally sound regulations, and that deliver predictable outcomes for both applicants and staff and elected officials," said Elizabeth Garvin, Clarion principal in charge.
Leslie Oberholtzer, the team’s form‑based code lead, said the work begins with the master plan’s future‑land‑use map, on‑the‑ground surveys and illustrated building types so residents can visualize changes. "It's really understanding your building form and what your expected building form is to be, in the community," she said, describing illustrated standards keyed to specific metrics.
The consultants identified housing as a central focus. Garvin said 71% of the city’s land is currently residential and recommended policy and regulatory changes to expand options, including allowing accessory dwelling units more broadly, reducing setbacks or lot-size barriers, and exploring density bonuses and deed‑restricted second units to support affordability.
On administration and review, David Jurasic said the team will assess Royal Oak’s staff capacity and recommend where third‑party technical reviews (for example, traffic impact analyses) are appropriate. He also proposed clearer, plain‑language procedures, a short site‑plan application manual and options to delegate routine approvals from the planning commission to staff if the code becomes more predictable.
Clarion and partners also urged reorganizing use lists into searchable use tables, moving some special‑use reviews to permitted status where feasible, and adding stronger connectivity and mobility standards so site plans check off pedestrian and bicycle connections.
General Code technical lead Wayne Childs described codification tools—an interactive zoning map, searchable formatted content, API integrations and a publisher platform (eCode360)—and said the ICC‑affiliated service is working on a tailored legal search tool using a proprietary model. He cautioned municipalities to be careful with open large‑language models for legal searches.
On schedule, Clarion proposed drafting the full ordinance early in the project and estimated a 20–24 month timeline that could be shortened to 16–20 months if public outreach proceeds smoothly. Garvin emphasized iterative drafting and engagement throughout the process, saying the team would work with city communications staff to reduce the burden on city staff and tailor outreach tools to the audiences most likely to participate.
The presentation closed with commissioners’ questions about visualizing changes for the public, who will lead engagement, and when legal review will be integrated; Clarion said the firm would lead engagement while flagging legal issues for its Michigan attorney throughout the front‑end drafting phase. The presentation ran through the consultants’ work plan, examples of graphic materials and a range of in‑person and virtual outreach tactics.
