Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Uses topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commission considers allowing duplexes in CMD and cleaning prohibited‑use lists in Westgate/BRD districts
Summary
The Planning Commission discussed allowing duplexes on side streets within the CMD district and recommended reworking or removing the current lists of prohibited uses in Westgate and BRD districts to align with permissive zoning; commissioners debated routing certain uses (pawn shops, adult‑oriented businesses) to a limited B2 district.
At its Nov. 25 meeting the Clawson Planning Commission reviewed possible text changes to allow two‑unit (duplex) dwellings on side streets in the Central Mixed Use (CMD) district and opened a broader discussion about lists of prohibited uses in Westgate and Business Renewal Districts (BRD 1/2).
Staff told the commission that the current CMD definition permits attached single‑family buildings of three or more units but does not explicitly allow duplexes; allowing duplexes on side streets could provide modest multifamily infill that fits the neighborhood scale. Commissioners generally found the change reasonable but asked staff to produce ordinance language and examples showing garage/entrance relationships.
Separately, staff recommended removing lists of prohibited uses from the Westgate and BRD districts to make the ordinance more consistently permissive; commissioners discussed alternatives for handling problematic uses (pawn shops and adult‑oriented businesses), including listing them as special land uses in the city’s geographically restricted B2 district so they can be controlled by location and conditions.
Commissioners expressed differing comfort levels: some preferred retaining explicit prohibitions as a backup, while staff noted that a permissive zoning structure combined with carefully placed special‑use listings provides clearer legal structure and reduces ambiguity.
