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Clawson planners discuss allowing duplexes in Central Mixed Use District to increase infill options
Summary
Staff proposed amending the CMD to permit duplexes on side‑street lots (adding two‑family dwellings to the permitted‑use list). Commissioners asked for clearer design standards, parking placement and neighborhood compatibility before scheduling any hearing.
On Dec. 9 the Clawson Planning Commission discussed a staff proposal to allow duplexes (two‑family dwellings) in the Central Mixed Use District (CMD) by adding dwelling‑type language to the district use list and referencing standards in section 4.2.
Staff presented schematic illustrations showing how a duplex could fit on a typical 50‑foot‑wide side‑street lot, with options including side‑by‑side ground‑floor units or stacked (up/down) units with rear garages or parking pads. The proposal would permit duplexes on lots that do not front Main Street or 14 Mile Road, while retaining CMD setbacks (0–25 feet front setback) and rear‑yard rules when abutting residential zones (a 30‑foot rear setback).
Commissioners acknowledged the potential to create more attainable housing and to activate vacant lots, but several asked for more precise design language to preserve a residential character on side streets (limits on lot coverage, building envelope guidance, standards for parking to be located behind buildings, and requirements to preserve a front‑yard or 'homey' feel). Staff noted that duplex parking standards would follow single‑family rules (two spaces per unit) and suggested amending 4.2 (standards for single‑family attached dwellings) to add a subsection specific to CMD duplexes.
Discussion ended with a request that staff draft clearer ordinance language and illustrative standards for the commission to review; the commission did not schedule a public hearing at this meeting.
Next steps: Staff will prepare draft text amendments and sample schematics that address setbacks, lot coverage, parking location, and architectural transitions to adjacent residential areas for future commission review.
