Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Zoning Redevelopment topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council approves first readings for Dwight Street rezoning to reopen historic Seminole Apartments
Summary
The Pontiac City Council approved first readings for two rezonings to enable rehabilitation of the vacant Seminole Apartments at 94 Dwight Street. Planning staff said the project proposes 31 units but seeks parking waivers (59 spaces required by code vs. 39 proposed); the conditional rezoning for a nearby parcel includes design and parking conditions.
Pontiac City Council on Sept. 10 approved first readings of two zoning ordinances to allow redevelopment of a vacant historic apartment building at 94 Dwight Street.
Planning manager Mark Yandrick told the council the application (ZMA‑24,003) would allow the long‑vacant Seminole Apartments to be rehabilitated as multifamily housing. “There are 31 units in the building, 23 of those are 2‑bedroom units, 8 are 1‑bedroom units,” Yandrick said, adding that the proposed unit mix produces 54 bedrooms and — under the city’s parking formula of 1.1 spaces per bedroom — a code requirement of 59 parking spaces.
The applicant proposes 39 on‑site parking spaces and indicated it may rely on a nearby lot; Yandrick said the applicant can request a waiver from the Planning Commission for the parking and buffer yard requirements as part of later site‑plan review. The council was told Planning Commission recommended approval of the Dwight Street parcels (traditional rezoning) and recommended approval of the adjacent Mark Avenue parcel as a conditional rezoning with applicant‑offered conditions, including diagonal parking that faces away from the street and a five‑foot buffer instead of the 10‑foot standard.
Applicant representative Chris Pahora said the team is “excited about getting this done” and described plans to restore the building’s exterior and provide security and unit‑level amenities. Council members pressed staff and the applicant on accessibility, parking, and neighborhood impacts; the applicant said the building has a basement and three floors, that first‑floor units will be made accessible, and that each unit will have in‑unit laundry and mechanical systems.
Because Michigan law requires two readings for rezoning, these approvals were only the first reading. Council voted 6‑0 on both first‑reading motions; the items will return for second readings at the Sept. 17 meeting.
