Planners present master‑plan update; commissioners request workshop to refine goals

City planning staff presented a draft update to Clawson’s master plan on Sept. 10 and asked commissioners whether they were comfortable with the goals and the general direction of the update. The presentation emphasized corridor study areas and new goals tailored to those study areas, while staff said the 2017 goals would be carried forward.

Several commissioners said the update feels narrower than the full 2017 plan and raised concerns that the draft does not highlight the older plan’s goals prominently enough. Commissioner Redmond said placing 2017 goals in an appendix made them feel less central and asked staff to include the older goals in the introduction if they are to be treated as carrying forward. Planner Joe agreed to incorporate the 2017 goals more visibly and to clarify the update’s scope in the introduction.

Commissioners also asked for more clarity about how mixed‑use and ‘‘missing middle’’ housing types would be defined and how the corridor descriptions would influence future PUD and site‑plan reviews. Staff noted the corridor study language contains principles for transitions to residential areas, missing‑middle housing types, parking strategies, and screening adjacent residential neighborhoods.

The commission agreed to schedule a focused workshop (outside the regular meeting) to discuss the outstanding items and directed staff to circulate possible dates; staff offered to send multiple dates to commissioners for selection and to prepare a concise packet and requested talking points to focus the workshop.

Planners report and next steps: Staff also previewed upcoming agendas, noting two site plans scheduled for the next meeting (Sept. 24) and a conceptual PUD review for the Shawam site at the Oct. 8 meeting. Culver’s exterior engineering approvals were reported as moving forward, with an anticipated (weather‑dependent) target to open by Thanksgiving. The commission asked staff to prepare an updated master‑plan packet that explicitly lists what the update replaces, what it adds, and how it interacts with the 2017 adopted plan.

Quotes: “The goals from 2017 are carried forward,” said Joe, the planner; Commissioner Redmond said: “It doesn’t feel that way when they’re at the appendix,” urging a more prominent placement of earlier goals.

Ending: Staff will circulate revised text and a proposed workshop date range; the commission will reconvene in a workshop session to refine goals, definitions and any conflict between the zoning and licensing language before the next formal hearing or submittal to Council.