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Bay City Planning Commission reviews draft zoning ordinance; debates staff approval powers and mixed‑use table inconsistencies
Summary
Commissioners reviewed a major rewrite of Bay City's zoning ordinance tied to the Redevelopment Ready Communities program, raising close questions about delegating 'similar use' approvals to staff, inconsistencies in the mixed‑use permitted‑uses table, and new accessory dwelling unit standards. Staff and the consultant will revise the table and return with clarifications before the next meeting.
The Bay City Planning Commission on March 18 reviewed a near‑final draft of the city’s zoning ordinance that staff said is intended to meet Redevelopment Ready Communities (RRC) certification and streamline permitting.
The draft, prepared with consultant input from Giffels and Webster, updates hundreds of definitions, consolidates the permitted‑uses table, introduces a mixed‑use district and a residential mixed‑density overlay, and adds new rules for accessory dwelling units (ADUs), wireless facilities, and outdoor storage. Chair Doug Ries said the goal is “to get the ordinance completed and ready for city commission action,” and staff emphasized a July 2026 reporting timeline tied to the city’s fiscal year close.
Why it matters: the ordinance shapes what kinds of housing, businesses and reuse of vacant institutional buildings are allowed across Bay City neighborhoods. Commissioners said small wording choices in definitions and several apparent mismatches between the descriptive text and the permitted‑uses table could materially change whether projects are allowed as a right, require a special land use hearing, or must seek a use variance.
A central dispute at the meeting was a procedural change in which staff would have authority to decide whether a proposed use that…
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