Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Mount Pleasant planners recommend allowing 8‑foot fences in industrial district
Loading...
Summary
The Planning Commission voted April 9 to recommend City Commission adoption of TC 26‑01, a zoning text change to permit fences and walls up to 8 feet in the SDI industrial special district to improve screening and security; the item advances to the City Commission for public hearing.
The Mount Pleasant Planning Commission voted April 9 to recommend that the City Commission adopt TC 26‑01, a zoning text change that would raise the maximum permitted screening height in the industrial special district (SDI) from 6 feet to 8 feet.
Staff said the change is driven by operational needs at sites such as a long‑running J Rank expansion, where a portion of the property was built under pre‑2018 rules and currently has an 8‑foot fence. "All we are changing is the number — 6 to 8," the planning staff member said, explaining the amendment is intended to better screen taller equipment and improve site security while matching several regional precedents cited in the staff packet.
The staff presentation noted jurisdictions cited as precedents include Isabella County (8 feet) and Clare‑Alma (12 feet), and that the existing code capped fences at 6 feet to prioritize streetscape and pedestrian comfort in nonindustrial areas. Commissioners questioned the specific locations of proposed extensions and whether solar panels and parking would fall inside or outside new fences; staff clarified the J Rank expansion is eastward, with solar panels placed outside the fence and equipment to be screened inside.
No public members appeared in person or online for the hearing. Commissioner (speaker S5) moved that the City Commission adopt TC 26‑01; the motion was seconded and passed on a voice vote. Staff said, if the City Commission adopts the text change, there is a 30‑day period before the amendment takes effect and affected sites may proceed with installations permitted under the revised rule.
Why it matters: the change reduces a code barrier that has required variances for some industrial expansions and aligns Mount Pleasant’s SDI screening standard with neighboring jurisdictions, but it also shifts the balance between security needs for industrial operations and urban design concerns for adjacent public spaces.
Next steps: staff will forward the recommendation to the City Commission for introduction and public hearing; if the City Commission adopts the change it will take effect after the statutory waiting period noted by staff.
