Planning commission recommends Missing‑Middle overlay and Van Dyke mixed‑use district to council

The Warren City Planning Commission voted May 12 to recommend city council approve amendments to Article 4 of the City of Warren Code to create a Missing Middle overlay district and a Van Dyke mixed‑use district, subject to the planning department’s revisions.

Planning staff read the ordinance line‑by‑line and said the package would add permitted housing types (single‑family, duplex, triplex, quads), revise setback and height standards, modify lot‑coverage limits and design standards, and add a mechanism allowing the planning director or building director to increase setbacks when tree preservation or fire‑safety encroachments are present. Staff tied proposed fire‑resistant construction language to the Michigan Building Code as adopted by Warren and asked that images and section numbering be cleaned up before the measure moves to council.

Developer Nicole Ross, identified herself as a project partner and told commissioners the overlay was already producing housing on the ground in South Warren. “These two houses here…they’re proof of concept of what this zoning overlay can do for the City of Warren. They’re real homes,” Ross said, adding the effort relies on four ingredients—modular construction, low‑cost land, reduced fees, and permissive zoning—to improve feasibility. She estimated a typical modular unit at about $225,000 and said the pilot program includes tax incentives and state housing assistance to close the gap between construction cost and local sale prices.

Commissioners asked technical questions about easements, how existing businesses are treated, the geographic boundaries of the two overlays and design treatments for corner lots and clear vision triangles. Planning staff clarified existing businesses would not be forced to relocate; the overlays apply to future redevelopment inside the defined boundaries and would supersede underlying zoning where specified. Staff also highlighted tree‑protection provisions and the minimum necessary standard for any setback increase.

The commission moved to approve the planning department’s recommendation with the enumerated edits and forwarded it to city council for final action.

Next steps: the ordinance package will go to Warren City Council with the planning commission’s recommended language and staff corrections; council will have final approval authority.