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Commission advances draft zoning amendments to allow pawn shops and adult businesses in limited I‑1 areas; asks for maps and buffers
Summary
Planning staff proposed amendments to permit pawn shops and adult businesses as special land uses in the I‑1 district north of 14 Mile Road, including a pawnshop standard with a 1,000‑foot school buffer and required police‑reviewed security plans; commissioners requested maps, asked about cross‑jurisdictional buffer limits and agreed to return the draft for a public hearing after edits.
Planning staff presented a draft amendment to Chapter 34 that would permit pawn shops and adult businesses in portions of the I‑1 industrial district north of 14 Mile Road, with standards intended to limit locations.
Andy, planning staff, said the draft is a revision from earlier material and includes a new pawnshop section that "shall not be located within 1000 feet to any school," and requires an applicant to submit a security plan for police review. He told commissioners the proposed locations are generally the purple‑shaded I‑1 properties along North Rochester Road and stressed the city cannot wholly prohibit the uses under state law, so it must identify appropriate areas for them.
Commission discussion focused on mapping and buffers. Commissioners asked for a clearer map showing other proximity conditions (homes, childcare, places of worship) and whether the city can legally apply buffers based on facilities in neighboring jurisdictions. Staff said state law requires notice to affected properties in the adjacent jurisdiction and that legal limits on cross‑jurisdictional buffering would need review.
Several commissioners noted the proposed 1,000‑foot place‑of‑worship buffer could effectively eliminate available sites and asked staff to consider smaller, consistent buffer distances (for example, 200 feet) or to rely on special‑land‑use review to address compatibility case‑by‑case. One commissioner moved to schedule a public hearing for the zoning amendment on June 9 with the stipulation that staff provide maps and answers to outstanding questions; staff and the commission agreed to bring a revised draft back for the June meeting for finalization before posting a public hearing date.
The commission did not adopt the ordinance at this meeting; it directed staff to return with a finalized ordinance and maps and to check legal constraints on buffering across municipal boundaries.
