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Bloomfield Hills study urges zoning fixes; commission extends office moratorium
Summary
Consultants recommended clearer city‑center zoning, parking and walkability upgrades after finding elevated office vacancy; commissioners directed planners to prepare ordinance tweaks and extended an office moratorium through Aug. 11 while scheduling accelerated review meetings.
The Bloomfield Hills City Commission on June 9 received a final land‑use update from consultant Jill of Gles Webster and directed staff to draft zoning changes intended to make the city‑center office district more marketable.
Jill told the commission that Bloomfield Hills has roughly 1.4 million square feet of office space and a vacancy range she described as "in the range" of about 20–30 percent. She said, "We know walkability is becoming more important for residents as well as workers," and recommended targeted changes such as a city‑center overlay or a consolidated office district, clearer definitions for permitted uses, and incentives for reinvestment and pedestrian connections.
Why it matters: Commissioners said the moratorium on new office development — adopted earlier to address perceived vacancy and underutilization — needs measurable progress. The commission moved to direct planners to prepare specific ordinance recommendations, hold a special city‑commission meeting on June 18 to review drafts, ask the planning commission to act by June 30, and extend the moratorium from its June 12 expiration to Aug. 11.
Commissioners debated scope and pace. One commissioner said the moratorium "needs completion dates" and urged incremental but tangible steps that remain consistent with the master plan. Staff noted items that could be addressed quickly, such as signage standards, parking waivers, or allowing limited personal‑service uses under size thresholds to avoid wholesale changes to the city's character.
What's next: Staff will return with draft ordinance language and a timeline for planning‑commission review and public hearings; the commission scheduled an accelerated review process and asked for community engagement, including a proposed resident survey to inform any master‑plan refinements.
The commission passed the motion to direct staff and extend the moratorium by voice vote. The next formal step is the June 18 special meeting to review draft recommendations.
