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Planning commission recommends Bay City 2026 zoning ordinance to City Commission after review and public comment
Summary
After a consultant overview of major code changes, the Bay City Planning Commission voted to forward the draft Chapter 122 (2026 zoning ordinance and map) to the City Commission; public comment raised concerns about minimum lot-area requirements, inconsistent parking rules and an ADU short-term rental ban.
The Bay City Planning Commission voted to recommend transmittal of the draft Bay City 2026 zoning ordinance (Chapter 122) and accompanying zoning map to the City Commission after a consultant overview and a public comment period that raised policy concerns.
Joe Tengary, the consultant working on the rewrite, summarized major changes in the draft: consolidation of R1 and R2 into a district that permits single- and two-family housing by right; a reduced minimum lot size to 4,500 square feet and increased maximum lot coverage to offer more flexibility for infill; merger of RM1/RM2 into a mixed-use district; and permitting accessory dwelling units citywide. "Accessory dwelling units are permitted everywhere," Tengary said during the overview.
Shelley Thirstston, introduced as the new director of community development, said the rewrite supports the city’s effort to achieve Redevelopment Ready Communities certification and to meet grant deadlines. "One of the big drivers for getting this accomplished is redevelopment ready committee communities...so right now we're teed up to meet that date and be successful with that," Thirstston said, noting a related grant expires at the end of July.
In public comment, Paul Kleino (1713 10th Street) said the draft’s minimum land-area rules in the mixed-use overlay and mixed-use district still require large amounts of green space in some configurations and could limit small, dense housing. "So, what is the purpose of this minimum land area rule?" Kleino asked, arguing the rule could constrain mixed and infill housing; he also asked why the draft bans short-term rentals in ADUs. Commissioners and staff acknowledged formatting and notification concerns, described how the draft will be published on Municode, and noted that scrivener fixes and minor formatting changes can be handled as the transmittal moves forward.
Chair Douglas Rise moved that the commission recommend forwarding the draft ordinance and map to the City Commission for action and adoption. The motion was supported and passed. Commissioners described the ordinance as a "living document" that can be amended based on implementation experience and public input during the city’s adoption process.
