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Commission reviews sweeping zoning ordinance rewrite at first reading; residents raise mixed‑use concerns
Summary
Consultants presented a zoning rewrite tied to Bay City's 2024 master plan that would merge several districts, allow accessory dwelling units broadly, reduce minimum lot sizes and add a mixed‑use district; public commenters urged preserving residential character for a neighborhood block and asked for additional notice and PUD consideration.
Consultants from Giffels Webster summarized a proposed comprehensive rewrite of Bay City's zoning ordinance during the July 6 commission meeting, saying the update flows from the city’s 2024 master plan and a grant‑funded process that must meet a late‑July deadline.
Joe Tangary of Giffels Webster told commissioners the draft includes several substantive changes intended to increase development flexibility and streamline permitting. Key changes noted in the presentation include merging R1 and R2 into a single district and reducing the minimum lot size from 5,000 to 4,500 square feet; permitting accessory dwelling units wherever residential uses are allowed; merging RM1 and O1 into a single mixed‑use district; adopting preapproved home plans (developed with MEDC and the Michigan Municipal League) to speed permitting; and reorganizing development review to include engineering review and clearer application requirements.
Tangary said the rewrite also modernizes standards for porches, decks, lighting, parking and loading, brings updated electric vehicle and bike‑parking guidance into the parking table, and creates clearer maintenance and fence‑permit rules. He described the change as a living document: "Zoning ordinances can always be amended," he said, adding the draft is intended to make processes more predictable and provide options for small‑lot development and adaptive reuse.
During the public comment period and commissioner Q&A, multiple residents from the Arbor Street area and the Monday block asked the commission to preserve residential character and sought clearer notice and review if a redevelopment proposal is advanced. Paul Travis, who said his family has lived on Arbor Street for generations, said the future land use map recommended the Monday block remain residential and requested that neighbors be kept informed; Emily Madison, an urban designer and property owner, urged a PUD process and more clarity on how mixed‑use projects would be evaluated.
Planning staff responded that the property has a mixed zoning history dating to 2006, that some sites were previously zoned for office or manufacturing, and that any project above the table threshold would receive site plan review and planning commission notification. Staff also confirmed the draft is on the current schedule for a second reading and adoption; if adopted as scheduled the ordinance would become effective roughly 7–10 days after publication, likely in August.
Commissioners asked technical questions about whether the draft aligns with recently proposed state housing preemption bills (staff said in some respects the city is already more permissive, particularly on ADUs and duplexes), how tiny homes would fit into the code (the draft lowered some minimums to about 760 sq ft as a compromise), and how amendments between readings would be handled. Several commissioners and members of the public supported continued refinement and promised follow‑up to identify specific streets or map cells for targeted amendments.
The ordinance presentation was accepted as a first reading; the commission will hold a second reading and notice before final adoption as required by state law.
