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Planning commission backs allowing multifamily as special use in R‑1 single‑family district
Summary
The commission voted to forward an amendment that would permit multifamily dwellings in R‑1 as a special use subject to design, density and parking standards (e.g., max 12 units/acre; 10,000 sq ft lot; minimum 1 parking space per unit). The recommendation goes to city council.
The Cedar Springs Planning Commission voted to recommend that the city council amend Chapter 32 to permit multifamily dwellings as a special use in the R‑1 single‑family district, subject to additional standards.
Planning staff told the commission the draft adds multifamily dwellings to the list of special uses for R‑1 and attaches standards intended to preserve neighborhood character. "This would amend the zoning ordinance to permit multifamily dwellings as a special use in the R 1 District," the planner said during the presentation.
Key standards in the draft include design requirements so multifamily buildings "look like" single‑family dwellings (scaled elevation drawings required), a density cap of 12 units per acre, a minimum lot size of 10,000 square feet and minimum lot width of 80 feet, and a limit of no more than five units per building. The draft also modifies the parking schedule for R‑1 multifamily: a minimum of one parking space per unit is required in R‑1, with up to three spaces per unit allowed by the table.
The planner clarified this change does not alter existing allowances for duplexes — those remain permitted in R‑1 — but it would permit three‑unit and larger buildings to seek a special use permit. The special use process requires mailed notice to neighbors within 300 feet and an opportunity for public comment; the planning commission would have discretion to approve or deny a permit based on the standards.
Commissioners asked whether the amendment would legalize older multiunit properties; staff said existing multiunit properties without a special use remain legally nonconforming but should find clearer pathways to compliance or formalization under the new rules. After a public hearing with no speakers, the commission voted to forward the amendment to the city council.
